Weak and heavy legs from IV chemo?

Posted by turtle23 @turtle23, Apr 27, 2023

I've been living with liposarcoma since June 2017. As of February 2023, I've been on two types of IV chemo called Gemcitabine and Docetaxel and since then my legs have become very weak and heavy to the point that I am limited to walking less than 200 feet. At that point, I have to sit down and rest. The Oncologist is going to reduce both of the chemo dosages to see if that helps. I've also been on nulestra and taking Claritin. Has anyone else experienced this from these types of chemo? Thank you.

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ajh5285 | @ajh5285 | Apr 28, 2023

Yes, indeed. I'm receiving cycles of chemo with a combination of Abraxane and Gemcitabine. It's not clear to me if only one of the drugs is the "cause" or if both are involved. It has been suggested to me that this is a condition with a long medical name, also known as "Chemo Brain," "Chemo Feet and Hands" or some variation. There are strategies that can help reduce the effect at the time of infusions, and I have also noticed some reduction in the sensory component by sleeping for some days after an infusion with my feet uncovered.
I don't have a definitive answer for the heavy legs sensation. Mine is accompanied by weakness in the quadriceps muscles just above the knee, but have discovered that the weakness is aggravated every time I change shoes. My body worker suggests that keeping the heel height of your shoes the same helps. I also wish that some PT (physical therapy) or PMR (physical medicine and rehab) had been suggested at the very beginning of chemotherapy to help cope.

donsunlover | @donsunlover | Apr 28, 2023

Chemotherapy is a poison used to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately it also kills healthy cells which is causing your weakness.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6680685/
It may be possible to reduce your chemotherapy doses and yet get a better result using the above approach. This needs to be thoroughly evaluated and assed by your doctors and any who may have tried this.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | May 7, 2023

Welcome @turtle23, I'm tagging @designer22 on this discussion as they also had gemcitabine and docetaxel for leiomyosarcoma and share experiences.

How often do you have infusions? Have they tried a reduce dosage yet?

tenpro | @tenpro | May 18, 2023

I'm currently in the infusion and pump stage of my chemo treatment. I find that I need to get lots of exercise to keep my body going, otherwise, It just seems to want to shut down and I get extremely tired.

I focus on resistance training to keep my muscles from getting weak and some cardio. Both really seem to help me not feel the shutdown after the pump is removed. I would suggest discussing with your care team and a trainer at your gym or if you have equipment at home and write up a daily plan that includes walking, biking, or Treadmill and the weight resistance to stay strong.

I hope this helps as I was feeling like I was going downhill until I started to fight back.
good luck