Anyone experience muscle/joint fatigue after 2yrs. h&n sx?

I'm glad to hear you are cancer-free. On the other hand, I'm sorry you have so much fatigue. I want to say that I'm not a good person to gauge fatigue after recovery, because I started with fatigue and muscle, joint pain when I was diagnosed with a parotid tumor, Stage II. Every doctor told me the fatigue had nothing to do with having cancer. But after surgery and radiation, fatigue was worse. And I wasn't feeling better for a couple of years.

If you are noticing it for the first time, you deserve a new workup. Maybe you do have a vitamin deficiency, maybe anemic. Do you think you have been sedentary a long time healing from cancer? Or maybe that doesn't pertain to you.

I became weak and rundown after going through surgery and radiation for H&N cancer. It took me years of walking, gradually further and doing gentle yoga to begin with. When I was able to do those things regularly I felt better than I had since I was 18! That was encouraging.

I learned to follow my intuition. Our bodies are wise. I hear some of these things in your comment. Keep trying to connect with a provider who will listen about the fatigue.

For overall fatigue I suggest a thyroid blood test, due to the possibility the thyroid was damaged by radiation, a common cause.
As for muscle and joint fatigue/ pain, if it is over the entire body, I am at a loss for thoughts other than the thyroid. Pain in your leg where the graft was taken I can confirm, especially after a long walk or standing for a few hours. For me it took about four years for total leg recovery. My mandible gives me phantom pains on occasion even now five years out.
In your case if I recall you had the mandiblectomy prior to radiation and chemo, which seems like it would slow the healing process considerably.
Overall fatigue in your case, two years out doesn’t seem unusual considering what you went through. Certainly a complete blood count panel (cbc) and a thyroid TSH Free T3&T4 might be suggested to your primary care doctor. This is a patient opinion, not a medical opinion.
For me personally I had the worse fatigue prior to my cancer diagnosis. It did however take almost seven years to recover from most of my injuries after treatment. My mandiblectomy was nineteen years post cancer due to osteoradionecrosis. I hope we can get you back to near normal sooner than than later.
Can you describe your fatigue and general recovery?

@hrhwilliam
Thank you for quick response. I am taking 75mcg levothyroxine a day. Started it about 9 mths ago. I must tell you I do not have the best diet. I can only chew on bottom left molars. Surgery took bottom rightside teeth. Once my feeding tube was removed I have struggled to eat anything solid. I subsist on protein smoothie that I get from local juice store. I give them my "Kate Farms" supplement , which they add to my smoothie. I also eat a certain soup I found that goes down easy. I drink Chobani liquid yogurt w/20 gms of protein regularly. Its not much. I know I can to better. Since sx & post RT & chemo I have never been more sedentary. I dont have stamina to go places in public. My routine is to get up, do stretching exercises, go get smoothie, walk @ park then come back home. About all I can handle. I want to do things; gym, outings with friends, but havent got the reserve. Hoping my bloodtest will reveal something. I will let u know. Thank you for your support

Ditto! I am the same! I can't get my strength and mobility back. PT for months with little improvement.
What gives???

@sandy8043
Hi Sandy, I went to a lymphedema specialist for 6 mths. She was great. She worked on my neck. I try to give myself neck massages but still experience tightness down neck to back of shoulder. I wonder too what happened to my strength & flexibility! I 've read about sarcopenia. I am 73 . But was very athletic before SCC. I know I have lost alot of muscle mass. Seems like a Catch 22. To weak to motivate myself to go to gym. Walking just isnt enough. I am going to PT on Tuesday. He will give me exercises to do & send me home to do them. Oh, to just have a day where I dont think about how my body feels. Thks for sharing

Common thread here ,,,,,,,,,,,,, speak with all your physicians about it and hope some of it can be sorted out,

@pageme I'm in PT also and making little progress. I had a great OT who did myofascial release massage. That really kept my fibrosis and lymphedema in check. She retired! I have a new OT and well see how that goes. So frustrating. I'm using a vibration plate now and,that seems to help with my flexibility and lymphedema.

Hi @sandy8043

What's a vibration plate??? I heard good things about Red Light Therapy too but need to do more research on that.

In addition, I starting using a Hugterra (pic attached) device I purchased (Amazon has a few copycats that are cheaper, but I wanted the original one) and after 5 days or so noticed it helped relieve some of those neuropathy symptoms and discomfort coming from neck and shoulders. It provides 15-minute daily sessions that blend massage, stretching, Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), and heat therapy, enhancing circulation, relaxing tense muscles, and restoring the neck's natural curve. Definitely helped my neck stiffness and pain which then helps swallowing etc. Some people on this site also use Tactile Medical Flexitouch Pump or Shiatsu Neck Massager.

@pageme
Boy can I relate to your "Catch 22." I have a doctor ordering PT and I want to go to the Y. But it's hard to motivate myself. And Yes! we could all use a day without all this focus on our bodies! Good luck with getting motivated. I mean that seriously and for your wellness.

@roblem I bought my vibration plate off Amazon. I stand on it and do various exercises, too. I first saw them on Cancerrehabpt.com
Kelly the PT produces videos on YouTube as well. She specializes in lymphedema and has videos on using a vibration plate. It helps with my circulation and seems to loosen up my muscles as well.

She also had a,video on red light therapy. Here is a link about red light therapy used on H and N cancer patients at Sloan Kettering.
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/about-your-photobiomodulation-therapy Interesting. I'm going to ask my OT about it.