Fatigue worse after radiation: And still have fatigue, what helps?

Posted by sue417 @sue417, Feb 23 5:17pm

Hi
In march I will be going into eleven months post radiation. I feel since winter hit my radiation Fatigue and fibro has gotten worse. I am struggling horribly with this fatigue and now i'm getting depressed. I live alone.It has been a very. Difficult. I did not think the fatigue would be this debiltating this far out. I am sure my fibromyalgia Is playing a big part also. My fibro has been very much under control with the odd flare but nothing like this. I will be starting counseling at the end of March and I will be starting grief counseling at the beginning of march which i've been waiting ten months for. I am hoping some of this makes a difference. I had four deaths during my treatment, Plus having to care for my mother when I was finished in April quite a few nights a week.Finally got her in a nursing home in August.She has alzheimer's , that also has been brutal. Wonder if others with fibro have had this much trouble recovering from radiation.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

Hi
I am 15 months post-op from stopping radiation treatment for breast cancer. 3 months ago I felt like my fatigue was lifting since starting Zoloft 25 mg. Now I've got fatigue back and feeling like I am depressed again and having some anxiety. I am going to 50 mg of Zoloft which I really didn't want to but I'm going to try it and see if it helps. Has anyone else had this issue with the fatigue and the depression and anxiety I know that it's from being taken off my hormones which I loved being on but I guess this is the way it is now. Also wondering when all these doctor's appointments will ever end it gets very depressing when you spend nine days out of the month out appointments.

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Try to remember there is an end date for everything. The depression/anxiety prescription may need to be changed please let your doctor know as soon as possible. I am just a little ahead of the path you are on now. It does help telling someone your frustrations who also has/had cancer. I have a person she is my cousin’s cousin LOL. I asked and she agreed I just whine complain to her. I hear about her experiences from 10 years ago and I am thankful. All this hard stuff all these people medical/technical/administrative are there to SAVE my life and yours. Wonderful

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Profile picture for pitbullfriend1 @pitbullfriend1

Try to remember there is an end date for everything. The depression/anxiety prescription may need to be changed please let your doctor know as soon as possible. I am just a little ahead of the path you are on now. It does help telling someone your frustrations who also has/had cancer. I have a person she is my cousin’s cousin LOL. I asked and she agreed I just whine complain to her. I hear about her experiences from 10 years ago and I am thankful. All this hard stuff all these people medical/technical/administrative are there to SAVE my life and yours. Wonderful

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Hi
I belong to a breast cancer zoom group which meets weekly where we discuss things. Also I am seeing a counselor not as often as I'd like she's on vacation for 3 weeks now.
I cannot take the 50 mg of Zoloft the side effects are brutal so I'm dropping back down to 25 mg because my doctor is away until wed . I have nausea dizziness headache feeling like I'm going to explode out of my body so I do not think this is good. I will drop back down because I still have 25 mg pills and see how I feel this is my fourth medication we have tried I'm just so sick of it. It's been good for 3 months but I also had a new back fracture in April so I don't know if that's the cause of feeling down. Which it probably is. I will talk to my pharmacist tomorrow. My side effects were nowhere near this when I started the 25 mg.
I am extremely sensitive to medication. I had to take a medication in my twenties because of a lot of trauma that happened I did not have this kind of side effects back then at all although I know I am older now and things change. I would like to go back on my 5-HTP that I was taking through my naturopathic doctor because I felt great on that until I didn't and I think it needed to be increased a lot and I don't think she's really versed in that. Thank you for your kind words.

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Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

HiSo I am 11 months out from radiation and my fatigueis getting worse.I'm starting to get scared.I went to My naturopath ti get testing . My hormones. Nervous system and thyroid are very low. I have wicked depression which I have never had and anxiety. I am going back to my gp this week to see if he will put me on trazadone Which my pharmacist recommended because it will help with sleep , depression and anxiety. I have tried a couple supplements months ago for depression and I could not tolerate it. I just want to feel normal again and have some energy. I just did a deep clean in my bedroom and clean my window And I can't even function.😒 Has anyone struggled like this so far out. I did not take the AI meds

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Hi
So post surgery and treatment last year ended April 2024. Currently I am still having brutal fatigue. I do have fibromyalgia so I don't know if it's because the trauma has really made the fibro bad or what I am so frustrated. I still have anemia from the radiation it has gotten a bit better. Do I just need to accept that this is the way it is now? My doctor put me on 25 mg of Zoloft which seemed to be working but been having issues tried to increase it to 50 I just can't tolerate it so I'm wondering if I need a different medication. I wish I could just go back on my HRT I felt so good on that.

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Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

Hi
So post surgery and treatment last year ended April 2024. Currently I am still having brutal fatigue. I do have fibromyalgia so I don't know if it's because the trauma has really made the fibro bad or what I am so frustrated. I still have anemia from the radiation it has gotten a bit better. Do I just need to accept that this is the way it is now? My doctor put me on 25 mg of Zoloft which seemed to be working but been having issues tried to increase it to 50 I just can't tolerate it so I'm wondering if I need a different medication. I wish I could just go back on my HRT I felt so good on that.

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I completed treatment for tripe negative breast cancer at the end of 2019. I remember it took a very long time (can’t give a number) to not feel fatigued. I took naps for a year or so after.

My integrative medicine doctor helped me with supplementation during and after my treatment. Perhaps some bloodwork and appropriate supplements/vitamins would help.

Best wishes to you,
Cindy

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Profile picture for cmdw2600 @cmdw2600

I completed treatment for tripe negative breast cancer at the end of 2019. I remember it took a very long time (can’t give a number) to not feel fatigued. I took naps for a year or so after.

My integrative medicine doctor helped me with supplementation during and after my treatment. Perhaps some bloodwork and appropriate supplements/vitamins would help.

Best wishes to you,
Cindy

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Hi
I have regular blood work everything is normal except of course for my anemia. I do take supplements as advised by my physician and my naturopath I have for a long time. I also just had another spinal fracture because I have osteoporosis which was excellent until I had radiation so I'm also dealing with that. I'm in physio I'm doing my exercise as advised by my physiotherapist at the gym. Yesterday was the first day since December 2023 I spent outside with a girlfriend all afternoon which I had to really push myself but it was good to be outside and doing something with someone. But that's not something that can occur constantly right now. Usually I do my errands that I have I still have a lot of doctor's appointments and I think that's what really causes quite a bit of fatigue. Thamks for responding

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Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

Hi
I have regular blood work everything is normal except of course for my anemia. I do take supplements as advised by my physician and my naturopath I have for a long time. I also just had another spinal fracture because I have osteoporosis which was excellent until I had radiation so I'm also dealing with that. I'm in physio I'm doing my exercise as advised by my physiotherapist at the gym. Yesterday was the first day since December 2023 I spent outside with a girlfriend all afternoon which I had to really push myself but it was good to be outside and doing something with someone. But that's not something that can occur constantly right now. Usually I do my errands that I have I still have a lot of doctor's appointments and I think that's what really causes quite a bit of fatigue. Thamks for responding

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I completed my chemo for triple negative this last November. I, too, am very very very tired. I am also anemic, but the doctor is not giving me anything for it because my counts are slowly getting a little better. Would you mind sharing what supplements your doctor recommended? Thank you!

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Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

Hi
I have regular blood work everything is normal except of course for my anemia. I do take supplements as advised by my physician and my naturopath I have for a long time. I also just had another spinal fracture because I have osteoporosis which was excellent until I had radiation so I'm also dealing with that. I'm in physio I'm doing my exercise as advised by my physiotherapist at the gym. Yesterday was the first day since December 2023 I spent outside with a girlfriend all afternoon which I had to really push myself but it was good to be outside and doing something with someone. But that's not something that can occur constantly right now. Usually I do my errands that I have I still have a lot of doctor's appointments and I think that's what really causes quite a bit of fatigue. Thamks for responding

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It sounds like you’re doing everything you can! 💌

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Profile picture for kedisaacs @kedisaacs

I completed my chemo for triple negative this last November. I, too, am very very very tired. I am also anemic, but the doctor is not giving me anything for it because my counts are slowly getting a little better. Would you mind sharing what supplements your doctor recommended? Thank you!

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Hi
I do magnesium glycinate at bedtime plus I do 1 to 2 mg of melatonin I take a supplement called easy Iron from my local health food store 10 mg. Vitamin D and k also vitamin C8. I had to increase my protein which was a major thing I went gluten free and I get a high protein cereal from my health food store that has zero sugar called farm girl. I also do a protein shake at noon an hour before I eat from the health food store it's called good protein you can get it on Amazon.

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Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

Hi
So post surgery and treatment last year ended April 2024. Currently I am still having brutal fatigue. I do have fibromyalgia so I don't know if it's because the trauma has really made the fibro bad or what I am so frustrated. I still have anemia from the radiation it has gotten a bit better. Do I just need to accept that this is the way it is now? My doctor put me on 25 mg of Zoloft which seemed to be working but been having issues tried to increase it to 50 I just can't tolerate it so I'm wondering if I need a different medication. I wish I could just go back on my HRT I felt so good on that.

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Hi- Where do you get the C8 vitamin? I have low white blood count due to Verzenio and would like to add C8 to my supplements.

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Profile picture for sue417 @sue417

Hi
I do magnesium glycinate at bedtime plus I do 1 to 2 mg of melatonin I take a supplement called easy Iron from my local health food store 10 mg. Vitamin D and k also vitamin C8. I had to increase my protein which was a major thing I went gluten free and I get a high protein cereal from my health food store that has zero sugar called farm girl. I also do a protein shake at noon an hour before I eat from the health food store it's called good protein you can get it on Amazon.

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It sounds to me that you're doing everything and all that is physically possible to manage anemia. Leafy green veggies also helpful, esp. broccoli kale and spinach. Make sure you eat Vit C products with them tho., e.g., spinach salad with mandarin oranges or strawberries.
Anemia that cannot be controlled by supplements or diet is related to the effects of chemo on bone marrow, which produces red blood cells.
Hope this helps

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