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

i too have extreme fatigue . finished 6 month chemo , mastectomy , 3 weeks radiation in june last year . got covid in dec had antivirals recovered well . but if any activity one day would have to rest the next . could spend all day in bed but don't wish to get worse . sooo tired all the time . only way is to have coffee which before i could not tolerate . feel like getting more tired over time . but i'm in my 60 s so that may be reason also . on exemestane daily. but just over feeling so tired . But any exercise i do after i feel such a huge boost of well-being like my body is saying yes i need this .

i think all your personal challenges and grief would play a big part in your exhaustion too.
i feel all you can do is take one day a time, indulge yourself ! your body has been thru a lot and mental stress is terrible . try go outside each day even for a short walk .it will make a difference get a pet . a little kitten or something for company. what you are experiencing is normal ! you've been thru the wringer !

try find a good tv series to watch, something to look forward to , a book , play some music . if you can try find a Tai Chi course be perfect , it's gentle exercise .

and don't expect too much of your body, rest and heal at your pace . you deserve every indulgence at this time , it's your time to heal .
all the best !!

Hi
Thank you.
So much for telling me all this. I keep thinking
There's something else really wrong. I do have a cat thank the lord She's my saving grace. I feel for anyone that takes the AI's. My cancer was e r / p r positive her2- Stage 0. The doctor told me that It was up to me if I wanted to do the AI. Because of my other health issues He
Only suggested tamoxifen. I.
Tried it for 3 wks It was too debilitating. The thing is my fatigue was getting better Then my surgeon decided.I needed a colonoscopy in december. I did not want to do it.I wanted to wait but he said no. So since the colonoscopy the fatigue has been brutal again. The prep was brutal. I am 66. I think it's harder because we're older. I wish you well. 💗

Hi
The other thing that annoys me to know end.Is the radiologist tells you?You might have fatigue for 3 weeks. Then When I called and talked to the radiology nurse , she told me for 6 mths to 2 yrs. I'm not sure if I would have done it if I knew that. I had a microscopic break in one of the walls in my milk ducts . So he strongly suggested it.

well that's what i was thinking must be something bad going on if i'm still so tired . but it just takes time no one likes to say you'll be tired for a year at least . age doesn't help either . all the best . we are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for . !

I, too, am exhausted. 6 months past surgery (lumpectomy and axillary node dissection) and 2 months post radiation. But also taking AI meds + verzenio. I also had fibro before all this. I feel acupuncture has helped moderate most of my side-effects, but the exhaustion persists. However you have so much more to contend with - be easy on yourself. Stress is surely also a factor! Best wishes to you!

Hi
I think anyone who goes through breast cancer has a lot to deal with all of us. Anyone on the AI's my hats off to you. That medication is brutal. Thanks for mentioning acupuncture. I am going to try it next week. Long story short, I have a new g.p. and he won't prescribe my fibromyalgia meds. I had 8 refill from my previous gp. I spoke to my pharmacist and he filled it. Last night I finally had deep sleep. It's only 5mg of cyclobenzaprine. It's the only fibro med that works for me. I only take it when I am in a bad flare. Hopefully going back on it will get me back on track. My pharmacist said he will talk to the dr if he continues to refuse. I only went thru 1 script last yr.

I am 72, went through surgery June 2022. Then chemo because oncotype positive and then radiation, Anastrazole for 6 months but now on exemestane because of side effects to Anastrazole. So don’t know which part of the treatment caused it but I agree - I’m tired of being tired. I have NEVER been a daytime napper and now, there are days I almost fall asleep doing something. I try to walk everyday and go to the gym for strength training at least 3 days a week (trying to stay off the bone meds!). He asks at every appointment and I respond with a yes, I’m still tired, but nothing suggested to help. Then I get the comment “radiation, the gift that keeps on giving” so don’t know if it’s a combination or just the radiation that caused it. Anyway, I guess we just have to keep plugging along. If I find anything that helps, I’ll come back and post.

Hi
I belong to a breast cancer group that does zoom meetings every two weeks. One of the ladies told us when you hit the end of two years the radiation Is side effects just sort of dissipate. I an hoping

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

Hi Su417,
I am five years out from radiation and chemo and I firmly believe there is a white coat conspiracy of silence about long term symptoms after chemo and/or radiation. This year it was discovered that I have a genetic heart disease. I don't have high cholesterol, don't have high blood pressure, there is no blockage. As one doctor said, I did nothing to cause this problem. It was a-symptomatic all these years (I'm 69) yet five years after chemo and radiation, suddenly I am dealing with heart disease. Right after I got this diagnosis, I got pneumonia - in my left lung. If I had it in both lungs or in my right lung, I wouldn't be writing about this but I have never had pneumonia before and I was vaccinated against it yet I got pneumonia in the lung where I got the radiation.
If the radiation oncologist had told me radiation might have long term effects, I still wouldn't have opted against it to kill the cancer. I am five years NED (No evidence of disease.) However it would be nice if these folks (oncologists, radiation oncologists) would just validate our post treatment experiences.
I too have had trouble sleeping until recently. I have a new "normal" but it isn't the normal of my pre-cancer treatment. I am on Tamoxifen, so I have that to cope with too. I too found myself dealing with depression and anxiety. Some of this may just be "backlash" from all we've been through. When we're first diagnosed, there is a huge flurry of activity by both health care providers and people around us. Suddenly it all stops and we're stuck dealing with what happened to us.
Except to validate your experience this isn't very helpful. I take a T'ai Chi/Qi Gong class through AARP. It might be the reason I have started sleeping again. The T'ai Chi class is free and you don't have to be an AARP member, though they will encourage you to join. Another program you might want to try is Moving for Life. Movingforlife.org. Moving For Life "offers physician-supported dance exercise classes for older adults and people with chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and depression." If you live in NYC, you can go to in- person classes, otherwise classes are online. Again, it is free. You have nothing to lose! Another thing I'd suggest if you're not doing this already, is to get outside. A fifteen minute walk out and fifteen minute walk back can help your mood. You don't have to power walk. If you can go to a pretty place, even better, a place that is special to you, all the better.
You commented about low thyroid. Ask your GP about that. Treating low thyroid can make a difference.
You did a deep clean of your bedroom. I'm impressed. I have so many projects I'm just not getting to.
You're doing all the right things. You're seeing health care providers and you're consulting your pharmacist.
Eleven months out is not that long. You are adjusting to a new normal. Best wishes to you.