Fatigue again....

I know it's been discussed before....
Thing is I have been fatigued for months already, So on 10/22 when I start RT, Am I looking at more fatigue on top of what I already have....
Right now I have no drive, No motivation at all....

I take it you are on hormone therapy/ADT (lupron, firmagon, ...etc)

I had RT after 18 moths of HT. I did not notice any difference in level of being tired all the time. It was fairly constant.

MG0351 said...
... Right now I have no drive, No motivation at all....

Yup, been there thanks to Lupron. I did get tired in the afternoons after radiation and would take an hour or two nap.

MG0351 I am sorry to hear you are having to deal with all of that. I agree with the other comments, an object at rest gets depressed. I would start forcing yourself to get out and exercise. This might mean 30 seconds of running, pushups or jumping jacks. Whatever you can handle and increase it every day. I started marathon running at 57 I am now 68. I have had degenerated disk disease which caused a neurogenic bladder and have cathed for 20 years. I even ran bent over because I could not stand up straight for a couple of years in my mid 40's. I am on my second 3 month shot of Lupron and have noticed some decreased energy. When I go out for a run if I need to stop I will or walk for a while. I will turn off my watch so I still have to complete the distance. I use the app RunCoach to motivate me. Also, the free app 7-minutes workout. I have also started resistance training on my own a couple of days a week. It was recommended that I try a boot camp or some other class to mix it up. I have put on 5 lbs around my waist which pisses me off. There was one clinical study with a small sample that supports exercise https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3034389/ I start radiation next month and expect to have to work even harder. Now is the time for intensity not sitting around. Of course, if exercise is not advised because of other issues therapy and diet might be your only choice. I thought this information was also useful https://www.nccn.org/patients/resources/life_with_cancer/exercise.aspx Good Luck!

68 yr. old marathon runner, PSA .012, 8.12.18, 1.42 June 18, 2018 (Lupron 5.21.18, 8.15.18), 12.7 May 2018, 13.7 Jan. 2018, 2.1 May 2012. Tot Mayo 19 ng .17 testosterone Free 6.18.18, Gleason 3+4=7 involving 15% of the right apex and 15% of the right mid with additional Gleason 3+3=6 prostate cancer involving 5% of the left base. Pathology interpretations by John Hopkins, UNM Cancer, and SF Path 3+4=7 or 4+3=7 MD Anderson Proton Center. T3 MRI 1.8 lesion left side, Negative Bone Scan. Prolaris test 3.5 consistent with intermediate and a PTEN test negative. Father had PC at age 78 now 93. Neurogenic bladder due to lumbar disk disease and recurrent bladder neck contracture with urinary retention man. 20 years doing catheterizations. Finasteride 5 milligrams daily since 2002.

Post Edited (SantaZia) : 8/29/2018 12:13:55 PM (GMT-6)

John_TX said...

MG0351 said...
... Right now I have no drive, No motivation at all....

Yup, been there thanks to Lupron. I did get tired in the afternoons after radiation and would take an hour or two nap.

I've got the radiation fatigue now. Hit the wall at dinner time.

I agree Fairwind. I have been fatigued throughout all my treatments. Still am.

As far as RT fatigue, I only noticed an increase toward the end. It did get a little better in the months before I started chemo. Then I got slammed. At the end of chemo I was totally thrashed, ending up in the hospital for a few days. I am now just starting to feel more energy, so it's been difficult to distinguish what treatment caused what fatigue.

I just know I need a nap every evening and being tired a lot is......very tiring!

MG, so just to answer your question, I have now found a new normal to my life. It is difficult to go through these treatments but it can be done and you will get through it. Stay the course and Battle On Brother!

yes you will be even more tired with HT than you are now...yes if you started a cardio fitness regime,,,it will make a huge difference in how you feel as well as help keep you healthy with Pca or without it...

Hello ~

Cards on the table, yes, you will feel a sense of lethargy and lack of energy, during a course of radiation treatments.

I haven't met anyone yet who didn't experience some levels of fatigue during radiation treatments.

I completed a series of nine weeks of radiation treatment --- 44 treatments.

I sailed through the first few weeks, relatively speaking. By the last three weeks, the feelings of lethargy increased --- and continued for some weeks after treatments were over.

I continued working full time, but needed time in the evenings and on weekends to "rest and relax" ---

Meanwhile, I was VERY determined to stay on a walking routine, every single day. Even if it's a short walk, it's important.

On inclement weather days, then I went walking inside, instead.

My advice ~~~ make sure to walk on a daily basis. You're not training for a marathon --- but even walking a few blocks can make a big difference.

It might help to ask someone to go with you ~~~ because that person will help keep you motivated. Some people walk their dog ~ and that's a great motivator, too.

In my case, I varied my walking routes, each day, just to add a little challenge. There were times I walked on some new walking trails in my area --- or took a walk around a couple of the nearby recreational lakes in my area that have recreational trails around the parameter.

There WILL be days when you "don't feel like it" --- on those days, try to walk around the block at least a couple of times, and then rest and relax the rest of the evening.

You will need time to rest and relax during the weeks of radiation treatment --- in my case, I set a more reasonable bedtime, so that I could maintain my energy for my work. As time went by, I went to bed even earlier, so that I could rebound each day.

When the weekends roll around, take a few naps, now and then, as needed. But again, try to go walking each day, to help counteract that feeling of fatigue.

The daily walks will help you physically AND mentally --- setting that daily goal.

Even now, weeks later, I still go walking each day --- it takes a while to completely rebound from radiation.

Stay consistent --- stay determined !

Start strong --- stay strong --- finish STRONG!

Cyclone ~ Iowa State University