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extreme fatigue 2 years after prostrate radiation treatment

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will45117
will45117

PLEASE BE PATIENT I AM A NEW MEMBER [ long history post --- short question ]---I was 69 years young --very athletic--healthy -----Two years ago , I went to a urogolist to get a very cumbersome hydrocele repaired . Before the surgery he requested my permission to do a prostrate bioposy [ my bloodwork showed a PSA level in the upper 30's range ] The surgery went well , but the bioposy results showed that cancer was present --- 8 samples drawn showed cancer in varying rates of 80 % down to 10% with 2 samples showing 0% . A bone scan showed no spreading to the bone marrow . I went thru 45 days of radiation treatment and since then I have been on lupon injections every 90 days . PSA now at near 0 levels and the digital rectal exams are very normal as per the doctor's reports .

     My problem is the fatigue levels that began with the radiation and lupon injections . I am at a point that I can hardly function at all ---Extreme fatigue , muscle soreness over my whole body , no muscle tone at all , very , very short of breath , after a simple chore , I have to sit and gasp for breath ---- urologist says he suspects a heart problem ----[ had bypass surgery in 2010 ] I returned for a series of tests with 3 different heart specialists and everything showed up normal . 

     I am at wits end ---- has anyone experienced any of these problems ??  please respond with any advice .  THANKS SO MUCH

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  • georgeGG
    georgeGG will45117

    Posted

    Our background is not quite the same. Still our responses to RT and HT have aspects in common. I found RT affect the whole of my body not just the irradiated area near the prostate. My skin aged about ten years and after about a year became more elastic once more. I felt that some of my fatigue was radiation sickness. HT also progressively gave me fatigue which grew for about two years; my muscles became progressively weeker and wasted away also for about two years. After 17 months on HT I was diagnosed with severe depression; the HT was discontinued citing toxicity. after a few more months both strength and muscle mass started growing. With the return of strength the  fatigue gradually lessened. However I am still taking medication for depression and that limits my liveliness and has also given me sleep problems; these are gradually abating.

    The great things are that I am in remission and recovery continues but is very slow.

    With my best wishes for your recovery from PC and the treatments.

     

    • will45117
      will45117 georgeGG

      Posted

      I am glad to hear about your progress and I hope that it continues . It seems that we are both in the same boat --- EXTREME FATIGUE after the RT and continuing afterwards with the HT . With the lost muscle tone , terrible skin , fatigue , shortness of breath , and depression , I am not sure if I can continue with the HT . Every day is a struggle to do even the simplest of chores . Hopefully the doctor will give me a good report wednesday at my follow up and maybe withdraw the lupon treatments .    THANKS AND I HOPE ALL GOES WELL WITH YOU          WILL 
  • david41094
    david41094 will45117

    Posted

    I am yet another person who suffered extreme fatigue after radiotherapy - in my case 37 fractions IMRT plus Bicalutamide. That was a year ago and I do not feel fatigued any more although the effect on my libido is marked.
    • Roger2Dodger
      Roger2Dodger david41094

      Posted

      Hi david41094,

      As you probably know....

      Bicalutamide, is used by  blocking the effect of androgen (a male hormone), to stop the growth and spread of cancer cells. I am not a Doctor, but could this Bicalutamide, be one of the causes you felt fatigued.

      My oncologist mentioned Hormone treatments, and I specifically told her.... Hell no! She agreed that she was not going to prescribe them, then it made me wonder why she even mentioned them in the first place.

      I will soon going for treatment, which will be RapidArc radiation treatment, a two Minute treatment, with less side effects. I suppose any type of radiation wouild cause some fatique.

       

    • david41094
      david41094 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      I did not find the radiation as bad as the Bicalutamide but turning up at the hospital 5 days a week for 7 weeks was a real fag - your treatment option seems to be the best choice. I chose to have hormone therapy as results with adjuvant hormone therapy seemed better than IMRT alone ( the PCTRF webite has excellent resources). I chose IMRT over prostatectomy as I didn't fancy the side effects or RP (there are some horror stories out there) and the survival rate is the same. Also, I do not agree with the 'you can have RT after RP but not the other way round' theory because you can have an RP after and RT with no prostate is not alot of fun. I sincerely think you are doing the best thing - good luck and let us know how it goes!

    • Roger2Dodger
      Roger2Dodger david41094

      Posted

      My treatment will last 2 months, 5 days a week. Plus, drink a quart of water before each treatment. That is the down side of mine. I find it is very difficult to hold that much water for an hour and a half. I also not happy going every single day, but like you , I turned down surgery. So, u do what u gotta do.

      Will certainly keep in touch.

      Roger

    • geoff90305
      geoff90305 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      Agree Roger, you gotta have a good reason for the hormone therapy. If your were Gleason 8+, then lead me to it..I think. As for surgery verse radiation. At our age, and projected life span, both treatments have similar life span projections, with less side effects. Maybe by the time side effects kick in, we may have about left the building.

      Geoff

    • david41094
      david41094 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      That sounds very similar to mine. The worse part is all the hospital-faff. You learn to time the water thing - it can be tricky if your treatment is delayed though! For my money, I would do the same again - I am back in full time work and feeling very well, except for the libido which may need a bit of chemical assistance. All the best, Roger
    • Hoser
      Hoser Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      Roger, my thoughts are with you. I start rad theorpy in the morning.

      Don

    • Roger2Dodger
      Roger2Dodger Hoser

      Posted

      Hoser,

      G'Luck, hope all goes well. I will probably start mine this week some time. I finished the MRI and CT scan friday,

    • geoff90305
      geoff90305 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      Hi Roger, How the the MRI and CT scan go?

      What happens now. Do you front up at the Radiolgy clinic, then they make a cage for you so the radium is positioned correctly each visit? 

      Geoff

    • Roger2Dodger
      Roger2Dodger geoff90305

      Posted

      Hello Geoff,

      The MRI and CT scan went remarkably well, finished those Friday afternoon. They said my Doctor would call me this week, so I will probably start one day this week, after she reads the scans.

      They did make a form of my body, and put markers on my front, and each side of my hips. Still not looking forward to the water consumption, and the butt plug is going to be used each time. (Yuck) I am on my journey of radiation, just don't know which day. keep you posted Geoff...

      Roger

       

    • geoff90305
      geoff90305 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      Yeah, the butt plug sounds a tad yucky. What is 'it' for? Ummm, a rectal coil? I could imagine a clothes peg to stop urine leakage be handy. Have they told you the program yet...5 days for x weeks, and do they measure your PCa/PSA to see how effective the treatment was to determine if you need more?

      I had my urine flows tested...never drank so much water, then with all this water flowing though my system, had the cystoscopy done. Every 15 minutes while waiting for my turn, kept going to the loo, so while the dr. in my bladder, it must have been raining..

      Geoff

    • Roger2Dodger
      Roger2Dodger geoff90305

      Posted

      They put a butt plug in during the MRI and CT scan, she said one would be used for treatments also. I think it to keep the radiation from your bowels as much as possible. (works kinda like the water) I will ask "why" at the treatment.

      My treatments will be 5 days a week for approx. 8 weeks. As for as the PSA reading, I imagine that is on the menu. I will ask about that....

      Roger

    • geoff90305
      geoff90305 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      Yeah Roger, the treatment begins, but kind of nice to see the care being taken by all concerned and at the end of the journey, the PCa is g o n e and you are no longer in AS mode...and wondering every day when you get some sort of twinge, has it got worse...

      Geoff 

    • geoff90305
      geoff90305 Roger2Dodger

      Posted

      You will be ok Roger. As you say, after a few times...ho um...another day at the hospital. You will certanly get to know the staff there. BUT...the 8 weeks of a few hours a day is a good investment of your time.

      Do you bus it there or use the car? Do they have free parking. Here in Brisbane, if you use your car, there is a $20.00 charge for 30 minutes...So, if it was using my car, it would cost me $800 in parking. fees.

    • Roger2Dodger
      Roger2Dodger geoff90305

      Posted

      Geoff, thanks for the  encouragement! I drive my car to the cancer center, which is about 30 min. away. Parking is free. I live in Indianapolis, and where I go is a much smaller city. So, I get to avoid the Indianapolis traffic, and the main thoroughfares of the city. 

      I just hope the weather here does not get bad, winter at times can be brutal here. I asked about that, If I miss a treatment because of weather, she said the missed treatment would just be added to the end.

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