Forum Discussion
Achy joints and Exercise During/Post Chemo Treatment
So as I have mentioned in another post, my last/4th chemo was 4 April and I am into my third week.
My legs feel really heavy most of the time, knees and groin ache when i try stretching them or squatting. My neck feels tired too! I guess these are all side effects of chemo. Hope I am not the only one.
Does any of you exercise while doing chemo? Do you find it help? I have gone on walks with the first three cycles but the tiredness built up and the rash I had in my last cycle made me decide to just stay home this last cycle. I have a port in my chest and mastectomy site is still recovering, so feel a bit scared doing more exercise, so it's pretty limited to the lower body. I feel so under-exercised, not that I have always exercise before BC, but certainly feel my joints are unlike before.
What did you do to feel stronger for you? I hope these achy feelings go away soon and looking forward to heading out for more exercise soon.
My legs feel really heavy most of the time, knees and groin ache when i try stretching them or squatting. My neck feels tired too! I guess these are all side effects of chemo. Hope I am not the only one.
Does any of you exercise while doing chemo? Do you find it help? I have gone on walks with the first three cycles but the tiredness built up and the rash I had in my last cycle made me decide to just stay home this last cycle. I have a port in my chest and mastectomy site is still recovering, so feel a bit scared doing more exercise, so it's pretty limited to the lower body. I feel so under-exercised, not that I have always exercise before BC, but certainly feel my joints are unlike before.
What did you do to feel stronger for you? I hope these achy feelings go away soon and looking forward to heading out for more exercise soon.
29 Replies
Thanks @primek xxxprimek said:I had MUGA scans all through. I started out at 68 but dropped as low as 43. Anymore than 12% drop after starting herceptin (so they do it again prior commencing that ususlly) and they consider it an issue even if above 50%. Yes...it's very important to be comparing like with like. Hopefully you will have no issues.- @au0rei I think everyone has different experiences as we can see. For me, Chemo was incredibly debilitating I was very ill and had to stop working after 6 weeks, was in such severe pain. By the end of it I literally had to learn to walk again.I have constant cramping throughout my body, even walking has taken along time to get back to.
Im 14 months post chemo and have been seeing an Exercise Physiologist since November, she has helped alot, something I learned is Chemo shrinks the sheath across the muscles!! so thats my cramping, and pain all the time. So stretching is helping alot. She said she doesnt work with anyone going through Chemo, as the body is already stretching itself to cope with healing from the treatment. Apart from some light walking she said post is when you can rebuild. This has been really true for me. I'm in alot of pain and mostly due to chemo still, so work in progress. It is further compounded by Arimidex so am hoping if I switch it will help.
MY Oncologist said that everyone is different, some pick up sooner than others, but its not unusual to still be debilitated 1yr plus...hmmm yep thats me...so I do what I can to improve things and praying that it gets better than this, as it SUCKS!!!
Hugs Melinda xo - Hi Au0rei,
I just exercised as my body allowed, on flat days I did go for a walk even if it was to the corner and back. I accessed a gym instructor when I got a little stronger for 1:1 sessions initially then joined in with a circuit group adjusting the exercises to a lower level. Also do some swimming and that helps my right arm.
Just do what you can, and slowly build as you are able, take it one day St a time.
Trace xxx - I had MUGA scans all through. I started out at 68 but dropped as low as 43. Anymore than 12% drop after starting herceptin (so they do it again prior commencing that ususlly) and they consider it an issue even if above 50%. Yes...it's very important to be comparing like with like. Hopefully you will have no issues.
- Thanks @primek for sharing.
The baseline scan i had stated 68% but that was MUGA. And the recent echocardiogram stated 58% but that's ultrasound so my oncologist said it's hard to compare but anything above 50% he's happy. 58% isn't so far from 50% (roll eyes). I hate doing the MUGA it's tedious and exposing myself to radiation again. I am glad he suggested echo which is ultrasound. xxx
Thanks. hun @Glemmis for sharing. xxx - As above re AC .. I only had 11 Herceptin as it affected my heart. I had one delay. .restarted as quick recovery and it happended again so it was stopped. The A in AC can also impact on heart and some studies show better outcomes in finishing Herceptin if you didn't have the A. So probably good you haven't got that in your regime. It varies a lot. A lady I know with same cancer, same oncology team, is just having taxol and herceptin. There are various reasons (not known to us) why they choose what they choose.
- AC is Cyclophosphamide & Doxorubicin. I had it too with 12 Taxol. There are different variations but where I went all the ladies seemed to have it.
- @primek what's AC? I had four rounds of TC-H and will continue with 14 more rounds of Herceptin.
did you have a port insertion as well? If so when did you have it removed? Why did your Herceptin ended up 11 times instead of 16. Sorry for the questions. It's so hard to find ladies who are on similar situation as I am.
xxx - 4 x AC, 12 sessions weekly taxol. And I was supposed to also have 17 Herceptin but only had 11. The lower dose weekly is equiv to the higher dose 3 weekly but supposedly less side effects. Standard ACT-H chemo regime. Mine was a grade 3, even though stage 1.
- @primek, could I ask why you had that many chemo sessions? I remember yours was stage 1? xx
