I treated myself to a sleeping pill last night, went to bed early (for me), didn't have to get up for anything this morning, and so had 10 hours sleep. Woke up three times, but nonetheless it was fab.At 1.30pm I went to an opening day of a new yoga centre that focuses on healing, and particularly healing from trauma. They also have pilates, individual meditation rooms, and a super dooper massage chair. It was very impressive. I did a half hour yoga class which was challenging but not excessively so.After a bit of wandering about afterwards I started to feel incredibly fatigued. I dragged myself to the supermarket and home. Fortunately my husband was cooking dinner. After hanging up a load of laundry I sat down until dinner. I could barely manage to stay upright at the table and I've excused myself to lie down in bed.I don't consider that I've had a particularly bad time with fatigue. Active treatment finished 15 months ago and it hasn't dogged me too much. However this is something else. It's like being back on chemo again!Is this normal? Normal to be so fatigued over a year later? Just wondering!

2.5 years post my latest chemo, fatigue is still a frustratingly random problem. Thankfully I now have more good days than bad days, but it's really hard to predict what will trigger a crash. I'm on the couch now, but so I bloody should be after hosting my partner's family Xmas in July last night (char sui duck--nailed it) too much red, random people snoring in the house, a 6km River walk at dawn , two tandem loads of pruning and a massage. I don't mind if I've done something to deserve it, it's the sneaky 3pm exhaustion that arrives without reason or warning that does my head in. I've been so tired on occassions I've had to pull up on the side of the road on the way home from work because I'm falling asleep after spending the the last two hours sounding like I've got a brain injury because I can't string a coherent sentence together. The other shitty side effect is sugar and carb cravings that do nothing but pack on the kilos.Ah well, what can you do? It's confidence destroying because I don't know when it's going to happen, but life won't wait and I can't be held hostage by something I can't control or predict. On one plods.

And it resonated that Dr Tottman recognised how hard it is to take her own advice - that it's very much a work in progress. You don't have to be happy about the way things are now but it's important to try moving towards accepting it. Ggrrrr....

I am not sure sometimes if its still fatigue or in fact depression which makes me so tired. Yesterday I got a few hours off caring for my dad and went fishing with my bro. His idea it was and we walked a few km's to the ocean across the road to a low tide gutter and cast a few lures. My bro gave up after half an hour but I wanted to get my exercised worth and stayed a few hours. Golly I was half frozen and worn out when I got home. I slept well last night and feel better today. I lost a kilo in weight as well. Only another 19 to go lol. No fish were caught during this exercise.

I'm still fatigued 2.5 years on and accepting thus might be as goid as it gets. It's especially when I have been really busy and stressed with poor sleep for a number of days.Slowing down and relaxation may have made you actually take notice how tired you are. You know it's fine to take a short nap so you have the energy to keep going in the evening..

Tiredness may be normal, depending on age, sleep patterns and activity but fatigue usually isn’t. It’s worth addressing the tiredness factors first (sufficient sleep, stress, physical work/activity, accumulation of being tired too often) then seeking help if it’s actually fatigue. Best wishes.

Post-active treatment fatigue | BCNA Online Network

36 Replies

kezmusc
Member
6 years ago
My hubby gets that kind of fatigue after he uses sleeping pills. He's a terrible insomniac, always has been. He'll resort to pills after a week of little sleep. He is lucky if he gets 4 hours a night and can change beds, rooms and to the couch in amongst that. He calls it his pill hangover that's why he hates taking them.
iserbrown
Member
6 years ago
Combination of a lot of things! Lack of sleep that you speak of on other threads is not helping your demeanour. These links may help you to understand your predicament better and get help.

https://www.bcna.org.au/health-wellbeing/physical-wellbeing/fatigue/

https://www.cancervic.org.au/living-with-cancer/common-side-effects/fatigue
Afraser
Member
6 years ago
Tiredness may be normal, depending on age, sleep patterns and activity but fatigue usually isn’t. It’s worth addressing the tiredness factors first (sufficient sleep, stress, physical work/activity, accumulation of being tired too often) then seeking help if it’s actually fatigue. Best wishes.
pammiesyd
Member
6 years ago
I also have fatigue 7 years on, but I am 70 years old. So I don’t expect the fatigue to go away. I seem to be always tired, whether or not I have taken a sleeping pill.

I hope your fatigue improves with time, but you have a big household to look after, emotionally and physically. So it’s not surprising you get tired.
kmakm
Member
6 years ago
Thanks @primek.
primek
Member
6 years ago
I'm still fatigued 2.5 years on and accepting thus might be as goid as it gets. It's especially when I have been really busy and stressed with poor sleep for a number of days.
Slowing down and relaxation may have made you actually take notice how tired you are. You know it's fine to take a short nap so you have the energy to keep going in the evening..

Forum Discussion

Post-active treatment fatigue

36 Replies

Recent Discussions

Recovery with other chronic illness/disease

Would like to chat to others

Relationship damage from cancer

Neuropathy

Petrea King retreats?

Disclaimer:

Foundation partner	Major partners