Experiencing Leg muscle weakness post... - Advanced Prostate...

Advanced Prostate Cancer

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Experiencing Leg muscle weakness post chemo, not able to walk more than 2-3 mins, any advice?

Soumen79 profile image
24 Replies

Completed 10 docetaxel session on 19th October. After 9th chemo I experienced left leg muscle getting tired only after 2-3 mins of walk and I needed to sit. On doctor's advice started pregabalin 75 twice daily from 12th October. Got back to normalcy after 2 days. Stopped med on 15th November. On 18th nov I got a jerk in the afternoon trying to lift a water bucket and from evening same leg fatigue started. I restarted pregabalin on 19th but no remission yet. My last check up was on 16th nov and psa was good less than 0.006, but this problem is worrying me.

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Soumen79
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24 Replies
Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79

No I am not diabetic. I don't have any loss of sensation in any part of body if that is what peripheral neuropathy means. But I do have swelling after 8th chemo which is now managed by compressing socks on that (left) leg. But with pregabalin and compression socks I was able to do walking, daily works and exercises.

Shooter1 profile image
Shooter1

I got real weak after cycle 7 thru 9 when I quit. After cutting back on xtandi which I also was taking at full dose, I recovered in a couple of months to where I could go back to work. Still couldn't hike, but eventually I got my strength back.

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to Shooter1

Thanks for sharing the experience, it assures me that with time i might get back my strength. But the process could be real slow. Ahh..

CAMPSOUPS profile image
CAMPSOUPS in reply to Soumen79

Everyone has there own experience to some degree.I was 63 and fairly fit (physical work) and towards the end of my chemo I was only good for walks of about 300 feet ( 90 meters ) round trip 3 to 5 times a day.

3 or 4 minutes seems like a match to the 150 feet. Rest. Then turn around for home 150 feet.

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to CAMPSOUPS

And how long you took to recover from that? I am not getting any body fatigue and left leg muscle fatigue. Yours were same?

CAMPSOUPS profile image
CAMPSOUPS in reply to Soumen79

My apologies. For some reason I did not accurately digest what you have written.Yours is different than mine. I had overall fatigue and weakness.

You seem to have it isolated in your left leg.

No pain correct ?

I think your dr. needs to look into this closer.

I will say that as you know chemo affects the nerves. I would assume it does so more uniformly than to act on one leg but I am not a dr. either.

It has been 18 months since the end of my chemo.

My toes and bottom of feet are still numb and my thighs become numb and tingle very easily.

Good to see you have ventured into preferred initial treatment for metastasized PC. Chemo, Aberiterone, etc.

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to CAMPSOUPS

Yes, not much pain and fatigue is isolated to left leg.Thank you so much campsoups for your kind observation. Will see doc if it is not in remission by wednesday.

Shooter1 profile image
Shooter1 in reply to CAMPSOUPS

Mine are numb after 4 yrs. Must have killed to many nerves. Darned treatments kill more than just cancer...

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79

It was under control, but now its almost 3 days, yet to get back enough muscle strength to walk more than 3 mins. Doctor prescribing rest and painkiller.

London441 profile image
London441 in reply to Soumen79

Rest and painkillers, ugh. Not surprised a doctor would recommend that.

You need to move more, not less.

davebliz profile image
davebliz

Curious why 10 sessions of Docetaxal, isn’t 6 sessions the norm?

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to davebliz

Many doctors also commented this, but my doctor was adamant, he said you need as much as you need, probably myself being young (41) and fit and spread of mets in my skeleton are the reasons...

Shooter1 profile image
Shooter1 in reply to davebliz

If you get away from a SOC only dr. You can get more... UK standard is 10, here 6.

Kittenlover50 profile image
Kittenlover50

Poss get a second opinion with a neurologist. Bill had to after radiation.

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to Kittenlover50

Ok, another new type specialist, so be it. Lets see.

Javelin18 profile image
Javelin18

There could be an indirect cause of your muscle weakness. I have loose ligaments. We called that double jointed when I was a kid. Because of that, I’ve had back problems most of my life. If a vertebra twists out of place, the nerve will be pinched and whatever muscle the nerve feeds will be weak and painful.

With muscle loss from ADT, I get much more frequent back problems. Since your pain came back after asymmetric lifting, it sounds like you caused a nerve impingement in your low back.

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to Javelin18

Thanks Javelin18, very possible what you are saying, how do you manage it?

Javelin18 profile image
Javelin18 in reply to Soumen79

When my back goes out, I usually have a tight muscle near the subluxation. The body always tries to immobilize an injured joint.

I’m already taking ibuprofen and Tylenol regularly. I have a back brace from the Home Depot tool department that I where when it happens. I put on the brace and lie back on s recliner or on my back in bed with s pillow under my knees. The combination allows the tight muscle in my back to relax, so the vertebra can move. I sit in a chair and lean with my elbows on my knees to stretch my low back. I hear a click or pop and the pain goes away within 20 minutes

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n

42 years old!!! You might want to see an acupuncturist.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 11/22/2021 10:30 PM EST - JFK assassinated in 1963

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to j-o-h-n

Probably I have to, thank you john.

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n in reply to Soumen79

Probably I have to bid you, you're welcome Soumen79....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Tuesday 11/23/2021 7:04 PM EST

Mrscroft98 profile image
Mrscroft98

This happened to my dad, may I ask if your cancer is in your bones at all? If so, my dad had a quick blast of radio and his leg was back working as normal

Soumen79 profile image
Soumen79 in reply to Mrscroft98

Ahh, yes its in bones, but currently in remission if you go by my current psa number which is 0.006, so I am going its not caused by cancer.

MateoBeach profile image
MateoBeach

You need to have adequate evaluation of your lumbar spine and nerves. A careful, not cursory, neuro examination for focal muscle weakness, reflexes and sensory deficits, which may be subtle. Neurologist or spine specialist (ortho or neurosurgeon). Plus an MRI scan of the lumbar spine, preferably with contrast (gadolinium). These will tell you what is going on and what might need to be done. Whether it is related to a metastasis or from degenerative disease processes in the spine.

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