Fatigue

[Poollover]

Originally, over a year ago I was told I had stage 4, Gleason 9, at the age of 86. My scan shown here showed lots of prostate cancer, but after a year on Orgovyx and Zytiga most of the cancer is gone. I'm now 87 and very happy most of the cancer is gone and I'm pain free. However, my fatigue is becoming unbearable. Is it because of my age, drugs or both? Terry

[mrscruffy]

Probably both, if you can work in some exercise it is very beneficial for eliminating fatigue

[Tinkudi]

My dad added walks in the evenings too apart from morning and feels better

[Sagewiz]

I'm 63 and the fatigue has been my biggest issue.

[London441]

it’s both. Resistance training of any type (bands, calisthenics, weights etc) will eliminate the fatigue if you’re willing to work for it.

Get guidance or a trainer if you can. Be safe, but acquaint (or reacquaint) yourself with the discomfort of lifting. It’s a small price to pay.

[Poollover in reply to London441]

Thanks for the advice. When I was younger, I put weights on the bar, now I just work at lifting the bar.

[Conlig1940]

Very interesting .

Did you undergo any prior treatments to these drugs or were you immediately put on them , with no Surgery or Radiation or Chemo / Hormone treatments ? And what was the Oncologists reasoning for no other treatments ?

[Mgtd in reply to Conlig1940]

As someone who is fast approaching that age grouping there is more to consider than treatments. QOL, other health factors, etc.

At the age of 87 what is going to be the effectiveness of future treatments on his life extension or QOL. One other thing to consider is the recovery time of treatments and impact of side effects at that age.

The original poster may be at a point where palliative care is a better option than treatment. I am no mind reader but perhaps that is why the Oncologist is not rushing treatments.

[Poollover in reply to Mgtd]

That is it, you're right.

[Poollover in reply to Conlig1940]

No surgery, chemo, or radiation

[Poollover in reply to Conlig1940]

I did not; I went straight to the drugs.

[j-o-h-n]

To Pool-lover.

In a week I'll be 88 and my fatigue factor is factoring....So I do as much around the house that I can and and that counts for my of exercise. Writing silly post here also helps with staying awake and keeps my mind as sharp as a doorknob.... Keep factoring and don't' forget billiards...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[Kaliber in reply to j-o-h-n]

Lol

[Poollover in reply to j-o-h-n]

I still play 8-ball 5 or 6 days a week. Getting into a good game gets me out of my head for few hours, and thinking about this dying animal I'm stuck with.

[Conlig1940 in reply to j-o-h-n]

j-o-h-n You are a gem . Keep truckin .

[j-o-h-n in reply to Conlig1940]

Thank you! BTW did you say trucking?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[Conlig1940 in reply to j-o-h-n]

You can tell I have a lisp .

[j-o-h-n in reply to Conlig1940]

So you're the one who added the letter S to Lisp.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[Hobierat]

I am also over 80 and we get tired naturally with age and wear. That pump of yours has been going non stop for over 85 years and it’s tired. I have started thinking my body is like my solar powered batteries, when I put the work to charge the body/battery and am rewarded with more energy the next day or two. If it’s cloudy and I don’t exercise or charge the batteries I lack energy, bottom line “keep moving”.

[j-o-h-n in reply to Hobierat]

to Hobierat,

Note: Doctor's agree, your heart will beat harder and faster if you're on top. That's why us guys should always demand being on the bottom (it also leaves both your hands free for exploring).

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[Poollover in reply to j-o-h-n]

John, if you are talking about sex, gone.

[Poollover in reply to Hobierat]

Thanks, I try.

[Hobierat]

It charges the battery!

[HotRod4321]

At 75 I am hoping to get to 87! Kudos to you!! Am hoping to make it there! Wish me luck!

I too have lost all my energy. They said 1 in 10 have side effects worth mentioning. I have them all in spades. I lost my breath in the first month after treatment and have not gotten it back and currently using two different inhalers. One per day to treat lungs and one to help when I do chores.

I used to be Hercules. Now I am Barney Fife. I sleep 12 hours a day most days, broken by pee trips. Exercise area used to be 600sf is now 300sf. Still, I can no longer use the elliptical, weight or recumbent bicycle machines. While I try the bicycle, after two years I still cannot do 10minutes without running out of breath (prior, I could ride a bicycle 4 hours at 19mph just for maintenance exercise. Now my balance is off, and the bicycles hang in the garage unused). Chores are now my exercise. I live in 3 levels, so stairs have always been in my life. I used to bound up and down. Now I do one at a time and rest at top and bottom.

For me, quality of life is waking each and every day and being able to breath and finding my wife in the kitchen. Each and every breath I take is a blessing! Some days better than others, but I look forward to each and every one!

We all walk in our own shoes on our own paths. Godspeed in your journey!

[My back-story: Delayed (due to the covid shutdown) diagnosis mid 2021 put me at stage 4 also. Only bones, not endocrine system, so I am lucky. Proctectomy (prostate removal) not possible, so 25 work-days straight radiation on it. That along with immediate ADT (Androgen deprivation therapy) Eligard & Erleada (followed by Xgeva 6 mos later) gave me clear PSMA tests. I look forward to the future!]

[j-o-h-n in reply to HotRod4321]

Yep, same Symptoms....... Homer and Marge..

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[Poollover in reply to HotRod4321]

I do wish you luck, and your story is like mine especially in terms of what I used to be able to do and what I can do now.

[Teacherdude72]

For the fatigue I switched from coffee to mushroom coffee. It give me energy to do things all day.

IM me for more if interested.

[Poollover in reply to Teacherdude72]

mushroom coffee?

[Teacherdude72 in reply to Poollover]

Yup, there are several different mfg. After trying a few I chose one that gives me the boost I need to get through the day.Since we can't "advertize" here IM me for the one I chose after trying a few.

Really has made my life better.

[vintage42]

"... after a year on Orgovyx and Zytiga most of the cancer is gone. I'm now 87 ... my fatigue is becoming unbearable. Is it because of my age, drugs or both? "

It may be mainly from lack of exercise. After 9 months on Orgovyx and 7 months on Zytiga, I am now 82, have no trace of fatigue, but do have high energy. I exercise almost every day, for 45 minutes on 9 resistance machines, until the various muscles are tired. I think walking, house work, gardening, etc do not stress the muscles enough to create energy, or to prevent sarcopenia and osteopenia. Exercise is the bitterest pill of all.

[Poollover in reply to vintage42]

I get it, the couch and a pint of ice-cream are the temptations.

[Cactus297]

I think you’re amazing! Fatigue I think is normal as these meds are so powerful. Maybe taking a daily walk might help if you are able to. They always tell us to walk when we’re tired, but I know when I am tired I don’t feel like walking so it’s kind of a Catch 22. I am so happy that you’re doing so well… overall I think it’s marvelous where you are and at your age too.. I’m 79 and the mother of a 52-year-old patient and I have different health conditions and there are days when I don’t feel like walking either! We just try our best! Keep us all posted on how you’re doing.

[Poollover in reply to Cactus297]

Thanks!

[SpencerBoy11]

I'm 86 and very tired. In addition to the ADT fatigue, my radiation caused myelodysplastic syndrome and that downhill slide adds more and more fatigue. I have a dog to walk and to take care of myself and that is about all I can do. Still RV since driving doesn't bother me. I know I should exercise more, but I just can't or won't.

[Poollover in reply to SpencerBoy11]

The age factor is a bitch as it's to tell what is doing what.

[Anatalya]

Yours disappeared? My husband's have not. He does not have new mets, but the mets he had to start with are still there, even after Lupron + Zytiga + radiation. I didn't know they ever disappeared.

[CAMPSOUPS in reply to Anatalya]

I wonder if your husband has had a PSMA scan. It would be better at showing active vs. inactive bone mets.

If you are looking at past and present standard bone scans for PC mets the old mets whether healed or low activity still show up on a standard bone scan as does damage from previous mets. Those gray and dark areas on the skeleton on a normal bone scan show past mets both healed and scarred or damaged bone and of course new mets if they occur.

Maybe your husband did have a PSMA scan. I remember about 2 1/2 or 3 years into this diagnosis I had my first PSMA scan. I too was surprised after all my treatments I still had a considerable amount of active PC in my bones.

[Poollover in reply to CAMPSOUPS]

Mine was a PSMA scan and from what I can tell there's still cancer left.

[Don_1213]

All of the above, and add in anxiety over the cancer. These all wear on you. I wish I could say it gets better - but so far it hasn't.

[TuffNuttoCrack]

I’m 70 been on Lupron and Zytiga two years, lifting weights and watching TV as I answer you. Yes fatigue is always there. It sounds counterintuitive but in order to feel better you have to get more exhausted than your baseline fatigue. If you need a motivational song to get you going check out Dan Vasc rendition “Go the Distance” or Loren Allred’s “Never Enough”. Try to walk 10,000 steps or more a day. Don’t give up, think of your friends and supporters who are praying for you, if not enlist them, update them once a couple of weeks, and fight to make their efforts worthwhile. Push through it even you have no energy at all. You’ll soon discover a change in your attitude and your energy level. I landed on a worldwide prayer chain through a classmate dropping my name in a prayer request box at a doctors office he called upon. I was supposed to have had my funeral a year ago, but I am going to do everything I can to not let them down because of their spending time on their knees. So give it all you have Poollover! Congratulations on your treatment helping you so much!

[Poollover in reply to TuffNuttoCrack]

Thank you for your encouraging words. I promise I will not give up without a fight.