Fatigue from Avastin and Olaparib

[Cancer_girl]

Hi lovely ladies!

Does anyone have any experience of fatigue on Avastin and Olaparib?

Following a 4b diagnosis last year, 6 rounds of Carbo/Taxol and debulking surgery, I am currently very lucky to have NED.

I started Olaparib and Avastin in February as maintenance and the fatigue has got progressively worse. Also suffering from muscle and joint aches. I only have a couple of rounds of Avastin left so aim to finish that as planned and then see how I am doing. My oncologist thinks it is probably the Olaparib causing the fatigue and thr Avastin the muscle/joint aches. Only option to help seems to be to reduce the dose which I would prefer to avoid for obvious reason.

I am very lucky to be I such a good position given where I started, so I feel somewhat guilty that I am struggling more now physically and emotionally than at any other point in this journey. Some hope that the fatigue might get better would help...

Thanks all!

[DianaPrince_]

For me it was the Olaparib. I was hobbling a bit towards the end of my two-year maintenance treatment. Joints just ached. Especially my ankles. Once I got going it was ok. I felt like was rusting.

I also had to have a dose reduction. Had thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). And needed a blood transfusion.

the fatigue was just there all the time, and got very bad during the low platelet bit. Nowhere near as bad as with chemo though. Lifted pretty quickly once I finished.

Oh and if I moved around too much after taking my dose I'd vomit.

I've just started Avastin, one infusion down, I'm noticing some stiffness, a light rusting.

Have a blood test, check your platelets.

[Towergirl in reply to DianaPrince_]

I noticed you are on recurrence like me.

Like you I was NED for 4 years - back on Chemo then Olaparib for maintenance . Olaparib didn’t work and after 7 months back on chemo this time Carbo/Caelyx . Chemo worked again leaving a small amount of tumbour by spleen

May I ask how you are funded on Avastin?

The only way I can get Avastin is self funding, never had it before! Unfortunately my money is running out it’s expensive. I’m waiting for scan in 3 weeks to see if more or less disease shows .

[Cancer_girl in reply to DianaPrince_]

Thank you for the reply. Rusty is a very good description of how it feels. Also find it is my ankles/feet that are worst, particularly in the morning. Once I have moved arround a bit it starts to ease but getting up in the night can be pretty hard.

I had the vomiting when I started the Olaparib but thankfully that is much better now. Sorry to hear you are suffering from that. I find the Domperidone helps. I take it at the same time as the Olaparib or a bit before. Am starting to get worse reflux/acid now though so that is a new one to work out!

[Halo2O14]

Hey there! I was diagnosed in Feb 22 and started the Avastin and Olaparib combination in Aug 22. 100% the Avastin affected my joints (mainly ankles). They were very sore by the end of treatment but improved dramatically after stopping. The Olaparib affected my bloods, in particular my haemoglobin so had to have 2 dose reductions and 2 blood transfusions. I did and still do get a bit tired but I go for a walk every day and I got back into exercising (weight training twice a week) in Sep 23 and now I'm playing netball too. I think we just have to listen to our bodies and be patient with ourselves. Our bodies have been through so much. Not only that, it's all mentally exhausting too! It's common to struggle after treatment because you're so focused on getting through it that when you stop, it kind of hits you what you've actually been through / going through. x

[Cancer_girl in reply to Halo2O14]

Thank you for the reply. Great to hear things improved after the Avastin stopped and that you are back to netball. Gives me some hope!

I do think that the cumulative physical and mental stress has taken its toll. And unlike in the early days of treatment there is less adrenaline and action. x

[Newbery3]

Hi👋, We are same stage 4b. I struggled through the 22 avastin and olaparib and constantly blamed the parp, I even reduced to 400mg a day. But when I finished avastin in April this year 4 weeks later I felt so much better 🤗 the joint pains and other niggles left!! I'm on olaparib til mid February now as I've just had a 3 week break but apart from a little mid afternoon slump I'm great 😊 got my last scan next Wednesday before the drug finishes and I'm feeling confident xxx

[Cancer_girl in reply to Newbery3]

Thanks for the reply. Great to hear you had an improvement after the Avastin stopped. Definitely gives me so me hope. x

[Demelzatheseagull]

Hi there. I struggled with Olaparib, so changed to Niraparib. Still some fatigue but nowhere near as much and no other side effects. Re decreasing the dosage, I think there is some evidence that it makes little difference to outcomes and it might massively improve your quality of life x

[Skibot]

hiya, sorry to hear you are struggling a little, I am on Avastin and Olaparib, I have just had my treatment and am really noticing that my arms/shoulders seem to be very sore, difficulty doing up my bra! It definitely looks like Avastin does cause muscle pain, I’m hoping it will get better once it finishes in December, I have been doing some stretches will seem to help, hope you feel better soon xxx

[delia2]

Hi. I had terrible fatigue from Olaparib and was on a reduced dose the whole time: first 400 mg and then 300. It worked fine.