Dear all,
My mom has a metastatic breast cancer . She is suffering from extreme fatigue. Do you have any ideas that can help? plus she is diabetic but under treatment.
thank you
Fatigue with Ibrance: Dear all, My... - SHARE Metastatic ...
Fatigue with Ibrance
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Ramona-1973
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I think fatigue is extremely common due to the medication and age. I have 8 hours sleep but need another 1 or 2 hours in the afternoon. If you’re happy with your mother’s diet and daily activity then perhaps she just needs to rest. You could ask your mother’s oncologist or GP if her fatigue is normal for her situation?
when I first started Ibrance I was very fatigued for the first few months. It is not as bad now because I do not have as much stress in my life as before. I rested and slept a lot. After my body got accustomed to the medication I was able to feel sort of normal. I try to exercise when I feel like daily and drink a lot of water. I hope that she starts getting more energy soon. If she doesn’t talk with her doctors. At one time they had to change my dosage.
thank you🙏🏻
Fatigue is very common. Resting is important and maybe she will get more energy, but I’ve been on Ibrance for 18 months and am just starting to get a little more energy but still not anywhere like normal.
hope u ll get better soon
She may well be very low in iron. Get the nurses to check her iron levels. I had extreme fatigue and I needed an iron infusion. The drugs deplete iron levels but it doesn’t always show up until you are very low on the blood levels.
thank you, i will ask for it
If this is fatigue from Ibrance I had the same problem and it was solved with a dose reduction. I started with 125 mg and was always out of breath and exhausted. Was reduced to 75 mg and had 4.5 very good years.
the doctor doesn’t want to reduce it. I hope you are fine
I'd get a second opinion. Almost five years is a great record for this med, and the dose reduction made an enormous difference.
I wonder why the oncologist is opposed to lowering the dose? from what I have learned....on this site...is that Ibrance either works or it doesn't, but it is not dose dependent. is it because you brought it up and he wants to be in control? some docs are like that. the most important issue here is that your Mom is suffering with this extreme fatigue and that affects her quality of life. her oncologist should be looking out for her QOL. and your Mom is the 'leader' of the team and should have a say. my thoughts. perhaps ask him directly to explain his thought process.
and a second opinion never hurts and may help. I wish your Mom the best. good luck with this. carole XOXO
Thank you dear Carole for the support. I will take a second opinion 🙏
Get blood levels checked by doctor for B12 and Vitamin D. Ask doctor about Ritalin. It's a stimulant.
i will do
I'm not currently on Ibramce but suffer from fatigue and brain fog from other meds. My doctor prescribed ritalin to take on bad days and it has helped.
that is a great suggestion. I was trying to get provigil but needs a prior off. I think I will try for Ritalin. It is a real quality of life issue. Thank you!
Hello,
I’ve been on Ibrance for 5 years now, so I’ve had some time to deal with the fatigue. Basically, I look at myself as having an energy bucket and plan accordingly. For instance, I am an avid swimmer and I like to go to intense coached workouts up to 5 times a week for one to one and a half hours each time. I know that it can wipe me out in the afternoon, so on days I want to be with the grandkids or do something else, I do not swim. On the busy days, I try to build in some rest time.
Hope this helps.
Corby
thank you dear, God bless you
I work 40 hours a week and 2 hours in traffic to get home and I’m so fatigued it’s not even funny. Thinking about n early retirement. Do all you gals work full time ? Just curious because I worry about how stressed and fatigued I am.
Hi there, I retired this past March at 50 because of fatigue. I worked all thru chemo denovo diagnosis, IV chemo, tests, etc, but it came to a point, 2-1/2 years later where I had to choose my quality of life. I couldn’t even make dinner. I would work all day and lay on couch at night. What kind of life is that? I applied for Disability and got it.
I did try an adjusted schedule, one day off each week and then 1/2 days. It helped but wasn’t perfect. I hope that you find a manageable schedule. Take care~Tara
unfortunately I was denied disability so I’m trying hard to make it another 6 months but it’s so hard. I was told that people work with no legs that I needed to know that my illness shouldn’t keep me from working from this lovely lady working for disability program from the government.
Were you denied by Social Security Disability (SSDI) or by private disability insurance? In the U.S., if you have paid into the Social Security system with enough quarters, stage 4 breast cancer is supposed to be automatically approved when you submit your metastatic mammary carcinoma pathology report. I got SSDI and a 75% early draw on my $200,000. university life insurance. I was initially denied an early draw on my life insurance when I applied, but was approved when I followed the appeal process. Some evil insurance companies deny ALL FIRST CLAIMS and will only approve those folks who file appeals. Keep that in mind.
It was ssdi and I was told I have to be out of work a whole year before I qualify. I cannot be out of work because I need my healthcare insurance from work.
I think my insurance told me that you had to get the kind of isurance that allows an early draw. Do you know if you can appeal in any insurance?
My university life insurance policy allowed an early draw (while living) if I became totally disabled. I do not know how your insurance might work. For SSDI, it's for people who are totally disabled and not working, so a person does need to stop working completely to document that they are totally disabled. I simply took an early returement from my university position. If you stop working and have paid into Social Security with enough quarters, stage four breast cancer patients will be automatically approved. I think my wait was six months, however, not a full year.
I find that cancer including exercise is a full time job!!!
I'm in the UK so I appreciate our welfare is different from the US. My treatment started with chemo and I intended to work on my "good" weeks but that only lasted for the first cycle so then I was off completely until two weeks after my surgery (May to October). I then worked a phased return to work, going in 3 alternate days a week, gradually building up the hours per day. When we to to the end of 2021 I put in a formal request to change from full time hours to 3 long days = 26 hours a week. It's an hour's drive each way. I've been doing this since January although I did work from home one of the 3 days for the first half of the year and I work from home on any days when a medical appointment is on a normal working day. I'm now finding I am completely pooped by the end of the third day so I've put in a request to still do the three days but reducing to "normal" working hours = 22 hours a week. This has been agreed to start in January and I may return to WFH on one of the days which will further reduce my "effort". I have looked into benefits if I got to a point when I don't feel I can work. Basically because my partner and I have got savings, I would not be entitled to any money to live on. I can get support to pay for a cleaner or to pay for a car etc but not to actually pay any bills. I'm 53 and can't draw state pension until 67 and I don't have enough in my personal pension to retire sooner. I think for my mental well-being, coming to work is good for me - the social interaction with colleagues and keeping busy and no dwelling on the future.
I think the cutting of hours is great but as a supervisor I’m not able to cut down my hours. The 40 hours a week is a lot and then the travel time is also exhausting. I’m going to take one day at a time until I can figure out what’s best for me and my health. Thank you for sharing.
After 2 years with MBC , we all can apply and should automatically be given SSDI payments no matter your age
I’m on my 5th year now and was denied because they felt I could work still since I’m a supervisor of a breast center. I guess I didn’t qualify.
no that is just not right! I had a tiny problem with mine and they dragged their feet so I called my state rep snd she really got them moving. It isn’t something that gets denied… BUT the catch is that you have to NOT be working for 6 months to apply and get it. If you could stop working and go without $$$ for 6 months you can’t be denied. Then you will get SSDI payments equal to the same amount you would have been entitled to when you are full retirement age… even if you are only 57 or whatever age. I am 62… but I had stopped working during the pandemic. Hope that makes sense and helps.
I think it's easy to get into a lethargy cycle which makes the fatigue worse. I would recommend doing some gentle exercise, like walking every day, gradually building up the time spent. Also, limiting the amount of sleep taken during the day to no more than 30-60mins so that she sleeps better at night.
I find the tablets make me drowsy so I take them late evening.
I do get a bit more tired in the last week of pills but am still able to get up at 6am to do 8.5 hour day at work three days a week
thank you for the support, much appreciated
How wonderful that your mom has you as a partner in her battle! I have been on ibrance for 3 1/2 years and the fatigue is real. I’ve had two very skilled oncologist that have put together a treatment plan to save my life, but when I talk about fatigue or diet etc they just look at me with a blank stare and say exercise a little and anything in moderation. In my experience, they treat cancer, not quality of life. So I have found a dr who’s also a DO and have gone to a nutritionist as well. Blood tests for all kinds of vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been extremely helpful - I don’t want to take a handful of vitamins if I don’t need all of them. Turmeric, B12 and D are fantastic for me. Also, I recently went gluten and dairy free because the ibrance caused thyroid issues and wow do I feel SO much better! I’m talking major difference, and I don’t have celiacs. Praying for both of you!
thank you for the support 🙏🏻
I couldn’t do it with out really good supplements! I’ve been on ibrance for 4 years.
what kind of supplements are you taking?
Fatigue is a very common side effect of Ibrance. I get B12 shots every month. Also, maybe your mom's dosage needs to be lowered? Have her talk to her oncologist.
I have been on Ibrance since 2019. When I first was on - I was on the 125 milligram dose. I was so fatigued I had to go to bed right when I came home from work. My oncologist reduced the dosage to 100 MG and I was still fatigued. Now I am doing well with 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off of Ibrance (instead of 3 on 1 off) and that seems to work for me. I think you might want to try that 2nd opinion that was suggested if the doctor won't reduce the dose.
Good luck to your mom and good for you for being her advocate!
thank u, God bless you
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