[Rneb]

Summer heat and fatigue

by Rneb on Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:46 pm

In the past 4 weeks I have encountered increasing fatigue. It is puzzling.

I am on daily low dose maintenance Revlimid (10Mg) , no steroids, low dose OTC replacements
( Potassium, Magnesium, and calcium--due to the Revlimid) and an occasional vicodin, for back pain. 40 mg Furosemide (Loop Diuretic) daily. No other meds. Same meds for almost a year. I have even dropped the Revlimid down to 24 out of 30 days.
Have dropped 15 lbs over the past year. Not upset about that!

It has been very warm here--90's with high humidity. I sweat like a W**re in Church, as the old saying goes, and so I hydrate with water, thru the day. A Warm shower will leave me sweating profusely for an hour. I must camp out in front of a box fan /below a ceiling fan, in an a/c house, to cool off.

I have noticed that I will sleep up to 12 hrs/day--if I allow myself to do so. This is new.

I just had a complete serum panel: Everything is wonderful, and I am in complete remission. Zero M -Spike. My Hemocrit / Hemoglobin is a touch Low. MPV is low. Everything else is normal.

Any suggestions on why I am so tired and need sleep so much? ( and sweat profusely)

Thanks.

[Ellen Harris]

Re: Summer heat and fatigue

by Ellen Harris on Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:51 pm

The fatigue issue is difficult to address. It can be different in the same person at different times. That is how I find it, anyway. I am taking 5 mg of Revlimid on a 21-day cycle and Velcade subq every other week with 12 mg of dex. Some weeks my energy is fine, others not. Sometimes I am totally knocked out for a few days after the Velcade, sometimes not. Sometimes I get energy from the dex, sometimes not. Ditto with appetite. You get the picture. Also have been told I am in CR (complete remission).

I know I have GI issues from the Revlimid, which make me fatigued as well. My RBC is a little low, but not enough I think to cause the amount of fatigue I can get. My advice is to get plenty of rest, lots of fluids, (which I think you are doing), and eat as healthily as you can. I also take a multivitamin without iron, 2,000 mg of fish oils and 1,000 mgs of vitamin D. I don't take the multi for a couple of days after the Velcade because of the possible interaction of vitamin C with it.

I also had tremendous fatigue a few weeks ago, to the point where I was practically sleeping at my desk at work. That passed. Now I am feeling a little more energetic. The heat may be a factor where you live. I don't know. I don't live in a very warm city, and every place I go is air conditioned, and I do not spend an inordinate time outside.

Good luck! Let us know if you find any answers to your fatigue. I have seen a couple of posters on the Beacon say that if you are male, it could be a testosterone deficiency, or of either sexes, it could be an underperforming thyroid, which I understand is somewhat common for us MMer's. Maybe you could request the blood work for those two conditions the next time you go to your oncologist.

Hang in there! And congrats on the CR!!!

[coop223]

Re: Summer Heat and Fatigue

by coop223 on Fri Jul 24, 2015 10:37 am

I live in the Mojave desert. I find the heat just kicks my rear end. I get up early to get things done when it's cooler. Spend the rest of the day inside.

[Rneb]

Re: Summer heat and fatigue

by Rneb on Fri Jul 24, 2015 9:29 pm

Ellen, Derek:

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll pursue and advise.

[NStewart]

Re: Summer heat and fatigue

by NStewart on Sat Jul 25, 2015 12:53 am

Rneb-
There has been another series of posts about excessive sweating with myeloma treatment on the forum in the last 2 weeks.

I have the same problem that you have with taking a shower. I now take one that is barely warmer than cold because I end up too hot. I also have stopped drying my hair because I get overheated when I do. I, too, sit in front of the fan to cool off before I dress after taking a shower. The only thing different is that I take 20 mg of Dex once a week. But this also happened when I wasn't taking any medication for almost 3 years after my transplant. I think that it is a change in our bodies from the myeloma and from all of the drugs that we are and have been taking. On the flip side of overheating in the summer is that I get cold much more easily in the winter time.

I also get fatigued more easily and often find that I need to sleep a good part of the day even when I've slept 9+ hours the night before. My blood work is good except for having a 0.6 g/dl m-spike which I've had for 2 1/2 years. And, then other times I am the Energizer Bunny even on non-Dex times. I just try to go with the flow as best I can. Fortunately I retired 2 years ago so that when I need to get more sleep I can. Being able to sleep the number of hours that my body really always required is such a luxury. And, being able to go to bed and get up when my body says to is also a real luxury. I finally can live according to my natural rhythm that I had and that now myeloma is also dictating and not according to what an employer demanded.

I hope that you've talked with your oncologist about these complaints. I do when things get worse than my new norm. His words of wisdom are to do what my body tells me I need to do. I would rather do that than add more drugs into my system if I don't have to.

Good luck,
Nancy in Phila

[Rneb]

Re: Summer heat and fatigue

by Rneb on Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:55 am

Thanks, Nancy.

BTW--sending you some heat and storms....enjoy ! LOL!

Regards,