Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

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Capri
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:59 pm

Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

Postby Capri » Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:20 pm

My son completed chemo 7/2018. He is still experiencing fatigue, going to bed 7:30-8 every night. He does have a physically active job and works often 6 days a week, long hours. (Have I answered my own question here?) Is his fatigue normal over a year out? He's 48 now.

He keeps a lot to himself, but he did share that his stools are "sticky" or greasy, requiring more cleaning than usual. He sees the onco in a couple weeks; she did tell him on the phone that possibly, he may need another colonoscopy.

Interested in anyone's take on the fatigue and the stools. Thank you.
Mom to son 46 yo at Dx (2017)
1/18 Robotic resection, sigmoid adenocarcinoma, Stg. IIIA T3 N1 MX, mod. differentiated, margins clear
2/18 - 7/30/18 Port placed; completed 12 cycles of FOLFOX
6/18 Put on Early surveillance CT,PET scan-normal. Neuropathy has started.
11/18 Clean colonoscopy; 11/20 CT normal.
2019 to 7/22 colonoscopies, CTs neck to groin have been normal.

Gravelyguy
Posts: 382
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:03 pm

Re: Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

Postby Gravelyguy » Mon Oct 07, 2019 10:25 pm

It is amazing to me how long the fatigue lasts. It was at about the year mark that I felt pretty much back. His long hours I am sure are a big cause of it too.

As far as the stool goes that is par for the course as far as I can tell. I certainly could own stock in Charmin!

Dave
6/17 dx mRC t3n1m1 very low rectal tumor 2 liver Mets 1.3 cm and .9 cm

6/17 begin 4 rounds Folfox w/Vectibix
9/17 short course radiation
10/17 rectal and liver resection LAR with coloanal anastomosis (no rectum left)
11/17-3/18 8 rounds Folfox
6/18 still NED!! Takedown
8/28/18 still NED! CEA .8 new low for me
10/18/18 colonoscopy clear
12/12/18 CEA .9 still NED!
6/11/19 CEA 1.0
12/19/19 CEA 1.0 still NED!
6/17/20 CEA 1.1 still NED!
12/15/20 CEA 1.1still NED!
12/16/21 CEA 1.2 still NED!

User avatar
Jacques
Posts: 678
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 10:38 am
Location: Occitanie

Re: Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

Postby Jacques » Tue Oct 08, 2019 4:58 am

I had fatigue for about two years after the end of chemo. I think it was due to the damage caused to the bowel by the chemotherapy regimen.

After chemo, the bowel needs time to recover in order to start digesting food like it used to. Since chemo likely destroyed most of the "good" bacteria in the intestine, a special diet as well as the addition of some probiotics may be needed to speed up the recovery process.

What I would suggest is for your son to ask the oncologist for a referral to a good gastroenterologist, or to a good oncology dietitian (or both) in order to launch a supervised plan to rehabilitate the bowel.

In my case, I didn't do that, and I regret that I did not take some sort of action earlier. The tiredness went on for months and months, and I suspect that the recovery could have been speeded up if I had sought the right kind of professional help at the beginning of the 5 -year surveillance period.

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

Postby NHMike » Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:24 am

I have fatigue but it may be more caused by spending more time in the bathroom, thereby losing sleep time.

Fiber may help with bulking up stool. I find that it makes a difference for me.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

Maelleous
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 8:13 am
Location: FL

Re: Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

Postby Maelleous » Fri Oct 11, 2019 4:58 am

For my first year I was tired. I am 3 years out and FINALLY feel normal. I STILL go through bouts of loose stools, etc. I have since the surgery for rectal cancer. It is much better, but depending on my diet, if I eat crappy, or eat too much veggies I can get frequency or sometimes diarrhea. I would not be too worried. A year out they will be regularly checking him.
M 35 yr
DX Rectal Cancer, 10/16 (symptoms Feb 2016)
Dx stage 2 - Surgery Oct 25 201 Loop ileo w/ j-pouch
Close margins within 1mm
9/38 lymph nodes involved on path / Stg IIIc,pT4, pN2 B, p.M0. MSS, K‐ras, NRAS, no mutation
Started Folfox - 3rd Treament, Dec 30th 2016 Cardiac Arrest - Lucky to be part of the 6% to survive!
S-ICD installed / Port Removed
Vaccine Clinical trial at UPMC - last shot June 2017
Reversal 8/1/17 - Praying this is it!
Still NED

zephyr
Posts: 363
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:31 am

Re: Lingering fatigue and changes in stool

Postby zephyr » Fri Oct 11, 2019 9:52 am

Gravelyguy wrote:I certainly could own stock in Charmin!

Dave


... and Cottonelle. :mrgreen:
Nov-2009 Early stage CRC, routine colonoscopy
2010-2014 F/U colonoscopies, all clear
Jun-2016 CRC during F/U colonoscopy, surgery, Stage 4, KRAS, MSS
Aug-2016-May-2018 Folfox, 5FU, Folfiri & Avastin
Aug/Sep-2018 YAG laser surgeries (Germany), 11 nodules removed
Nov-2018 clean CT scan
Mar-2019 New lung nodules
Apr-2019 Dec-2020 Xeloda/Avastin, SBRT, cont. Xeloda/Avastin
Mar-2021 Forfiri/Avastin
Mar-2022 Ablation & Thoracotomy
Feb-2023 Folfiri & Avastin
Nov-2023 Xeloda & Avastin


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