Hi all. I am due to have 5 sessions of radiotherapy in the New Year. Just for work/life planning, what is people’s typical experience as to when tiredness kicks in and how long it typically goes on for? I have heard it is normally slightly delayed? I am fortunate that I haven’t needed chemotherapy but have started hormone treatment x
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Hi blue80
I had rads 12 years ago and 15 sessions, over 3 weeks, so things might be very different now, but I got tired, sometimes extremely exhausted, on and off, from about the 2nd week. (I hadn’t had chemo either) I continued to get increasingly tired for 2 weeks after the sessions finished. However, everyone’s experience is different.
Apart from the schlepping to and fro, rads are not as bad as you might think. You get used to the routine and the staff are lovely. Follow any instructions and liberally slather on whatever moisturiser they recommend and rest when you need to. I found wearing a cotton t-shirt to the appointment gave me something to hold against myself, to protect my modesty 
, whilst waiting to be zapped. Bra off as soon as you get home!! 
Hopefully, someone with more recent experience will reply soon.
Hope it all goes well. If you’re at the rads stage, treatment is nearly over and you can soon reclaim some sort of normality. xx
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Now it seems that they do bigger doses over 5 days; it’s the same as the 3 weeks of the past.
I’m 3.5 weeks post 5 days and am pretty wiped this week. Was fine during the actual radiation therapy and indeed the week after I seemed to only have the odd day where I needed to rest or nap. (Day 6 I was exhausted though and slept all day and night.)
Skin issues can peak 2 weeks afterwards and they tend to give you a ring to check how you are then. I assumed that would be peaking of all side effects but for me it’s not. I’ve been v up and down. I just feel very washed out. I’m walking the dog a lot but found more vigorous exercise too much. I’m off work as I teach and wouldn’t be able to to be honest.
I am also nearly 3 months into tamoxifen too though and night sweats have stopped, but am wondering if tiredness is new menopausal state. Also need thyroid check.
Everyone seems different though.
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This is encouraging as it sounds like it’s normal to still be feeling increasingly tired 4/5 weeks after radiotherapy started.
I do know everyone is different though. I’ve heard that some don’t feel tired.
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I’m convinced that part of the tiredness is a reaction to the whole process. From diagnosis, you are on a roller coaster of appointments, surgery, treatments etc and you don’t really have chance to process it. Once active treatment ends, on top of the tiredness caused by rads, you then need to come to terms with everything that’s happened. I found this forum sooo helpful with that because everyone on here knows what you’ve been through and don’t expect you to immediately bounce back to “normal”.
Take whatever time you need. Don’t rush back to teaching too soon. My Dr wanted me to have 2 months off work, after rads finished but we compromised on a phased return a month after: 2 days a week, for 2 weeks, then 3 days (Mon, Wed, Fri) for 2 weeks, then the first full week was the last week of summer term. I was an HLTA in a Primary school. I was lucky that my HT was brilliant and wouldn’t let me do playground duties or staff meetings but it was still so tiring being back!! Make sure your colleagues, especially the leadership team, know how you feel.
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I was fine actually. Went for 2 weeks and went back to work when i finished. Evryones different though. So all the best xx
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As you can see it affects everyone differently. You just need to listen to your own body. I had mastectomy, started Letrozole and had my 5 sessions of radiotherapy about 3 months after surgery. I was absolutely fine. Very much carried on as normal. Skin felt like mild sunburn for a few weeks but used zerobase on that which helped. Good luck with your treatment xx
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Hi blue80
I’ve just literally finished a week of radio.
I felt ok, a little bit tired, but nothing major, just noticed my sleep pattern changed a bit.
The only side effect i’ve had is an itchy rash on my chest & nipple has been itchy.
Not a bad experience, first session i was quite nervous, it’s the unknown.
I hope you get on ok.
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Hi, I finished my treatment earlier this year and to be honest found the radiotherapy to be ok (had x2 weeks). I was tired by the end of the second week and had to take it easy for a couple of days but was ok. If you’ve had chemo, don’t worry, it’s not the same as that but again, you just need to listen to your body and go with it. Good luck, hope you get on well:) x
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I had a big gap between surgery and radiotherapy… Was fine the week of the radiotherapy…apart from longer days going after work then stuck in traffic. I have been tired this week…like feeling drained but work and family life is busy too. Looking forward to the end of term (I’m a teacher) for a rest. I have found this week (2nd week after radiotherapy) I’m quite itchy … there is redness but no damage
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I had 5 sessions in November last year and found that the fatigue kicked in 4-5 weeks later. Mine lasted several months but, truthfully, I was also getting used to Letrozole at the same time so how much of the fatigue, brain fog and low mood could be attributable to rads alone, I don’t know. I had no skin breakdown whatsoever but moisturised religiously just to be on the safe side.
All the advice now is to push through it with exercise, although it sounds counter-intuitive. Dr Liz O’Riordan, whom I’m sure everyone knows by now, promotes exercise to deal with fatigue. If you listen to podcasts, hers, which is called “so now I’ve got breast cancer”, deals with this topic in a conversation with Dr Kathryn Schmitz (whose book “Moving through cancer” is worth getting from Amazon) on 15th November, if you’re interested.
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Hi blue80
I must have been fortunate, I had 5 days split over 2 weeks last year. No tiredness and no skin reaction. My skin in the treated area is dryer than the rest but that’s all.
Hope it goes well for you
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Hi, I’ve just had ten sessions over two weeks, the second five were booster sessions to the tumour bed. To be honest, I actually felt totally fine, very little tiredness at all. Used Flamogel twice a day all over my boob which I think helped with any soreness, but that was minimal. Good luck with it all x
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Sorry, Flamigel, not Flamogel
I had radiation therapy 5 years ago, 25 treatments. Did not start Anastrazole until 2 weeks following the radiation. I didn’t have any problems with radiation. I did notice mid day I felt a bit tired. On weekends, I napped midday. The medication was another story, about 6 weeks into the medication I felt drained. Getting up was the worst part for me. I could function though. I’ve read different stories, so you may not notice a big difference. Continue to eat well and exercise when possible. I believe that made a big difference in my treatment. Best wishes.
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Hello from across the pond. I was diagnosed in January 2022 with stage 1, grade 1, 6mm tumor, Er/Pr+, HER2- right breast. I also had LCIS in left breast. Lumpectomy on both breasts in February, clear margins and clear lymph nodes. Did three weeks of radiation plus four boosts to right breast only starting in April. Started Letrozole two weeks after finishing radiotherapy and four months in had neuropathy in fingers and terrible brain fog. Felt like my head was being squeezed in a vice so stopped the medication in November. Gave anastrozole a try beginning January 2023 and went off it after 3 weeks because of brain fog/squeeze. My oncologist is fine with me not taking any meds moving forward. Never had any tiredness or muscle aches at all from lumpectomies, radiation or the meds I did try. I find everyone is affected differently and this forum is helpful.
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I second this but have actually been feeling quite unwell when I’ve exercised with more intensity. So it’s wise to be paced and listen to your body for a while afterwards. Walking definitely helps though and I’m doing a lot of that.
The fatigue can hit out of nowhere when it does and be quite a surprise.,
I have the book and they do say to be aware that the “move” part of the radiotherapy program is walking for at least 30 mins a day, only doing more if you feel able to, and to be prepared to continue for a few weeks or even months afterwards.
I may also be dealing with tamoxifen finally reaching its worst point.
Feel quite a failure for being so affected compared to many here but one colleague was similarly so after her 5 days and I do react to things that cause inflammation (eg covid)
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For those of you that have had 5 sessions in November… How are you all doing now?
I finished five days of radiotherapy on Monday 11th and was told to expect the fatigue 3 - 4 weeks after but have felt drained since Thursday
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Hi there. Have you been able to do your usual day to day things or have you needed to rest? I am trying to plan ahead with juggling kids, work etc. Seems like everyone is different with how they feel though.