Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME) & Chemo

I suffered from moderate chronic fatigue syndrome (otherwise known as ME)for over 15 years. I had sickly tiredness all the time, never got more than three hours sleep in any one go, had severe, intermittent joint pains, and had word ‘blindness’. I took daily doses of amitriptyline. Since I have had chemotherapy (8 sessions that finished January 08) my CFS symptoms have all but disappeared.
I know the CFS symptoms sound very similar to Tamoxifen side effects, of which I do get a few, but they feel very different to CFS. I still only sleep in short spells due to night sweats but I don’t get the sickly tiredness any more - in fact I have more energy than I’ve had in years. I no longer take amitriptyline.
Are there any other CFS sufferers out there who have noticed chemo has improved their symptoms? ( I just wondered if chemo may be a cure/help to severe CFS/ME sufferes).

Jo

Hi Jo

I too am a Me suffier but have not been to badly affected since being pregnant with my 3rd child in 2006, hopefully then i may not feel to fatigued by treatment when i start soon.

Hope you carry on feeling good

Gina

Thanks Gina.
I wondered if maybe the chemo killing off the immune system it may ‘reset’ it when it starts to recover.
When do you start your treatment?
Good luck with it and keep me updated on how you feel.

Jo

Thanks Jo

Not heard yet as go back tomorrow for snb results but because of my age the BCN felt certain i would have chemo.

Hope you carry on feeling good

Ginax

Hi Everyone, 

 

I realise that the last posts in this forum were a long time ago, but I am so happy that I found this. My wife is going to have chemo in the next few weeks. She has suffered from CFS for the last 10 years or so. We have been so worried that her already low immune system won’t be able to cope with chemo and even the slightest infection. 

 

She is very worried and thinking that the best thing to do is to give Chemo a  miss. Can anyone who has been through this with CFS tell us about their experiences?

 

Thanks 

 

Chim Diwan