Did radiation therapy make you more tired?

I had 4 weeks of radiation last month..I work full time as a lab tech and only missed work to attend my radiation appts every day..I was extremely tired at the very end.it lasted 5 days. My breast got extremely red and tender the 3rd week.i also had very itchy skin above my breast. I used hydrocortisone cream for that.... Wearing a bra was difficult. I did ucerin cream 3 times a day and my skin held up pretty well. No blisters and no infection. After radiation was done it Took about 2 or 3 weeks til skin seemed normal again. Hope you have an easy time with it. The whole journey is hard. I'm now dealing with trying to take these aromatase inhibitors. Not fun. Take care ❤️

Hi Carolyn I had to go through 35 radiation treatments. That was hard I had the same issues my breast was very red used creams for it then I got an infection I had cellulitis happen that was crappy. I had my last radiation treatments in December.Now I'm still very fatigued I can only walk short distances then I need to sit down. I miss being active I'm only 58 so it's been very over whelming. Cancer. hit my right breast had a lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed they found cancer in my lymph nodes now I'm on hormone therapy it sucks get bad sweats body hurts really bad and being really weak is hard I have a 15 year old to keep up with .

Denise I tried anestrazole and exemestane and had to quit both because I felt so bad. I work full time in a busy lab and I just couldn't take the sickness. I'm sorry you feel so terrible....Which drug are you taking? I'm might try tamoxifen

Hi I tried anestrazol now I'm on exemestane hate it tamoxifen can be hard on the body also I know 2 people who aren't taking any pills due to the side effects i feel like that also but I'm nervous to do that because the cancer was also in my lymph nodes.I hope you find something that works for you .

I had radiation and yes, fatigue was one of the side effects but it was gradual over the course of treatments. I also had 'radiation burn' where the area turns bright red like a very bad sunburn. The radiation doctor gave me a special cream that helped a lot! I was also on pain meds throughout treatment. Recommend loose fitting natural fiber clothing like a soft cotton. The texture of skin will change - it will loose elasticity.

Carolyn A So so sorry these other lovely ladies had such a rough time - you’ll have started today & just hopping on to offer you light at the end of the tunnel, I had several weeks radiation and finished about 4 weeks ago start immunotherapy again tomorrow but apart from a little bit of fatigue, I’ve had no radio burning, no sickness, no redness, no itching just a shrunken boob which they can correct at a later point. Hope you get through it quite easily too. It really is very dependent on the individual & no one responds completely the same to any of the treatments. Good luck. Sending you love and light x

Thank you, everyone, day 2 down. I use Aquaphor after my treatment, apply a few times a day. Radiation Dr suggested I use this cream. I had lymph nodes removed, no cancer found in them. Small tumor, invasion ductal carcinoma, grade 1, right breast. I'll keep everyone posted on how I am doing. Thank you again

Just had lumpectomy last Thursday. Grade 1 invasive ductal carcinoma in right breast-also found in one of three sentinel lymph nodes they removed. Follow up this Friday as to treatment plan. These posts are very helpful. Sorry to hear so many dealing with this

You probably will feel tired. For me it accumulated, so as the weeks went by, I got more and more exhausted. It went away pretty quickly after I finished.

I had 16 treatments. The first week was fine but weeks 2 and 3 I was exhausted. Don’t be frustrated if fatigue lasts a couple of months after radiation. I completed mine at the end of February and didn’t feel ‘myself’ until end of June. Hope all goes well.

I had 20 radiation treatments. I exercised daily - 3 mile walks or jogs, and only fatigue I had was going to bed earlier than usual. I used Alra cream 3 times a day and had minimal skin issues, just a little pink but no pain or blisters or anything. My radiation nurse said they don’t recommend Aquaphor as they have seen bad results and burns with it, that Alra is showing the best results.

Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported side effects of radiation therapy, and many people in this community have shared similar experiences. While everyone's response can be different, it's helpful to plan for extra rest and listen to your body during treatment - and connecting with others here who understand this journey can provide valuable support and practical tips.