Muscle Pain and Tiredness

User

Posted 07 Nov 2015 at 23:12

My Husband/we had the first Chemotherapy on Wednesday. So far so good until today and where he is feeling a lot of pain in his calves.

He is also extremely tired which I suspect is a normal side effect. He was fatigued before treatment.

The nurse we saw advised him to stay rehydrated so that the Chemotherapy would not harm his bladder wall etc. So for the last couple of days he has been drinking loads of water. With the result that he has been up more than usual during the night. I understand the need to stay hydrated and I suspect he has gone a little over the top with the water. Understandable as he is worried I think about what to expect and apprehensive. I have suggested that he cut back on the water later on at night so that he can get more sleep. He was up and down like a yoyo for the last couple of nights.

I suppose it is still early days and not really having any real side effects for the first few days has lulled us into a false sense of security.

Is this muscular pain in his calves normal. I don't think it is anything to do with blood clots as it is in both and general pain in the whole calf.

Any advice would be appreciated

Tattiehead

User

Posted 08 Nov 2015 at 08:47

Over hydration can apparently cause muscle weakness and cramp and constantly getting up to pee will cause tiredness.

Too much fluid will affect the levels of sodium etc in the body

How much water per hour do you think he is drinking

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 08 Nov 2015 at 10:25

I have tried to find out but he said he wasn't really keeping count. Roughly at least a litre a day plus a couple of cups of tea. He was drinking around 400ml before bed and I estimate around 800 ml in one afternoon. So when you look at it from the quantity he is drinking too much at one time. And way too much for bed time. I suppose that I could get something like dioralyte to remedy the electrolyte problem? or would a banana and a diluted fruit juice with a pinch of salt do. Thanks for putting us on the right track. I think he just panicked as the nurse said he should keep his system flushed through.

Tattiehead

User

Posted 08 Nov 2015 at 10:54

I have no medical training Tattie but many years ago I did used to teach first aid for a well known charity and I still carry vague memories of advice we used to give at events.

I cannot say one way or the other on dioralyte because your husband is being advised by nursing staff so I think the best thing would be to contact your nurse (or even NHS Direct and explain the situation) for a more definitive answer but I do know that it is very important not to upset the balance of sodium etc. because if severe it will cause a lot of problems

Good luck and all the best

Sandra

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 10 Nov 2015 at 23:53

Tattiehead, he is unlikely to be over-hydrated on 1 - 1.5l of liquids - it is recommended that an adult male drinks around 2l per day so you should be cautious to ensure he drinks enough! The trick is to drink steadily through the day rather in a couple of large bursts - hyperhydration tends to be when athletes drink 2litres straight off or 4l in an hour etc

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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