Home › Forums › All Categories › Non Invasive Bladder Cancer › fatigue with bcg

  • Non Invasive Bladder Cancer

    fatigue with bcg

    Posted by cancersucksbigtime on May 20, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    Start of Discussion
    0 of 0 replies June 2018
    Now

    HI everyone,

    I have had 15 BCG treatments, the last one was on April 29. I have had fatigue with all of them except the first six.
    My urologist says he never heard of fatigue with bcg :( I am so tired right now, even three weeks after the last treatment and I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this? It just doesn’t seem like it should last this long.
    Thanks,
    Mary

    sara.anne replied 9 years, 4 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies

  • sara.anne

    Member
    May 21, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    Mary, just for your information,

    http://www.webmd.com/cancer/bladder-cancer/bacillus-calmette-guerin-bcg-for-bladder-cancer

    this lists the side effects, including

    Common side effects of this medicine include:

    Burning or pain with urination, a sense of needing to urinate often, or urinating small amounts often.
    Fatigue, joint aches, skin rash, or fever of less than 101°F (38°C).
    Nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite

    Sara Anne

    Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
    BCG; BCG maintenance
    Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
    Forum Moderator

  • cancersucksbigtime

    Member
    May 21, 2015 at 3:15 am

    Thank you Alan,
    I don’t sleep too well either. Probably because I’m so tired!!!
    Any suggestions on how to perk up?
    mary

  • Alan

    Member
    May 21, 2015 at 2:50 am

    Mary,

    Just another confirmation about fatigue. I had many friends remark after my course was done that they were concerned with what was very apparent to them. A tired/fatigue look. Ironically, at the time it didn’t really hit me but, it was true. It could have simply been lost sleep getting up all the time to pee or it could have been the BCG itself!

    DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.

  • cancersucksbigtime

    Member
    May 21, 2015 at 12:03 am

    Thank you so much Sara Anne,
    I can’t understand my doctor’s reaction to fatigue either. However, the man saved my life when I had high grade transitional cell carcinoma in my right kidney. I trust him, obviously, but I don’t understand his attitude toward
    BCG fatigue. Even his nurse said she never heard of it either.
    Anyway, it is reassuring to know I’m not delusional, just very tired!
    I did see my primary this past Monday, and he ordered blood work, including a TSH, since I do not have a thyroid any longer. Everything came back within the normal range, so I will talk to him tomorrow about what you just told me.
    I was quite sure it was thyroid, but it’s not.
    Thanks again for your advice.
    Mary

  • sara.anne

    Member
    May 20, 2015 at 10:18 pm

    I am amazed that your urologist isn’t aware that fatigue is the most common side effect of treatments with BCG. It should go away, eventually. It was the longest lasting of the side effects that I had, and it is the one most people complain about.

    You might want to have your primary care physician check you over….low thyroid and some other easily treatable things can contribute to this.

    Sara Anne

    Diagnosis 2-08 Small papillary TCC; CIS
    BCG; BCG maintenance
    Vice-President, American Bladder Cancer Society
    Forum Moderator

Sign In to reply.