Energy After Chemotherapy Treatment

Fatigue is the most common side effect of chemotherapy. Ninety-five percent of cancer patients say it zaps their energy. If researchers are right, popping a few pills each day may bring the energy back.

“Wiped out” was what happened to Ralph Martinez when a wave got the best of him. Today, “wiped out” is how he feels after 90 minutes in a hospital bed undergoing his chemotherapy treatment. Ralph has colon cancer. Chemotherapy makes it difficult for his body to absorb nutrients at a time when he needs them most. The result? A total lack of energy.

“It makes me not want to do anything. It’s bad enough that I’m lazy as it is already, but this doesn’t help matters at all,” says Ralph.

What may help is a daily dose of pills. They’re called Propax (TM), a blend of vitamins and minerals doctors believe may help replace nutrients lost during chemotherapy.

Jerome Block, M.D., an oncologist at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., says, “It may reduce their tiredness and their fatigue. It may give them more energy. It may make them feel better than they have felt in a long time.”

Other than stomach discomfort, Ralph says he’s never felt better. It’s too early to credit the 15 pills he’s taking every day, but doctors say they should know by early spring if this nutritional supplement boosts energy.

Ralph says, “I was feeling kind of fatigued yesterday at the beach, but I went in the water, swam, got a good workout and came back. I really felt relaxed and at ease.”

For now, Ralph doesn’t care what’s producing that good feeling. He’ll ride it as far as it’ll take him.

Dr. Block says Propax (TM) may also improve other side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea. The nutritional supplement is FDA-approved but available only through a doctor.

Source: Ivanhoe News