Pembrolizumab and Fatigue: What Users Say (Page 2)

• pau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2023

For Melanoma, Metastatic "My husband had a melanoma removed and radiation, then, 18 months later, it recurred. He was sold on the fact that he needed Keytruda to survive longer than 12 months. A few days later, without the opportunity to consider or discuss with his doctor, he had his first and only infusion and died 21 days later. His death certificate cites myasthenia gravis, myositis, and myocarditis as causes of death. He started showing side effects 7 days after infusion, fatigue was the main one. Then muscle weakness, and he fell and was taken to emergency. His condition deteriorated within days and was admitted to the cardiac ward, where his condition changed for the worst each day. He was then transferred to ICU, where he was paralyzed, and his oxygen levels plummeted. Even after the reversal protocol that was given 5 days earlier, it could not save him. We are beyond belief how you can be told that the worst side effect would be fatigue and possibly itchy skin and even less possible you could suffer thyroid issues."

• JDS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Urothelial Carcinoma "My maculopapular skin rash and itching symptoms increased to the point of being quite bothersome when the dose was increased from 200 mg q.3 weeks to 400 mg q.6 weeks. I am using 10 mg of Aller-Tec bid to control my itching and either 1% or 2.5% cortisone ointment for my rash. My hoarseness and dry cough increased as well. My paresthesia of my fingers is constant on both doses. I nap every afternoon for 1.5 hrs because of fatigue. I take Colace bid for bowel regularity. My upcoming MRI will shed some light as to how long Keytruda will be continued."

• Kik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 22, 2025

Pembrolizumab for Breast Cancer "Not really happy about the many side effects I am experiencing! Daily headaches, extreme fatigue, mild shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, sweating, feeling cold, nerve pain, bone, muscle, and joint pain, decreased appetite, abdominal pain that is always present and gets worse every time I eat, mucus in stools, nausea unrelated to eating, tingling and random stabbing nerve pain. I have 3 more treatments, and I’m finished unless the TNBC comes back. My oncologist has given me the choice to stop the Keytruda infusions if I can’t tolerate the side effects, but I’m afraid that the cancer will come back! The pathology report from my mastectomy showed a complete response to the chemotherapy and no positive sentinel or other lymph nodes, so at present, I am cancer-free. I want to stay that way, so I’ll keep doing the infusions unless my oncologist says they have to be stopped. I can’t describe if it worked or if it was the other chemotherapy drugs that worked. Despite side effects, I’ll continue."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 24, 2025

For Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "My first session with the drug was June of 2024. I'm getting it in 3-week sessions for 2 years. I take 190 mg at a time. I was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in my lungs, lymph nodes, and most of my neck, all the way to my skull from the very bottom of my torso. Extremely sore when I first got started for months before I knew I had it. An extreme pain in my back, shoulders, chest. My pain started to subside about month three, and in the last 6 weeks, it's almost disappeared, maybe 90%. My neck is bad, it does cause me concern because of deterioration, but I've been off pain meds as of June 15th, 2025. Some of my symptoms are immune colitis and pneumonitis, which is immune pneumonia. I just picked that up in the last 2 months along with the colitis, which came on about month six. I am fatigued when I first started my treatment, but it is getting less and less with every treatment. My sleep is off and on. Skin rashes, but very light, very itchy skin underneath my skin in the legs, inner thighs, and arms."

• Agg...
• November 11, 2024

Pembrolizumab "I’ve now had 4 infusion treatments with Keytruda. The last CT showed that the bone lesions were stable. I’m hoping that the next bone scan will show that there has been healing in the impacted areas. I’m not having any unexpected adverse reactions to the drug. My CMP results are all within normal range, and my CBC continues to improve. One of my lesions was on the top of my skull (I was headed to a bit of a point), but now I can barely feel any difference in that area. While I did have several rounds of radiation therapy to all of the other lesions, I had no treatments in that area. My team chose Keytruda because genetic testing showed that I have a very high MSI, and other mutations, as does my HR+ cancer. My level of pain is tolerable, my appetite has somewhat decreased, and for a few days after infusion I do feel a bit more fatigued."

• Ms ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 2, 2024

For Colorectal Cancer "For the most part, my cancer is clearing up after 6 months of treatment. My thyroid is shot, I'm now on 50 mg Synthroid, I'm very tired, weak, fatigued most of the time, can't get in the direct sunlight because it stings, and could have a severe skin rash. I'm happy that my tumor went from 11 cm down to 7. Small hot spots have gone completely. Would I do it again, absolutely. It's a miracle drug!"

• Sta...
• August 22, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Breast Cancer "It is working... in combination with chemo. My tumors are shrinking. Lots of side effects. Colitis, nausea, blurred vision, muscle pain, headache, back pain, loss of energy... could be the chemo."

• Joh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 25, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "Very good so far. Almost a year, and only now a loose stool. Not had too bad a time, some sleepiness, dizziness, fatigue."

• DJD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Melanoma, Metastatic "I have had 5 treatments so far. Side effects are minimal, mostly fatigue some days. I don't know how it is working yet to reduce the cancer but will be having a scan in a few weeks to determine that."

• Doc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 23, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Bladder Cancer "Weakness, colitis, neuropathy, dizziness, lack of energy. Cancer seems to be going away."