Pembrolizumab and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Sti...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2019

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "My husband's small cell lung cancer spread to the brain. Dr. recommended Keytruda, has had 5 treatments, 1 every 3 weeks. Dr. says scans and blood work look good, however, he has lost a lot of weight, no energy, can't eat, also short of breath. He is thinking of stopping treatment because of side effects. Was praying this would work, however, I don't think it is."

• Con...
• April 12, 2019

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "My husband has stage 4 NSCLC diagnosed in 2016. On March 31, 2018, he was diagnosed with a 5 cm tumor on his right frontal lobe of his brain, which was surgically removed. Dr. started my husband on Keytruda in May of 2018. All was going well until Nov 29, 2018, a brain scan showed 5 tumors on the dura lining around his brain, which is inoperable. He had radiation, which did get rid of the tumors for now. Dr. kept him on Keytruda. 6 weeks ago, after his Keytruda treatment, my husband got very weak, short of breath, and stayed in bed 95% of the time as he was so exhausted from doing nothing. 3 weeks later, he had another treatment of Keytruda and the same thing again: weakness, in bed all the time, and short of breath. Today, he was feeling much better but had to have his Keytruda again today. I will monitor him to see if this treatment kicks him down again. Does anyone have any advice? His oncologist states that Keytruda is the only thing keeping him alive right now."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2021

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "My husband has stage 4 metastasized lung, kidney, and brain cancer. He started Keytruda in late May 2021. 3 1/2 months later he is in bad shape. Terrible shoulder pain. Confused. Tired. No appetite. Four hospital stays. Can't eat solid food. Lost 12 lbs in 5 days! Heart attack. Keytruda is so bad for my loving husband. Please research this deadly drug before you or a loved one is given an infusion. My husband is slipping away from me and his family."

• Key...
• June 18, 2020

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "I believe Keytruda killed my dad. After the second dose, he quit eating. He was getting sick, no energy. Doctors just kept saying it wasn't that and pushing the drug. He had a tumor that appeared and rapidly grew. Also, his best friend was on this for the same, and he is now really, really sick. This is a horrible, horrible drug and should be taken off the market."

• Arc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 13, 2025

Pembrolizumab for Squamous Cell Carcinoma "After 3 months, my squamous cell carcinoma completely disappeared. Monitoring PET scans have not shown any cancer recurrence for the past 6 months. I am beginning to experience joint pain, tiredness, and a general feeling of malaise. I intend to discontinue use in another month if the next PET scan is still cancer-free."

• Ben...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2023

Pembrolizumab for Renal Cell Carcinoma "I have had three infusions of Keytruda and had headaches, and felt lethargic, weak, and tired. My blood reading was very bad after two infusions. After the third infusion, my doctor took me off Keytruda. It caused my thyroid to develop hypothyroidism. I now take 150 micrograms of levothyroxine, and my atopic dermatitis has worsened. I have dry eyes and blurred vision at times too. Thank goodness my therapy was an adjuvant therapy. I have been off Keytruda for four months, but I am still having skin breakouts and peeling. I would only use this drug if you have cancer. I would not use it for adjuvant therapy. It has way too many side effects!"

• Ben...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2023

Pembrolizumab for Renal Cell Carcinoma "I have had three infusions of Keytruda and had headaches, and felt lethargic, weak, and tired. My blood reading was very bad after two infusions. After the third infusion, my doctor took me off Keytruda. It caused my thyroid to develop hypothyroidism. I now take 150 micrograms of levothyroxine, and my atopic dermatitis has worsened. I have dry eyes and blurred vision at times too. Thank goodness my therapy was an adjuvant therapy. I have been off Keytruda for four months, but I am still having skin breakouts and peeling. I would only use this drug if you have cancer. I would not use it for adjuvant therapy. It has way too many side effects!"

• Sun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 30, 2020

Pembrolizumab for Melanoma "I started Keytruda in Feb 2020 for stage 3 aggressive melanoma. Almost immediately, my moods were awful. Swinging like a kid hitting puberty. The doc said it wasn't a side effect. This continued. The fatigue increased. I felt miserable. By late August, I couldn't get off the couch without moaning in pain and couldn't even get into bed. No appetite. Nausea. No energy. I knew I was dehydrated. I declined my next treatment and got fluids. I went to the next appointment to tell the doc I was quitting. Finally, they did labs. My cortisol was >0.1. Another lab test result had ridiculously low levels as well. I should've been in the hospital. Now I'm on steroids, was waiting to see an endocrinologist, and hoping there's no permanent damage. Keytruda almost finished me off."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 4, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Breast Cancer "I had a dermatological reaction when I first started taking it (after the second or third IV). Taking with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin. Had to stop it. Restarted at a half-dose (once every three weeks instead of every six weeks, for a year) about six weeks ago. Had no reaction at the first dose, then a severe skin reaction at the second dose, but it didn't last long. Today, (third dose), I have learned that my WBC is 16,000 and my glucose is a whopping 170! (Never happened!) I would also say I have chemo brain, I'm tired, and I am still hopeful and willing to try it for TNBC."

• Amb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Colorectal Cancer "I had a really, really bad reaction to chemo and was changed over to Keytruda, 134 dosage done by my weight. I’ve had very little side effects… I’ve done 12 or 35 treatments, I’m a little tired the first week. My tumor (dMMR) was located at the cecum and was removed in emergency surgery, 8” colon and 22” intestine and 19 lymph nodes. I am 3B with it metastasized into my lymph nodes around my aorta artery. My CT scans show it’s working. I’m very happy with my treatment so far and hope I continue."

• Don...
• September 24, 2024

Pembrolizumab for Melanoma "First infusion. I was tired but not terrible. Second infusion. I felt tireder and sleepy. Also felt gaggy and not too interested in food. My warfarin INR went to 4.7. It is usually between 2 and 3. I don't know if it helped yet or not."

• JQa...
• January 12, 2021

Pembrolizumab for Small Cell Lung Cancer "My father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in September. The doctors started pushing him to take Keytruda. After his first treatment in October, my dad began experiencing extremely painful indigestion. A few weeks later, he became weak and tired, and his shortness of breath worsened. Just after his 3rd round of Keytruda, my dad couldn’t get out of bed for 2 days. We FaceTimed with his doctor a few days later, and he showed her his heart rate, which was very high, as well as his O2 levels, which were low. She said that all he needed was to be put on steroids and that they would skip the Keytruda the following week. I was on that call. The next morning, December 5th, my father was found dead on his living room floor. DO NOT USE THIS DRUG. Please read up on its deadly results with patients with lung cancer before letting doctors who want to use your loved one for an experiment."

• Raj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2024

For Renal Cell Carcinoma "Feel tired all the day, dry skin of face, itching legs skin, and running nose symptoms like cold or flu. I have taken five doses till now with a 21-day span, and the doctor advised 17 doses in one year."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 22, 2025

Pembrolizumab for Endometrial Cancer "Started out fine during my first of six chemo treatments with Keytruda but developed infectious colitis after my 5th infusion. Ended up in the hospital and was treated with steroids. Keytruda was omitted on my 6th and final infusion. Started immunotherapy at a lower dose of Keytruda every 3 weeks instead of a full dose every 6 weeks. So far, so good. Only side effect after the 2nd treatment was feeling very tired 3 days after."

• smc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 18, 2021

For Melanoma "2 brain mets, 1 in lung, one in brain resected, stereotactic radiation... 2 years on Keytruda, side effects, just tired. It got rid of lung met, no new ones. After two years of Keytruda, after dose felt like my head would explode and craniotomy revealed radiation necrosis, did steroids, hyperbaric chamber, and Avastin... still no good, I think Keytruda causes inflammation even once stopped... neutral deficits now... but got 2 extra years."

• 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!"

• Ano...
• April 30, 2025

Pembrolizumab for Breast Cancer "I have stage 4 metastatic HR+ cancer to my spine, skull, sternum, left pelvic iliac crest, and left femur. Started Keytruda alone in August of 2024. Latest CT and bone scan shows (April 25) no new lesions and some improvement in the current ones. Mostly I am extremely tired for a few days after infusion (250/3 week intervals), have muscle weakness, increased back pain, and loss of appetite. I know when the 3 weeks is almost up because I start getting a bit of an appetite back. Obviously I have no port because of the treatment interval, infusion sites are limited to my left arm and, in a pinch, my lower right arm - right modified radical mastectomy with some resulting lymphedema - as luck would have it, all the “good” sites are on my right side. Luckily, it’s never taken more than 2 sticks to get an IV established."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2018

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "Well, my mom took one dose. She had been tired, not much of an appetite. Have hope this will lengthen her life. We will see her when she has her scan done, hopefully, it reduces."

• Deb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 13, 2025

Pembrolizumab for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer "I've been taking Keytruda for over a year every three weeks. It is very easy for me, and the only side effect is extreme tiredness. I have Stage 4 adenocarcinoma lung cancer."