Fatigue caused by chemotherapy may last for some weeks or months after a treatment cycle ends. Many people find that their energy levels return to normal within 6–12 months of treatment ending. While fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy, it can also be a symptom of depression.
Your energy levels should return to normal within 6 months to a year after the end of chemotherapy.
Try to add strength training, such as lifting weights, a few times a week, too. Consider integrative medicine options. Some people with cancer find relief from fatigue through meditation, yoga and other mindfulness practices that encourage relaxation. Massage and acupuncture can be helpful, too.
Treatment may worsen the feelings of fatigue. Different cancer treatments can affect a person's energy levels. Some chemotherapy types can stop the bone marrow from creating new red blood cells, which results in anemia. Anemia can affect a person's energy level.
Some cancer survivors report that they still feel tired or worn out after treatment is over. In fact, fatigue is one of the most common complaints during the first year after treatment. Rest or sleep does not "cure" the type of fatigue you may have after cancer treatment, and doctors do not know its exact cause(s).
Fatigue caused by chemotherapy may last for some weeks or months after a treatment cycle ends. Many people find that their energy levels return to normal within 6–12 months of treatment ending. While fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy, it can also be a symptom of depression.
In most cases, this tiredness will gradually disappear after treatment cessation, but not everyone experiences improvement. Up to 35 % of those who have completed curative treatment, and who are without known cancer, will experience persistent tiredness after completion of treatment (3, 4).
Exercise, yoga, massage therapy, counseling, and dietary or nutritional counseling are all used to help treat fatigue and weakness. If you're having problems sleeping or sleeping too much, your doctor or nurse may suggest sleep therapy.
But fatigue means feeling severely overtired. Extreme fatigue makes it hard to get up in the morning, go to work, do your usual activities and make it through your day. Fatigue feels like you have an overwhelming urge to sleep, but you may not feel refreshed after you rest or sleep.
Most chemotherapy side effects go away in time, but some can linger and require monitoring or treatment. Possible long-term side effects of chemo include damage to your heart and peripheral neuropathy, in which damaged nerves can cause pain, weakness or numbness in the extremities – arms, hands, legs and feet.
A good guide is to include 1 carbohydrate food at snack times and 2 carbohydrate foods at each meal. One example is a snack of an apple with peanut butter, and a dinner that includes rice and beans. Healthy fats. Fat is an important source of energy, and a little fat goes a long way.
Cancer-related fatigue usually gets better after treatment finishes. But it may continue for months or even years. Everyone is different and there is no way to know how long fatigue may last for each person. You may find it helpful to keep a fatigue diary.
If you are feeling fatigued, eating foods rich in vitamin B12 or taking a supplement might just boost your energy levels.
People with cancer might describe it as feeling very weak, listless, drained, or “washed out” that may decrease for a while but then comes back. Some may feel too tired to eat, walk to the bathroom, or even use the TV remote. It can be hard to think or move.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
Chemotherapy drugs target cancer cells which stop or slow their growth. A person undergoing chemotherapy should avoid eating undercooked or raw food, interacting with actively infectious people, overexerting themselves, and consuming too much alcohol.