What causes fatigue during treatment?

June 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A bone marrow harvest.

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Anyone who is undergoing cancer treatment will be able to tell you that fatigue is one of the major challenges that they face every day. A high level of fatigue prevents them from completing simple tasks that they could have easily performed on any other day. They are unable to have a more social life and this affects their personal life. All these things combined plus feeling tired all the time can make them feel depressed and hopeless. In order to treat fatigue, it is important know what causes it in the first place.

 

  1. The cancer itself causes fatigue in a person. It can release proteins that lead to fatigue or increase your body’s energy requirements and even lead to muscular weakness. All of these things will make you feel very tired.
  2. Chemotherapy as well as radiation therapy not only destroy cancer cells but healthy ones too, which is why you feel fatigued after undergoing the treatment.  You body uses up extra energy to fix the damaged cell which is why you feel so tired. Such therapies can also cause anemia, lack of sleep and vomiting which further adds to the loss of energy and increases fatigue.
  3. Sometimes the treatment ends up destroying too many healthy cells or the cancer reaches your bone marrow and the production of red blood cells gets hindered. Both these situations lead to anemia. In such a state your body doesn’t get enough oxygen carried to cells which is why they don’t function as well as they should making you feel tired.
  4. Emotional and physical pain can be very distressing and adds to fatigue too.
Filed Under: Cancer, Treatment and Medications Tagged With: , ,

Tips to Help Combat Cancer Fatigue

October 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A very common consequence of cancer and the subsequent treatments is what’s called cancer fatigue. However there are many ways to combat this syndrome to help you on your road to recovery.

The first step is to discover what time of day you are fatigued. Keeping a journal for about a week will help you identify the times of day you either have a lot of energy or are tired. Try to make notes about any factors you think may contribute to your energy level.

There are many different ways to help you combat this fatigue including:

–Plan your work to include combining activities, delegation of tasks.
–Schedule regular rest periods so you can achieve a balance between resting and working. Make sure you stop to rest before fatigue sets in.
–Make sure you pace yourself and your schedule. Don’t rush. A slower, moderate pace will conserve your energy. Make sure you get up and stretch once in a while.

In addition to looking at modifying your work habits, you should also examine your diet. Cancer fatigue can be heightened if your diet is not a healthy one. A healthy diet that provides good nutrition will help you maintain a high-level of energy and of course will make you feel better.

Be sure that you are achieving the proper caloric intake each day. This will help keep your weight at a stable level. Make sure that your diet includes lots of proteins, because this will help repair and rebuild body tissue.

Drink plenty of water and fluids to prevent dehydration; however try to stay away from beverages containing caffeine and alcohol. In addition, take vitamin supplements if you are not getting the proper level of nutrients through your regular diet.

Contact a dietician or a physician to help guide you through your diet needs to help with your fatigue.

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Treatments For Appetite Stimulation

August 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When patients are undergoing cancer treatments, it is vitally important that they keep up their strength by healthy a healthy diet and avoiding excess fatigue. It is common, however, for chemotherapy patients to have a less than robust appetite, while they are undergoing treatment. By not eating right, patients often endure increasing fatigue, weakness, and depression. It is important to do everything possible to increase oral intake, because by doing so, the healing process takes hold.

Patients need not suffer from poor appetite during cancer treatment. It is important for the patient to ask their doctor to recommend a treatment plan that will resurrect their appetite and make them stronger. One of the possible components to this treatment plan is medication. There are certain prescription medications that stimulate the appetite. One such medication is called Megace. This medication, when taken as directed can greatly increase the appetite and reverse cancer fatigue. In addition, the increased food intake better allows the patient to respond to chemotherapy and radiation by improving mental function, digestion and nerve function.

Megace is not without side effects however. If a patient experiences adverse reaction from the medication, the physician can offer an alternative medication. In addition, vitamin supplements can significantly increase a person’s appetite and increase energy. Of course, if the patient is still unable to adequately maintain a healthy diet, the health care provider can recommend an oral supplement such as Ensure or Boost. These liquid supplements are chocked full of vital nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids. These supplements can literally pump renewed vigor and energy into those that take them. Nutritional supplements such as these also are available in a variety of mild flavors such as vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Many cancer patients will find that taking a can of one of these supplements is an acceptable substitution for a well rounded meal.

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