Chemotherapy fatigue Fatigue—feeling tired and lacking energy—is the most common symptom reported by cancer patients. The exact cause is not always known. It can be due to your disease, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, low blood counts, lack of sleep, pain, stress, and poor appetite, along with many other factors.

Fatigue from chemotherapy feels different from fatigue of everyday life. Fatigue caused by chemotherapy can appear suddenly. Patients with cancer have described it as a total lack of energy and have used words such as worn out, drained, and wiped out to describe their fatigue. Rest does not always relieve it. Not everyone feels the same kind of fatigue. You may not feel tired while someone else does, or your fatigue may not last as long as someone else's does. It can last days, weeks, or even months. But severe fatigue does go away gradually as the cancer responds to treatment.

Tips for Coping

Here are some tips on coping with fatigue:

  • Plan your day so that you have time to rest.
  • Take short naps or breaks, rather than one long rest period.
  • Save your energy for the most important things.
  • Try easier or shorter versions of activities that you enjoy.
  • Take short walks and do light exercise, if possible.
  • Talk to your health care provider about ways to save your energy and treat your fatigue.
  • Try activities such as meditation, prayer, yoga, guided imagery, and visualization.
  • Eat as well as you can and drink plenty of fluids. Eat small amounts at a time, if that is helpful.
  • Join a support group. Sharing your feelings with others can ease the burden of fatigue. You can learn how others deal with their fatigue. Your health care provider can put you in touch with a support group in your area.
  • Limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink.
  • Allow others to do some things for you that you usually do.
  • Keep a diary of how you feel each day. This will help you plan your daily activities.
  • Report any changes in energy level to your doctor or nurse.