Meanwhile, larger cancers, requiring a prolonged dose of radiation, will lead to excessive tiredness too. In addition, the frequency of trips to receive radiotherapy may contribute to fatigue as well.
This goes back to the emotional toll of cancer treatment. The constant scheduling of appointments, visiting your oncologist, obtaining radiation treatment, taking chemotherapy and other treatment methods adds to the emotional toll. There will be days when going to the treatment center feels like too much to handle. However, the tiredness is not a permanent aspect of your life.
Some people have the fortune of not experiencing severe side effects of radiation therapy. As explained by the American Cancer Society, there is no sure-fire way to determine how extensive your side effects will be before launching treatment. A thorough conversation with your radiotherapy care team can help you prepare for such side effects.
He or she may be able to identify the primary source of your fatigue and help you find ways to alleviate your exhaustion. Before you meet with your doctor, you can prepare by considering these questions, which he or she will likely ask:. People usually see a reduction in tiredness after several weeks of receiving a final treatment.
Some people may experience excessive tiredness after the first treatment. Others may gradually develop a sense of growing fatigue over a period of weeks. Of course, the tiredness resulting from radiation therapy alone varies in intensity and duration. After receiving the final treatment, other factors come into play.
The length of time the body takes to repair itself will affect time between final treatment and not feeling so tired. This gives rise to a belief that radiation therapy leads to permanent fatigue. The level of tiredness a person experiences relates closely to other activities during treatment. What a person eats, how much they sleep, their level of pain and mental stress affect the body and result in fatigue.
Those with a cancer diagnosis and receiving treatment, including radiotherapy, should follow the advice of their board-certified radiation therapy oncologist to combat fatigue.
Some common methods for reducing fatigue include:. A final aspect of the cancer fatigue conversation comes up when those receiving treatment begin to experience dramatic changes in the severity and frequency of fatigue. When fatigue becomes persistent and interferes with your ability to perform basic daily function, tell your doctor. More importantly, if fatigue reaches an extreme point and causes confusion, dizziness, loss of balance, severe shortness of breath or leaves you bedridden for more than 24 hours, contact your care team immediately.
Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Side Effects of Radiation Therapy. National Cancer Institute. Fatigue PDQ. Radiation Therapy and You. Related Articles. How Carcinoid Tumor Is Treated. Living With Hypoparathyroidism. How Pilocytic Astrocytoma Is Treated. Managing Fatigue and Energy with Psoriatic Arthritis.
Does Coffee Improve Erectile Dysfunction? Feeling Sleepy? Discover 10 Tips for Staying Awake and Alert. Feeling Fatigue After Surgery. This could be because: of having cancer your body is using energy to repair damage to healthy cells from the radiation you're in pain you're having to travel quite a way for your radiotherapy appointments you're feeling anxious and stressed - this might affect the quality of your sleep at night Radiotherapy side effects tend to get worse as you progress through your treatment.
It's impossible to predict who will feel tired during treatment, some do and others don't. Tips for boosting or saving energy Taking shortcuts on some things or getting help from other people can help you to feel less tired. If you're feeling very tired there are some things you can do to help depending on your circumstances: Drink plenty of water. Eat a balanced diet.
Have short naps if you need to. If you're working, see if you can reduce your hours or work from home if possible. Ask family and friends for help with things like shopping, housework, gardening, and collecting the children from school. Don't forget to do things that you enjoy — this may take your mind off things a bit and make you feel more relaxed. Speak to an occupational therapist or social worker if you have problems with your mobility.
Write a list of shopping and go when the supermarket is not busy or have food delivered. Do household tasks sitting down, where possible. Talk to your treatment team about suitable activities for you. Limit caffeinated drinks, such as cola, coffee and tea. While caffeine may give a burst of energy, it can make you feel jittery and irritable, and cause insomnia and dehydration. Limit your alcohol intake. If you smoke, try to quit. For information and support, talk to your doctor, call the Quitline on 13 or visit iCanQuit.
Key resource Download a PDF booklet on this topic. This information was last reviewed in December View who reviewed this content.
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