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Reasons for Fatigue
There are multiple reasons for fatigue and loss of energy in people undergoing treatment for cancer. These include:
- The direct effects of the cancer. Cancer cells consume energy, and also sometime secrete substances into the blood stream that suppress energy
- The body’s fight against cancer. The immune system fights cancer in a variety of ways. One is the production of “cytokines” which help to kill cancer cells These substance, although produced naturally by the body, have a number of side-effects including fatigue and loss of appetite.
- The side-effects of anti-cancer drugs. Nearly all anti-cancer drugs cause fatigue in at least some patients. Drugs that are particularly notorious for causing it are Taxol, Taxotere, Xeloda and Adriamycin.
- Anaemia
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- Depression.
- Abnormalities of metabolism caused by the cancer or its treatment, such as a high blood calcium, low blood sodium, abnormal liver function, or high blood sugar.
- Liver malfunction, due to the cancer or the effects of ant-cancer drugs. The liver is the “power-house” of the body and the earliest sign of its malfunction is fatigue.
- Menopause.
Your doctor will be able to sort out which of these factors are responsible and take corrective action where possible.
Tips for managing fatigue
Some tips for managing fatigue include:
- Good sleep hygiene CLICK HERE
and a regular daily routine that avoids large variations in the time of rising and retiring.
- Exercise. CLICK HERE
This is probably the most important strategy.
- Good eating CLICK HERE
- Removal of “energy sinks” from your life. Are you spending most of your waking hours fuming about the neighbour who thinks he’s Jimmy Hendricks, or the fact that your sister won’t lift a finger to help your ageing dad, or an ongoing dispute in the office over line management for the new clerical assistant, or the total lack of understanding your partner seems to have about your current problems? Is this stuff in your head when you hit the pillow and again when you awaken in the morning? You are wasting valuable and precious energy and you have to take active steps to put these issues back under your control. This may involve the help of a good clinical psychologist to work out a step-by-step strategy and monitor it with you. I know some great Clinical Psychologists and would be delighted to refer you. It will cost you around $70.00 per visit and you will retrieve some of that from your health fund. It’s worth it.
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