Cancer fatigue is real and should not be ignored. It can be worse when a person is dehydrated, anemic, in pain, not sleeping well, or has an infection (see sections on fluids and dehydration, blood counts, pain, sleep problems, and fever). Recent studies have shown that exercise programs during treatment can help reduce fatigue.

What to Look For

• Feeling like you have no energy
• Increased sleeping
• Not wanting to or being able to do normal activities
• Less attention to personal appearance
• Feeling tired even after sleeping
• Trouble thinking or concentrating
• Trouble finding words and speaking

What the Patient Can Do

• Balance rest and activities.
• Tell the doctor if you’re not able to get around as well as usual.
• Plan your important activities for when you have the most energy.
• Schedule necessary activities throughout the day rather than all at once.
• Get enough rest and sleep. Short naps and rest breaks may be needed.
• Remember that fatigue caused by treatment is short-term and that energy will slowly get better after treatment has ended.
• Ask others to help you by cooking meals and doing housework, yard work, and errands.
• Eat a balanced diet that includes protein (meat, eggs, cheese, and legumes such as peas and beans) and drink about 8-10 glasses of water a day, unless your care team gives you other instructions.
• See section on exercise.

What Caregivers Can Do

• Help schedule friends and family members to prepare meals, clean house, do yard work, or run errands for the patient.
• Try not to push the patient to do more than he or she is able.
• Help the patient to set up a routine for activities during the day.

Call the doctor if the patient:

• is too tired to get out of bed for more than a 24-hour period
• becomes confused (see section on confusion)
• has fatigue that keeps getting worse
• feels out of breath or has a racing heart after just a little activity

Go to a list of symptoms to find other problems in Managing Care at Home.

Revised: 01/04/2007