Chemotherapy drug treatments can be effective, but they also seem to be linked to intense fatigue. Drugs that often cause cancer-related fatigue are vinblastine, cisplatin and vincristine.
The severity of fatigue may vary by individual, but almost 90 percent of cancer patients experience some level of fatigue related to cancer treatment at some time during therapy. It is also known that the symptoms from fatigue can last for months or years after cancer treatment.
Specifically, fatigue can be caused by cancer-related anemia or low thyroid function and can intensify with emotional distress or depression related to the cancer treatment. A patient with fatigue may feel weak, forgetful, have decreased energy level and an inability to concentrate.
Drug Treatments to Reduce Fatigue
Physicians treat cancer patients that suffer from fatigue in a similar way to patients with anemia. Doctors use drugs that produce hormone and stimulants such as Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Provigil (modafinil).
Other Treatments to Reduce Fatigue
None-drug treatments such as exercise, diet and conserving energy have been shown to reduce fatigue.
Exercise
Doctors put their patients on a low-intensity exercise regimen to avoid the loss of too much muscle mass that can lead to fatigue more easily than someone that does some sort of physical activity. Too much high-intensity exercise is not good for cancer patients since it can put the immune system at risk.
Diet
Cancer patients can monitor their diet to help reduce fatigue. If a patient doesn’t maintain the proper nutrition by eating the right foods, this will contribute to fatigue. It is recommended that a cancer patient gets at least 15 calories per pound of his or her body weight. Proper amounts of protein are also important to help rebuild and repair body tissue. The recommended amounts of protein are 0.5 to 0.6 grams for every pound of body weight. Patients should have a minimum of 64 ounces of fluids per day and limit their intake of alcoholic and caffeine beverages. It is recommended to supplement their diet with a multivitamin that gives them 100% of the recommended daily nutrients.
Conserve energy
Cancer patients should organize their tasks ahead of time and try to schedule rest periods to help save energy throughout their day. The following are some recommendations to conserve energy:
– Take time in the day to rest
– Take multiple short naps or breaks instead of one long break
– Save energy for important tasks
– Get help to delegate some tasks
– Moderate pace is better than rushing through tasks