Chemotherapy: Additional Side Effects

Fatigue is often described as very tired and lacking energy. fatigue is the most common side effect of not only chemotherapy but all cancer treatments you may have muscle aches and pains get worn out quickly have difficulty concentrating or find it difficult to do daily activities fatigue can appear suddenly and it doesn't always go away with rest or sleep when you are fatigued try to prioritize your activities and take rest. as needed focus on completing the more important tasks first when you have more energy also listen to your body and take naps if you need to it's best to take naps early in the day that you do not disturb your sleep pattern at night consider light exercise everyday or several times a week to help exercise and moderation can release chemicals in the body called endorphins that Aid and fatigue throughout the day though energy conservation is key some examples of energy conservation include using a shower stool when you shower instead of standing having slip-on shoes rather than bending to tie your shoes a button-up shirt requires less energy than pulling a shirt over your head creating a grocery shopping list to organize what you need to do and help minimize walking in the store asking for help when needed lastly if you're fatigue is affecting your ability to do normal tasks or daily activities please speak with your cancer doctor hair loss can be one of the most difficult aspects of chemotherapy treatment because it's very visual it's a very visual side effect however not all chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss if hair loss occurs it will generally begin two to three weeks after starting chemotherapy this impacts all hair including hair on your head eyelashes eyebrows as well as on your body after you finish chemotherapy and the hair May grow back with a different color or Texture management for hair loss includes cutting your hair short before you lose your hair before you go to sleep place a towel over your pillow so that clean up is easier in the mornings buy a drink catch for your shower to collect hair that may fall out during washing there are many options for head coverings items include wigs hats scarves turbines or nothing at all the important thing is that you do what makes you feel most comfortable if you decide to buy a wig try to buy it before your hair loss begins this will allow you to get the color and style as close to your original as possible if that's what you are Desiring also your doctor can write a prescription some chemotherapy drugs and other treatments for cancer can cause peripheral neuropathy peripheral neuropathy is a set of symptoms caused by damage to the nerves that control the sensations and movements of our arms legs hands and feet symptoms of neuropathy include tingling or pins and needles feeling burning or a warm feeling numbness weakness discomfort or pain flexibility to feel hot and cold and cramps especially in your feet patients may be offered cryotherapy during treatment if they are receiving high risk medications cryotherapy is the process of placing ice or cold packs on your hands and feet during treatment neuropathy can be a permanent side effect and cryotherapy has been shown to help prevent the side effect from occurring talk with your cancer doctor if you experience any of the symptoms of neuropathy as soon as possible chemo brain is a common term used to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur during and after cancer treatment though chemo brain is a widely used term the causes of concentration and memory problems aren't well understood it's likely that there are multiple causes no matter the cause chemo brain can be a frustrating and debilitating side effect of cancer and its treatment signs and symptoms of chemo brain may include feeling unusually disorganized or confused having difficulty concentrating or multitasking difficulty finding the right word or learning new skills having a feeling of mental fogginess having a short attention span or short-term memory problems taking longer than usual to complete routine tasks trouble with verbal memories such as remembering a conversation or visual memory such as recalling an image or list of Symptoms make an appointment with your doctor keep a journal of your signs and symptoms so that your doctor can better understand how your memory problems are affecting your everyday life.