Many things can cause fatigue. Fatigue is one of the most frequently experienced symptoms associated with cancer. It can precede, accompany, and follow many cancers and cancer treatments. It often alters your ability to function and can significantly interfere with your perception of your quality of life. If unrecognized or unmanaged, fatigue can trigger a sense of hopelessness or depression.
Fatigue can pose a number of obstacles to coping with cancer.
These obstacles may be overwhelming and make your experience of cancer or cancer treatment seem harder. It is always important to talk directly with your doctor or nurse about your fatigue because good communication will help you express your feelings about your fatigue and help you gain better insight into what might be causing your fatigue. It may also help your doctor or nurse learn more about what is making your fatigue better or worse so that they can provide you with helpful suggestions to improve fatigue. Poor communications may lead to wrongful assumptions - you may think that the treatment is not working or that the doctors did not tell you the truth about your prognosis. Sometimes it is hard to find the time to talk about fatigue.