Since good nutrition is very important to fight cancer and retain strength, the woman should explore ways to increase her food intake, especially of proteins and fluids. Despite the possible nausea, many women notice an increase in weight, rather than weight loss as a results of treatment with most chemotherapy drugs. Weight gain of up to twenty pounds is not uncommon, and can be a distressing side effect for some women. Fatigue High doses of chemotherapy can cause fatigue, especially on the first day after each treatment. The woman should adjust her schedule so she can rest if she feels like it.
Many women find that given some flexibility they can keep a fairly normal level of activity.
If she feels totally unable to function at a reasonable level, the drug dose may be too high. Hair Loss One of the side effects of chemotherapy that causes women the most sadness is hair loss. Women receiving the CMF drug combination, may not lose any hair at all. Those receiving Adriamycin probably will. Usually hair falls out gradually, over a period of a few weeks starting around the third week after beginning of chemotherapy.