Lack of red blood cells and oxygen in the body creates an energy deficit, causing tiredness or fatigue. Erythropoietin stimulates bone marrow to produce red blood cells, thereby increasing the number of red blood cells in the body. Adjusting Current Medications Patients on medication who complain of fatigue may need their drug regimens reviewed or adjusted by their physicians. If opioids are taken for controlling pain, dosage reduction is done cautiously to see whether fatigue improves without making the pain worse. Commonly Prescribed Medications Drug therapy for treating fatigue associated with medical illness has not been evaluated through controlled studies.
Some doctors consider the use of psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and pemoline.
These drugs are often used to treat opioid-related cognitive impairment and depression in the elderly and medically ill. Amantadine has been used for many years in the treatment of fatigue due to multiple sclerosis. An antidepressant drug may be used to treat fatigue due to clinical depression, preferably one of the serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors, secondary amine tricyclics, or buproprion. In addition to medication, non-drug interventions may be used to manage fatigue. Patients can be prepared to anticipate fatigue as a normal part of the course of cancer and its treatment.