Keypoints

Fatigue

Fatigue, or prolonged tiredness, is a relatively common symptom of many cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also make patients feel tired and lethargic, so it is important to recognise if it becoming a problem.

If a patient is feeling tired all the time, it is important that they talk to the lymphoma team, which will be able to suggest ways to help. The patient may be suffering fatigue as a result of anaemia, which can be caused by certain chemotherapy drugs affecting the bone marrow. It can be treated by prescribing extra iron, giving a blood transfusion or using drug therapy to increase the production of red blood cells. (See Low numbers of blood cells, below.)

There are many different things patients can do themselves to cope with fatigue, which include the following.

• Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, iron and vitamins. Good sources of iron include red meat, spinach and fortified cereals
• Lots of small meals or snacks throughout the day to tempt patients into eating more
• Light regular exercise, several times a week
• Plenty of time to rest, especially between chores
• Avoiding drinks that contain caffeine just before going to bed, as they may disturb sleep.

Patients may find it is necessary to take time off work and to adjust their daily schedule. Some people, however, find that they can continue as normal. Everyone is different.