You are here: Home General In Treatment For ... In Treatment For ... Fatigue, Pain And Other ...
Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

In Treatment For Breast Cancer: Managing Your Medical Care

Fatigue, Pain And Other Side Effects

Next » « Previous

6/14

In general

No matter what treatment you undergo, there is likely to be some degree of fatigue, pain or other unpleasant side effects.

  • With a treatment such as surgery, the side effects may be immediate and decrease over time. 
  • With chemotherapy or radiation there may be no side effects to start, but they may accumulate. Some may linger after treatment ends.

Side effects are a price for regaining health or at least minimizing the effects of cancer. Most people would say the price is small compared to the potential reward.

Fatigue

Fatigue can be particularly difficult because it is the side effect that most often interferes with daily life. Fatigue can be due to a number of causes. There are several techniques that can help such as scheduling your day around your fatigue, and exercise. For more information, click here.

Pain

Pain does not have to be part of a health condition. If you have pain, speak with your doctor about alternatives for getting rid of it, or at least decreasing how much it hurts. If his or her remedies don't work, seek out a doctor who specializes in treating pain. You can receive what is known as Palliative care at the same time as you work to cure your condition. For more information, click here.

Chemotherapy: Early Menopause

Chemotherapy may cause early menopause. Symptoms of early menopause vary from woman to woman. Common symptoms to watch for include hot flashes, a dry vagina, dry skin and mood swings. For other side effects of chemotherapy and how to deal with them, click here.

Raduation Side Effects

See: Radiation: Nausea and Vomiting and Radiation: How To Care For Your Skin

Side effects to report

Report all unexpected side effects or side effects which are more severe than expected to your oncologist. Side effects can be minimized, and in some cases, eliminated entirely.

Keep your primary doctor informed about your treatment and side effects. While it may be the last thing you want to hear, other things may be happening in your body at the same time that wouldn't be noticed by your cancer doctor.

NOTE: Keep track of side effects so that you can report to the doctor accurately when you see each other. Also keep track of questions to ask. Survivorship A to Z provides a Symptoms Chart to help you keep track of symptoms. We also provide a prioritizer which lets you keep track of your questions, and then lets you prioritize them with a push of a button before you see a doctor.


Please share how this information is useful to you. 0 Comments

 

Post a Comment Have something to add to this topic? Contact Us.

Characters remaining:

  • Allowed markup: <a> <i> <b> <em> <u> <s> <strong> <code> <pre> <p>
    All other tags will be stripped.