why do i get tired?
There are lots of causes of tiredness and knowing about them can help you to cope with it.
cancer treatment
It's normal to feel tired for a while after surgery, but most people's energy picks up again after a few weeks. But some operations can leave you feeling tired for longer.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause tiredness. This usually improves when treatment is over but you may find it’s a problem that goes on for a few months. Some young people still feel tired and have low energy levels up to two years or so after the treatment is over. For most people though, normal levels of energy come back within six months to a year of finishing treatment.
anaemia
Red blood cells carry oxygen which gives energy to all the cells of the body. If the number of red blood cells is low, there’s less oxygen reaching your cells and this makes you feel tired. This is called anaemia. Being anaemic can make you feel very tired, but it can easily be treated with a blood transfusion.
If you have anaemia you may also:
- feel breathless
- feel dizzy and light-headed
- have aching muscles and joints
problems with food
If you are having chemotherapy you may be feeling sick. This will make you less likely to eat. This might mean you are not getting enough energy from your food. If you are being sick because of your treatment it is important to tell you doctor and get some anti sickness medicines. Chemotherapy can cause changes in your taste and make you feel less hungry. If this happens to you it might be easier to have small meals more often.
If you are having any problems eating you may not be getting enough energy from your food. This can make you feel more tired than usual. If you talk to your hospital dietician they might give you some high energy supplements and some advice. For more information check out our eating problems section.
pain
Many young people with cancer don’t have pain. But if you do have pain or discomfort it can make you feel tired. Your doctor can prescribe painkillers to help ease things.
emotions
Feeling worried, sad, stressed out and tense can make you feel tired. It’s normal to be anxious or depressed when you're first diagnosed with cancer, but these feelings often get easier to cope with over time.
If you feel low most of the time then it’s a good idea to get some help. You can talk it over with your doctors and nurses, who can refer you to a counsellor or psychotherapist. Taking anti-depressant medicines for a short while can sometimes be useful too.
other symptoms
Other symptoms of cancer, like breathlessness or fluid retention, can cause tiredness. If you have an infection or high temperature, your body uses up more energy and this makes you feel tired. It’s important to let your doctor or nurse know about any symptoms that you have so that you can get treatment to make the symptoms better and ease the tiredness.
