Before and After Cancer Treatment by Julie K. Silver

Author:Julie K. Silver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2015-03-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHEMO BRAIN AND FATIGUE

Although “chemo brain” is technically called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and is different from fatigue, there is no doubt that being tired can affect your ability to recall things and concentrate on the task at hand. Cancer survivors often think they have MCI when in fact they are probably just exhausted. This is actually very important, because their cognitive abilities are intact. For an accurate diagnosis of MCI, there must be cognitive deficits that affect attention, memory, and concentration that are not a result of fatigue. However, the symptoms of MCI may be subtle, and cancer survivors often say that they feel fatigued, confused, mentally “foggy,” or forgetful or they have difficulty concentrating and remembering. Importantly, both fatigue and MCI may be caused by some of the same medical problems, including anemia, cardiac or respiratory dysfunction, stress, depression, sleep disorders, and so on. MCI may occur in anyone who is undergoing or has had chemotherapy. Bed rest does not seem to improve the symptoms of MCI, and if there a history of sleep problems, these problems should be corrected prior to diagnosing MCI to determine whether the cognitive problems improve with proper rest.

Table 9.4. Reasons to Suspect the Presence of Sleep Apnea

During the Night

Snoring

Breathing pauses witnessed by bed partner

Choking or gasping

Restless sleep

Dry mouth

Drooling

Awakening to urinate

Heartburn (gastroesophogeal reflux)

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