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Fatigue normal or due to thyroid?

Page last modified on: October 7, 2008

Question from Kathy: I am still plagued by fatigue, even after 1 year out from chemotherapy and radiation. Many times I am so tired, I feel ill. I get regular checkups with my oncologist, with blood tested every 3 months. All is within the "normal limits." Should I have my thyroid levels tested, or am I just one of the unlucky ones that will have continued fatigue for an unknown time?: Answer —Tish Knobf, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., A.O.C.N.: It is not unusual for some persons after combined therapies for cancer to experience fatigue for longer than a year. And it's sometimes a year and a half before you get back to your normal energy levels. Your energy levels may be influenced by whether you are continuing to be a couch potato or whether you have begun to do some physical activity like walking every day. You can become unconditioned if you haven't resumed some daily physical activity.

Related to your question about should your thyroid be checked, there are some cases where women who have had breast cancer have had some thyroid problems, so that's a very reasonable question to ask your physician.

If you haven't begun any physical activity you should start slowly, according to what you can do. You can do 10 minutes. If you have a pedometer, the goal with a pedometer is 10,000 steps a day. So, with a pedometer you just start with the number of steps you walk each day and increase it by 50 to 100 steps each day as long as you can tolerate it, until you can reach a higher goal.

On Wednesday, January 16, 2008, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Managing Fatigue During and After Treatment. Diana Dyer, M.S., R.D., Tish Knobf, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., A.O.C.N., and Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S. answered your questions about ways to keep up your energy, how nutrition can affect fatigue, and how exercising can help.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Diana Dyer, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a two-time breast cancer survivor.

Tish Knobf, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., A.O.C.N. is the American Cancer Society associate professor of Oncology Nursing at Yale University. She participates in various research programs that focus on cancer recovery and exercise, risk factors for cancer, and symptoms before and after cancer therapy.

Lillie Shockney, RN., BS., M.A.S. Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S. is the administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center.