Managing Fatigue

When you return home, you will be looking forward to resuming your normal activities. However, chronicPersisting for a long time. fatigue is a common problem after transplant and you may need to adjust your activities and lifestyle for awhile. 

Fatigue may be a short term problem or may last many months. If you experience chronic fatigue, the first step is to indentify and treat any underlying medical causes. 

Fatigue may be caused by anemiaToo few red blood cells in the bloodstream, resulting in insufficient oxygen to tissues and organs., dehydration, disruption of normal hormone function, or side effects of medication. Infection, decreased physical activity, nutritional deficiency, pain, stress and sleep disruption can also cause fatigue.

Speak with your doctor to see if any of these problems are causing your fatigue and, if so, ask how to treat them. Your doctor may suggest a trial of medication to see if that helps. 

Fatigue is different than just feeling tired. You can't take care of it simply by taking a nap, but there are some steps you can take to manage your fatigue so it will be less disruptive to your life.

Get good rest. Establish a regular sleep schedule and keep to it. Limit interruptions by creating a quiet place for sleep and notifying family and friends about your sleep schedule. Avoid caffeinated foods before bedtime such as coffee, tea or chocolate which can keep you awake.

Keep active. Try not to be a couch potato. Move. If you can only walk a little bit, do it. Walk a bit more the following day. Being inactive can lead to fatigue. Some exercise each day can increase your stamina. 

Understand how and when fatigue affects you. Plan your activities around the times you have more energy. Prioritize activities according to what is most important to you. If picnicking with a spouse is important to you, make that activity number one and let cleaning the house take a break.

Plan ahead. You may not have the energy to do all the things you want to do during the recovery period. Creating plans will help you prioritize. If you are going on a trip or the holiday season is coming up, think ahead about what you realistically can and can't do and plan your time accordingly. Then stick with your plan.

Delegate. This is a difficult issue for survivors. Your family and friends want to help. Let them take on some responsibilities around the house.

Fatigue can be frustrating. Family and friends may interpret it as you just being lazy, but fatigue for transplant survivors is real. In most cases, fatigue becomes less of an issue over time.

If you are an adult transplant survivor, we suggest you view two web casts on fatigue, one by Dr. Lilian Nail and a second by Dr. Kenneth Miller.  If your child is the transplant survivor, you may find Dr. Christina Ullrich's webcast on fatigue helpful.