Managing fatigue and pain

The short version

  • Fatigue and pain are common with secondary breast cancer, but there’s a lot that can help. Tell your team about them, rather than putting up with them.
  • For fatigue, pacing, gentle activity and checking for causes such as anaemia or poor sleep can help.1
  • For pain, there are effective medicines and other treatments, and palliative care teams are experts in symptom control.2

Fatigue

Fatigue can be caused by the cancer, treatment, anaemia, poor sleep, pain, low mood, or not eating enough.1

What helps:

  • Ask your team to check for causes that can be treated, such as anaemia or low mood.1
  • Pace yourself: plan your day, spread out tasks, and balance rest with activity. See energy pacing.
  • Gentle activity, such as short walks, can help reduce fatigue, even when you feel tired.1 See staying active.
  • Prioritise the things that matter most to you, and accept help with the rest.
  • Sleep: see sleep problems.
  • An occupational therapist can suggest ways to save energy at home.1

Pain

Pain can often be well controlled. Tell your team:

  • where the pain is, and what it feels like
  • how bad it is, for example on a scale of 0 to 10
  • what makes it better or worse
  • how it’s affecting your sleep, mood and daily life

Treatments may include:

  • pain-relief medicines, taken regularly as prescribed rather than waiting for pain to get bad
  • radiotherapy, which can help ease pain from cancer in the bones
  • bone-strengthening medicines, used for cancer in the bones
  • other approaches, such as heat, relaxation, gentle movement and physiotherapy

Specialist palliative care teams are experts in managing pain and other symptoms, and can help at any stage, alongside your cancer treatment.2 See palliative care and quality of life.

Contact your team or acute oncology helpline urgently if you have

  • new back pain, especially with numbness, weakness or tingling in your legs, or problems controlling your bladder or bowel
  • severe pain that isn’t controlled by your medicines
  • new breathlessness, confusion, or a high temperature

Support

Related pages

Everyone’s treatment is different, so talk to your cancer team about what is right for you.

References

  1. Macmillan Cancer Support. Tiredness (fatigue) and cancer. www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/tiredness
  2. Marie Curie. What is palliative and end of life care? www.mariecurie.org.uk/globalassets/media/documents/policy/what-is-palliative-and-end-of-life-care.pdf
  3. Breast Cancer Now. Support for you: secondary breast cancer (leaflet). breastcancernow.org/media-assets/4xibp3mc/support_for_you_sbc_leaflet.pdf
  4. NHS 111 Wales. Marie Curie (local service listing). 111.wales.nhs.uk/localservices/viewlocalservice.aspx?id=801