What is chemo fog mean?

What is chemo fog mean?

Overview. Chemo brain is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur during and after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, cancer-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction.

How do you deal with chemo fog?

Until then, if you are affected by chemo brain, there are some steps you can take.

1. Try mindfulness. “If you can attend to things longer, you are more likely to store them [in memory],” said McGregor.
2. Sample some cognitive practices.
3. Get some physical exercise.
4. Ask for help.
5. Work on your strengths.

How long does chemo brain fog last?

Commonly called “chemo brain,” it’s often described as an overall mental fogginess, and breast cancer patients may find that it lasts for six months after chemotherapy ends, according to a study published in the December 2016 Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Does chemo make your brain foggy?

What Is Chemo Brain? Chemotherapy can help you fight cancer, but side effects are almost certain. It’s common for you to have a cloudy mind, called “chemo brain,” during and after treatment. Maybe you have a hard time remembering names or can’t multitask as well as you used to.

Is confusion a side effect of chemo?

Chemotherapy may cause confusion due to metabolic changes or damage to nerve cells. While any cancer treatments can cause side effects in some patients, some are more likely than others (see table 1).

Does chemo change personality?

Can chemo affect a person mentally? Chemotherapy can affect a person’s mood, as can other medications such as steroids. It is important that you and your husband inform his doctor of changes in his mood to rule out any medical causes.

Do the side effects of chemo get worse with each treatment?

Most types of pain related to chemotherapy get better or go away between treatments. However, nerve damage often gets worse with each dose. Sometimes the drug causing the nerve damage has to be stopped. It can take months or years for nerve damage from chemotherapy to improve or go away.

What does chemo fog feel like?

Chemo brain symptoms include: Mild forgetfulness. Word-finding difficulties (searching for a word that’s on the tip of the tongue) Difficulty remember dates, names, phone numbers, etc. Trouble concentrating.

Can chemo drugs cause confusion?

Can chemo bring on dementia?

Chemo brain can occur during or after chemotherapy treatment. Delirium may occur suddenly during treatment. Delirium usually happens after an identified cause, such as chemotherapy, and it is often reversible. Dementia due to cancer treatment comes on gradually over time and usually after treatment is completed.

Does chemo cause anger?

Coping with Chemo Brain Emotional and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, and having trouble sleeping can add to that foggy feeling. Chemo brain can also intensify feelings of frustration or anger.

Can chemo cause speech problems?

Summary: Patients who have received high doses of chemotherapy may find it harder to express themselves verbally, according to new research. Speech difficulties among cancer patients who received chemotherapy treatment were two times higher than among those who did not.