Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia

Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia

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Is anemia a common side effect of chemotherapy? What do I do if I become anemic?

Yes, anemia is a very common side effect of chemotherapy. Anemia, also referred to as iron-poor blood, refers to a low red blood cell count. It can cause excess fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or chest pain. Chemotherapy can cause anemia by attacking and destroying red blood cells and the cells that produce them. Chemo does not know the difference between cancer cells and other rapidly-dividing cells, and so it destroys many good cells along with the bad. Chemotherapy can also slow down red blood cell production by suppressing the appetite and making it difficult to eat well during treatment; this causes a person undergoing chemo to eat less in general and fewer foods high in iron in particular. The lack of sufficient iron, which is essential for the body to produce red blood cells, makes it difficult or impossible to produce enough cells to replace those that were destroyed.

Treatments for chemotherapy-induced anemia vary depending on the severity of the anemia and any underlying causes that may also be contributing to the anemia. For example, heavy menstrual bleeding prior to surgery to remove cancer could have caused anemia even before chemotherapy, and chemo just makes it worse. The easiest treatment for anemia is taking oral iron supplements and waiting for the body to recover enough from chemo to replace the lost red blood cells. If the anemia is more severe, your oncologist or hematologist may give you an intravenous iron infusion. An IV iron infusion takes several hours on a slow drip, but it brings iron levels immediately back up to normal. Finally, there are medications that can help to stimulate red blood cell production, but they carry risks of their own. If your oncologist recommends one of these medications, discuss risks and side effects with him or her so that you know what to expect.

While your body is catching up on producing lost red blood cells, you will continue to suffer from the symptoms of anemia. To better deal with these symptoms, try to get at least eight hours of sleep per night, stay well hydrated, stand up slowly to avoid dizziness, and avoid caffeine, which is known to exacerbate the symptoms of anemia.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.

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Find A Doctor Near You

Emily Cunningham, M.D. 1720 Nicholasville Road Suite 702 Lexington KY 40503 859-264-8811	Byungyol Chun, M.D. Northern Essex Women's Health 360 Merrimack St Entrance G Lawrence MA 01843 978-557-9060	Ken Sinervo, M.D. 1140 Hammond Dr., Ste. F6220 Atlanta GA 30328 770-913-0001
James Kondrup, M.D. 161 Riverside Drive Suite 109 Binghamton NY 13905 607-770-7074	Scott Dinesen, M.D. 599 W State Street Suite 301 Doylestown PA 18901 215 489-2066	Devin Garza, M.D. 12201 Renfert Way, STE# 215 Austin TX 78758 512 425-3830
Geoffrey Cly, M.D. Suite 101, 11123 Parkview Plaza Drive Fort Wayne IN 46845 260-969-5530	Stephen Zweibach, M.D. 815 S Parsons Ave Brandon FL 33511 8135712777	Kym Boyman, M.D. 1775 Williston Rd., Ste. 110 South Burlington VT 05403 802-735-1252

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