"Chemo brain" refers to a set of mental difficulties often experienced by cancer patients after chemotherapy. Chemo brain is a very real phenomenon, though its origins are controversial. While chemotherapy drug toxicity may damage the brain and bring on chemo brain, radiation, hormonal changes and the general stress of living with cancer may also cause symptoms of chemo brain. Patients with chemo brain-associated problems should consult a physician about how to best alleviate their symptoms.
Mental Fog
One of the most common symptoms of chemo brain is a feeling of mental fogginess. People with chemo brain symptoms often report that their thought processes are not as clear as they were before cancer treatments. In addition to fogginess and lack of mental clarity, chemo brain sufferers may also have slower mental functioning; mental tasks that that were at one point rapidly dealt with may take longer in cancer patients after chemotherapy. There is no cure for the fogginess symptoms associated with of chemo brain, although they do typically subside with time. Some drugs used to treat depression and attention deficit disorders may help individuals with chemo brain. MayoClinic.com explains that general mental difficulties associated with chemo brain may be reduced though daily physical and mental exercise.
Trouble Multitasking
Patients experiencing chemo brain may have problems performing multiple tasks at one time, or multitasking. According to the American Cancer Society, individuals with chemo brain may have problems doing things like talking on the phone while cooking dinner. While these difficulties with multitasking usually go away with time, it has been suggested that individuals experiencing distractions create a well-organized and simple environment within which to live and work. This can be especially important if a person needs to return to a job while having problems associated with chemo brain.
Problems Remembering Simple Words
Language and speech difficulties are common in cancer patients after chemo and radiation treatments and are a typical symptom of chemo brain. A 2009 article in "The New York Times" describes problems of remembering certain words or finding the right word to describe something in a spoken conversation. Individuals experiencing such difficulties may not be able to finish sentences as they get lost trying to remember simple words. Additionally, those in the fog of chemo brain may also have problems remembering the names of friends, family members and other people who should be easily identified.
Disorganization
Loss or complete lack of organizational skills can occur as a symptom of chemo brain. Disorganization symptoms of chemo brain may often appear to be similar to those of attention deficit disorder. For instance, an individual may become easily distracted and have problems learning new tasks such as sewing or knitting. Such distractions and disorganization can take a toll on daily tasks and disrupt the routine of an individual after chemo treatments. The MD Anderson Cancer Center recommends that patients with chemo brain-related organizational problems keep a detailed notebook, daily planner and schedule of tasks to help facilitate organization.
