Young adults: treatment side effects

Your hospital team can help with side effects by giving you medicine. Or they might tweak your treatment. So don't hold back - tell them how you feel.

Sometimes, something as simple as a ginger biscuit can make all the difference...

Here are some of the most common side effects of blood cancer treatment. You won’t get all of them. Everyone is different, even on the same treatment.

You may have fatigue, a kind of tiredness that doesn’t get better with sleep. It can last for several months after your treatment has finished. A bit of gentle exercise can help.

You might lose weight because you don’t feel like eating. If you take drugs called steroids as part of your treatment, you might temporarily put on weight. You might also eat more because steroids make you feel hungrier than usual.

We have more information about coping with changes to your body or appearance.

You may find it’s harder to do simple activities like climbing stairs. This can happen while you’re taking steroids or some anti-cancer (chemotherapy) drugs.

Some chemotherapy drugs can cause hair loss. This can include your eyebrows and eyelashes. How long it takes to grow back varies. For most people it’s a few months.

Your skin can become sensitive or itchy and it might change colour slightly. You might bruise more easily.

Taking steroids can lead to stretch marks, and you may have small scars from tests or treatment.

Your nails may change colour or get thinner. You might see lines and spots caused by chemotherapy, but these will grow out.

Chemotherapy can have a surprising effect on how food and drink tastes. This can put you off certain foods.

Feeling sick and being sick are common side effects of treatment. Your hospital team will give you anti-sickness drugs (anti-emetics) to help with this.

There are lots of options so if one drug doesn’t work, you can try another one.

Chemotherapy can affect your bowels. Some people have difficulty pooing. Your nurse can advise you on this but eating a healthy diet and taking laxatives will help.

Blood cancer treatment can make your mouth or gut sore (mucositis). Painkillers will help with this. It should get better as your body recovers after each round of chemotherapy.

Your immune system normally works hard to keep you well. Blood cancer affects your immune system and treatment can make it weaker too.

So you may be more likely to get infections like colds, flu and chest infections. Your risk of getting seriously ill from covid is also higher than other people your age.

If you think you have covid, you might need special treatment. Find out how to get treatment for covid.

With blood cancer, infections can get worse quickly. There's a risk of developing something called sepsis if an infection isn't treated in time. This is a serious condition which needs hospital treatment.

Get help straight away if you think you have any symptoms of infection:

• If you have been given an emergency number, call it and follow their advice.
• Otherwise, call 999 or get someone to take you to you to the nearest A&E.

Find out how to avoid infection.

Chemotherapy can affect your memory and make it difficult to concentrate. This is sometimes called brain fog.

It may go on after your treatment has finished but it should get better over time.

Some drugs can cause nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy). This can make you lose feeling in your fingers and toes. You might get pins and needles or feel pain.

Changing your drug doses can help with this, so talk to your nurse or doctor.

Sex may be difficult because you don’t feel well, are too tired, or just don’t feel like it.

Sometimes, the drugs you’re taking can affect your hormones, so if you have symptoms that are bothering you, speak to your doctor or nurse.

Some blood cancer treatments can affect your ability to have a child. But there may be ways to increase your chances of having a child in the future.

Speak to your hospital team as soon as you can. Read about fertility and ways to preserve it.