Cancer-related fatigue is a common symptom of follicular lymphoma. This kind of fatigue may be intense and significantly affect your quality of life. Tasks that you once took for granted, like walking up a flight of stairs or finding the motivation to run errands, may not come as easily as before. Living with follicular lymphoma can be challenging, not just because of the physical symptoms, but also due to the fatigue that often comes with it. This tiredness can significantly affect your daily life and overall well-being.

Treatment for follicular lymphoma may involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy. Unfortunately, fatigue is also a potential side effect of these cancer treatments.

Your health care provider can help you weigh the pros and cons of each lymphoma treatment option, including side effects like fatigue. Although there may not be any quick fixes, making some lifestyle changes can help get your energy levels back up.

1. Get Short Bursts of Activity

It may seem counterintuitive, but physical activity can give you energy. “I’m always a little fatigued, but exercise actually helps with my fatigue,” one MyLymphomaTeam member wrote. Another member said, “The more active you are, the more fatigue will pass.”

It may seem counterintuitive, but physical activity can actually give you energy.

Studies show that people with lymphoma and other types of cancer can reduce fatigue by being active. However, that doesn’t mean you need to commit to a long or complicated workout routine. Simply moving for a few minutes a day can give you a much-needed boost. Ask your doctor whether you’re cleared for exercise, and if so, start slowly.

If you’re struggling to find the motivation to exercise when you’re tired, try setting a timer for just five or 10 minutes. Challenge yourself to go for a stroll (indoors or outdoors) until the time is up. You might be surprised to find that your energy has improved in just a short amount of time.

If walking isn’t for you, you can try another type of low-intensity exercise. Cycling on a stationary bike, swimming, yoga, or dancing are also enjoyable ways to move. Find something that’s easily accessible, and don’t overthink it. You can ask your doctor to connect you with a physical therapist for guidance with exercise.

2. Focus on Iron

If follicular lymphoma affects your spleen or bone marrow, it may lead to low red blood cells and anemia. Anemia is a common cause of fatigue in people with follicular lymphoma. Other signs of anemia may include skin that looks paler than usual, muscle weakness, feeling lightheaded, and shortness of breath.

You can eat high-iron foods to help prevent anemia, such as:

• Fortified breakfast cereals (check the label for iron)
• Cooked oysters
• White beans
• Beef liver
• Lentils
• Cooked spinach
• Firm tofu

Iron in meat and seafood is easier for the body to absorb than iron from plant foods. However, vitamin C (from orange juice or tomato sauce) increases iron absorption from plants. Avoid taking high-iron foods at the same time as tea and milk, which decrease iron absorption.

In addition, your health care provider may suggest iron supplements or a multivitamin with iron. However, you should never take supplements without running them by your health care team first because some supplements interfere with follicular lymphoma treatments or cause unwanted side effects. If you have severe anemia, your doctor may recommend a blood transfusion. There are also some medications that can help boost the body’s production of red blood cells during chemotherapy.

If you’re not sure whether you’re getting enough iron or other nutrients in your diet, ask for a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist. Some dietitians specialize in cancer or lymphoma specifically. They can help make sure you have a balanced diet with enough nutrition to feel your best.

If you’re not sure whether you’re getting enough iron or other nutrients in your diet, ask for a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist.

3. Get Serious About Sleep

It can be challenging to get a good night’s rest with follicular lymphoma. Symptoms like night sweats or anxiety may wake you up or make it uncomfortable to sleep. Although sleep alone may not be enough to get rid of cancer-related fatigue, it’s still essential for your physical and mental health. “Your body is in a fight and needs rest to continue fighting for you,” one MyLymphomaTeam member wrote.

To try to improve your sleep, you might consider the following steps:

• Avoid looking at screens before bed.
• Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol before you go to sleep.
• Go to bed at the same time every night.
• Maintain a comfortable and cool bedroom environment.
• Relax with a bath or book at bedtime.
• Skip daytime naps (or limit them to 30 minutes).

Discuss concerns about poor sleep with your doctor to find out if you would benefit from seeing a sleep specialist.

4. Track Your Symptoms

Fatigue is an unfortunate — but typically expected — part of living with follicular lymphoma. Even when you take good care of yourself by getting enough sleep and exercising, you might still feel tired sometimes.

First, follow up with your doctor to let them know what’s going on. You can keep a fatigue journal to log when you’re feeling more tired. This journal can help identify trends. For example, you may notice that certain treatments leave you feeling more tired than others. Or, you may find that you have more energy at specific times of the day or on different days of the week. Adjustments to your treatment plan or schedule could help.

You can use this information to have a conversation with your medical team. It’ll also help you prioritize responsibilities and social activities when you’re less likely to be fatigued.

5. Seek Support

Rather than keeping fatigue to yourself, it can help to talk to those around you. If you’re still working, you can also talk to your employer about fatigue and how it affects your performance at work. It’s completely up to you whether you want to share private medical information with your job or not. But if your employer is understanding, they may allow some flexibility to help accommodate fatigue. Perhaps they can reduce your hours to a more part-time schedule. Or, maybe you can spread your work duties outside of normal business hours. Other arrangements, like job sharing or working from home, could also be worth discussing.

Rather than keeping fatigue to yourself, it can help to talk to those around you.

Finally, it’s important to find support from friends, family, neighbors, and support groups. There might be days when you simply don’t have the energy to grocery shop, prepare meals, attend events, or even talk on the phone. That’s OK. Let others know that fatigue is just part of follicular lymphoma and that today isn’t a good day. You can also talk to a social worker about finding resources in your community that can help, like Meals on Wheels, which can help deliver meals to you.

Always ask your health care team if they know of any resources that can help you reduce fatigue and live better with follicular lymphoma.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyLymphomaTeam is the social network for people with lymphoma and their loved ones. More than 19,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with follicular lymphoma and other blood cancers.

Has cancer fatigue been a side effect of treatment or your cancer diagnosis? If so, how does it affect your daily life, and what interventions have helped you cope? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on MyLymphomaTeam.