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What Does Chemotherapy Feel Like?

Chemotherapy is a potent drug treatment for cancer patients. It aims to attack cancer (a group of cells that is dividing rapidly and uncontrollably) but in the process, it also ends up killing other cells that divide quickly, even if they are normal and healthy. This means that your body is likely to experience some undesirable side effects.

  1. The Treatment

    • According to Cancer.org, sitting down to receive chemotherapy feels much like receiving any type of medication by mouth or through an IV. If your chemotherapy is being done intravenously, you may feel the initial sting of the needle just like you would if you were going to get some blood drawn, but you should not experience any other sensations. If you do feel an odd sensation during this treatment session, you should let your supervising physician or nurse know. Chemotherapy may last an hour or it could last a few hours, so you may feel bored if you forget to bring any source of entertainment to keep your mind occupied.

    Body Fatigue

    • Following treatments, fatigue can lead you to feel weary, weak, forgetful and "foggy" in the head. Even if you sleep a lot you may not be able to escape the feeling of being groggy. Chemotherapy's affect on bone marrow can lead you to bruise or bleed more easily than normal. You are also more likely to develop an infection and have trouble fighting it off. Therefore, you will likely be advised to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, avoid raw foods and avoid contact with sick people.

    Hair Loss

    • You may lose all the hair on your body within the first two or three weeks of treatment. As head hair, arm hair and even eyelashes and eyebrows fall out, this aspect of chemotherapy can be difficult for some patients to deal with. However, hair loss is temporary and not life-threatening. When hair eventually grows back, it may return in a different color and texture than before.

    Stomach Problems

    • The digestive tract is also affected by chemotherapy, meaning that you may feel nauseated, lose your appetite or have diarrhea. One person may be affected more harshly than another, and one chemotherapy drug may be known to cause more nausea than another. Anti-nausea drugs may be taken to combat stomach problems before they take over. If loss of appetite becomes severe, you may experience malnutrition and lose muscle. Fortunately, loss of appetite is usually temporary. Additional supplements may be necessary to ensure that you receive adequate nutrition. Your body's strength affects how well you fight the disease and respond to treatments.

    Changes in Reproduction and Sex Life

    • Depending on the type of drugs administered, the duration of the treatment and the age of the patient, chemotherapy may impact sex drive and the ability to reproduce. Both men and women may experience a loss of libido (desire for sex) during treatment. A man may experience erectile dysfunction and his sperm may be negatively affected. A woman may experience vaginal dryness, vaginal infections, ovary damage and early menopause. In addition, if a pregnancy occurs when either the mother or father is undergoing chemotherapy, a baby may have birth defects.

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