Diagnosis
There are no tests to diagnose chemo brain. People with cancer who have these symptoms often score within typical ranges on memory tests.
A healthcare professional makes a chemo brain diagnosis based on your symptoms. Your healthcare professional may suggest blood tests, brain scans or other tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
Treatment
Chemo brain treatment focuses on helping you cope with symptoms. Often, cancer-related memory changes clear up with time. Your healthcare team can help you find a way to cope with your symptoms.
Managing conditions that add to troubles with memory
Cancer and cancer treatment can lead to other conditions, such as anemia, depression, sleep issues and early menopause. These can make thinking and memory changes worse. Managing these other conditions may make it easier to cope with the symptoms of chemo brain.
Managing chemo brain symptoms
Treatment for chemo brain often involves finding ways to cope with the thinking and memory changes. This treatment may be called cognitive rehabilitation or cognitive remediation. It's often done by a healthcare professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect memory. This health professional is called a neuropsychologist.
Learning to cope with memory changes may involve:
- Brain-training exercises. Memory and thinking exercises may help your brain repair broken links that may add to chemo brain.
- Tracking your memory troubles. Knowing what adds to your trouble with memory may show you ways to cope. For instance, do you have more trouble thinking when you're hungry or tired? Maybe you can plan to do tough tasks at the time of day when you feel your best.
- Finding ways to cope. Learning new ways of doing tasks may help you focus. For instance, it may help to take notes or make an outline of what you read. Or a therapist may help you learn ways of speaking that help you remember what you said.
- Relieving stress. Stress can make memory changes worse. And having memory changes can be stressful. It may help you to learn ways to relax. You might do progressive muscle relaxation, in which you tense and relax muscles throughout your body. Or you might learn to focus on what's around you, such as sights, smells and sounds. This is called mindfulness. These practices may help you cope with stress.
Medicines
No medicines are approved to treat chemo brain. There may be medicines approved for other conditions that you and your healthcare team agree might help.
Medicines people with chemo brain symptoms sometimes use include:
- Methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin, others). This medicine is most often used for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also called ADHD.
- Donepezil (Aricept, Adlarity). This medicine is most often used for Alzheimer's disease.
- Modafinil (Provigil). This medicine is most often used for some sleep conditions.
- Memantine (Namenda). This medicine is most often used for Alzheimer's disease. It also may help people who get radiation therapy to the brain.
Lifestyle and home remedies
You can take steps to ease chemo brain symptoms. For instance, try to:
Manage what you can at home and work
If noise is adding to your trouble thinking, try to find a quiet place where you can focus. Try earplugs or noise-canceling headphones. Soft music may help drown out other noises.
Prepare for success
Before doing a task that needs your focus, take steps to make sure you do your best. Eat so you won't be hungry. Pick a time of day when you'll be the most alert. Get a good night's sleep. Have a plan so you know what you need to do to complete your task.
Stay organized
Use calendars or planners to keep on task. Write down every appointment and the things you need to do. Organize your home and workspace to make tasks easier.
Clear your mind of thoughts that distract you
When these thoughts come up, write them down in your planner. This may help you get them off your mind. And it may help you recall them later if you need to.
Take breaks often
Divide your tasks into smaller parts. Take a break each time you complete one part. Take a short rest to help you do more later.
Exercise your brain
Try crossword puzzles or number games to exercise your brain. Take up a new hobby or learn a new skill, such as playing a musical instrument or speaking a new language.
Exercise your body
Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, can help with stress. It also can boost energy levels and improve mood. If you haven't been active lately, get the OK from your healthcare team before you start exercising.
Alternative medicine
Research hasn't proved that any alternative treatments prevent or cure chemo brain. If you're interested in trying alternative treatments for your symptoms, discuss the pros and cons with your healthcare team.
Complementary and alternative treatments might help you cope with distress, which can add to thinking and memory problems in people with cancer.
Examples of treatments that might help include:
- Art therapy.
- Exercise.
- Meditation.
- Music therapy.
- Relaxation exercises.
- Spirituality.
Coping and support
Chemo brain symptoms can be hard to cope with. With time, you'll likely find ways to make focusing easier. Until then, know that this is a common problem that's likely to improve with time. You might find it helpful to:
- Know that memory issues happen to everyone. Despite using your best ways for dealing with your memory changes, you'll still forget things sometimes. Everyone does. There may be little you can do about memory changes linked to cancer. But you can manage other causes of forgetting that are common to everyone. These include being overly tired, distracted or not organized.
- Take time each day to relax. Stress can add to memory troubles. Do stress-relief activities every day. You might exercise, listen to music, meditate or write in a journal.
- Tell others about your symptoms. Be open and honest with people close to you about your chemo brain symptoms. Explain your symptoms. Also suggest ways friends and family can help. For instance, you might ask a friend to remind you of plans by both phone and email.
Preparing for your appointment
If you're having cancer treatment, talk with your cancer care team about your chemo brain symptoms. If you've finished treatment, you might start by making an appointment with your main healthcare professional. Your healthcare professional may send you to a specialist. This might be a healthcare professional who diagnoses and treats conditions that affect memory, called a neuropsychologist.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
What you can do
- Keep a journal of your memory lapses. Describe the times you have memory troubles. Note what you were doing and what type of trouble you had. Note when you first noticed symptoms.
- List all medicines, vitamins and supplements you take, including dosages.
- Take a family member or friend along or bring a recorder. Taking someone with you or using a recorder can help you remember what you talk about with your healthcare professional.
- Write down questions to ask your healthcare professional.
For chemo brain, list questions such as:
- What is likely causing my symptoms?
- How long do symptoms last?
- What tests can show whether my cancer treatment caused my symptoms?
- What is the best treatment for my symptoms?
- What can I do to help improve my memory?
Be sure to ask all the questions you have.
What to expect from your doctor
Your healthcare professional may ask you:
- Do your symptoms come and go or do they stay with you?
- How do your symptoms affect your everyday life?
- What, if anything, seems to make your symptoms better?
- What, if anything, seems to make your symptoms worse?