Fatigue may be caused by the pancreatic cancer or the symptoms of the cancer, or it may be a side effect of treatment.
The cancer itself can cause fatigue, although we don’t fully understand why this happens.
Speak to your medical team, GP or nurse if you have any of these symptoms. They can help manage them or may refer to you a health professional who can. Managing these symptoms may improve your fatigue.
“The cancer affects your eating, making you weak. It affects your toilet habits, which makes you feel uncomfortable so you don’t want to eat anyway. It all has a knock-on effect – all these little things add to fatigue. It’s all connected.”
“She couldn’t do the everyday things she used to like getting out the house as much, the sickness made her constantly exhausted. Only rest and being able to eat what she could helped.”
Treatments for pancreatic cancer can cause fatigue.
Fatigue after surgery or radiotherapy is common and can last for several weeks or months.
Some medicines can also make you feel sleepy, especially when you first start taking them or when the dose is changed. If you think your medicines are making you sleepy, tell your medical team. They may be able to change the drug or the dose. Don’t stop taking your medicine without speaking to your doctor or nurse.
“It was hard to find the energy to do anything after surgery. I’m slowly improving but still regularly get times when I need to stop and sleep for an hour or so in the day.”
“You don’t realise how much the medication can make somebody really tired. Once he started taking the tablets he became very lethargic and sleepy, and couldn’t do as much.”
Fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Some people find that the fatigue starts a few hours to a few days after having chemotherapy, and improves after a few days. It can take several months to recover from fatigue.
“After my surgery and chemotherapy I still become very fatigued. I know when I’ve done too much and need to have a rest, or a ‘nana nap’, as my children call it.”
“I was sleeping 17 hours a day. When I mentioned it to the oncology team, my chemotherapy dose was adjusted, resulting in improved wakefulness.”
Advanced pancreatic cancer is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. If you have advanced cancer, you may find that the fatigue gets worse over time, and that it has more of an effect on your daily life. This is normal, but it can be upsetting for you and your family.
Speak to your medical team about the fatigue. They may be able to change the way they manage your symptoms to help with the fatigue.
You can also ask to be referred to the palliative care team. Palliative care provides specialist care which aims to prevent and manage complex symptoms, including fatigue. It’s not just for people at the end of their life.
“Seek medical advice, don’t just hope that it’ll pass. Confide in family members.”
Speak to your doctor or nurse about any symptoms or side effects that might cause fatigue, such as problems with diet and digestion, pain or feeling sick.
You can also speak to our specialist nurses with any questions about your fatigue.
Anaemia is a low level of red blood cells or haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen around the body. Anaemia can make you feel tired, dizzy, short of breath and have problems concentrating. Several things can cause anaemia, including chemotherapy. You will have regular blood tests to check your blood cell levels during chemotherapy. Anaemia can be treated.
When you have cancer it’s natural to feel anxious or down. But sometimes these feelings can become overwhelming. Anxiety and depression can be common in people with pancreatic cancer. And depression can be linked to fatigue in people with cancer.
Your medical team may be able to help with anxiety and depression. Talk to them about things that might be worrying you like financial issues, or managing at home. Dealing with problems like these may reduce stress and anxiety. Anti-depressants can help manage depression but can sometimes cause side effects, including feeling tired.
Connect with other people affected by pancreatic cancer through Circles, our community space. You can join WhatsApp or Facebook groups covering a range of topics. Share the highs, the lows and everything in between with people who understand, and who just get it.
Problems sleeping can be common in people with cancer and can make fatigue worse. Your sleep may be disturbed by symptoms caused by the cancer or side effects of your treatment. Feeling anxious or worried can also make sleeping difficult.
You may find that napping during the day gives you a bit more energy. If having a short nap helps, then it is fine. Try to limit how long you nap to about 30 minutes, as sleeping too long can make it harder to sleep at night. An occupational therapist can give you advice about napping.
“Sleep helped slightly but it was difficult to switch off and sleep.”
"It helped to have quiet times during the day, sometimes in a different room to others."
We have listed some of the references to the sources used to write this information. If you would like the full list of references, email us at publications@pancreaticcancer.org.uk
Updated October 2025
To be reviewed October 2028
