Talking to your doctor or nurse about fatigue

You could prepare for your next appointment with your doctor or nurse by writing down any questions that you want to ask. Never be embarrassed to ask them to repeat and explain anything that you don’t understand. It may also help to take a relative or friend with you, as it can be difficult to remember what’s been said when you have fatigue.

It can be difficult for people to understand how much fatigue can affect your life and how distressing it can be unless they have experienced it themselves. For this reason, you may need to emphasise to your doctors and nurses the difficulties that it causes you.

Tell them about the specific activities you find difficult, such as climbing stairs, cooking or bathing. If you have kept a fatigue diary [PDF 59kb],| you can take it with you and show it to the healthcare professionals looking after you.

It can often be difficult to discuss emotions, especially when you are ill, for fear of upsetting yourself and others. Try not to let embarrassment stop you discussing your feelings with your doctors and nurses.