Top Tips

Helping with ‘chemo brain’

Cancer-related cognitive impairment - or ‘chemo brain’ - can affect anyone with cancer, and can happen whether they have had treatment with chemotherapy or not. It is used to describe the impact on memory and attention that the individual experiences, and can be challenging for some people.

We asked members of our Facebook group for their ‘top tips’ and suggestions on what they have found helpful to manage ‘chemo brain’. Here is what they told us. Thanks to everyone for sharing their tips.

Take your time and keep things simple

Don’t attempt to multi-task. It can help to concentrate on just one thing at a time.
Avoid loud or busy environments when you are trying to do a task like writing a message or completing a form. Turning off the TV or radio can help to reduce distractions.
Don’t apologise for the impact of chemo brain. It can help to try and accept that this can be a symptom of your lymphoma or treatment, and try not to feel bad about it.

“When I get caught out and can’t remember a name for example or a place (that would not happen to me before) I am just honest and say I have chemo brain and explain what it is.

Jennifer

“I had a problem remembering people’s names sometimes when I had chemo brain. I could feel panic coming on as I felt dreadful for not remembering. I used to take a deep breath in and slowly exhale and then I remembered!

Julie

These suggestions might also help

Putting up Post-it notes around the house helps to remind me of jobs I have to do or phone calls I have to make.
Make lists and notes. Having a smart speaker or using your phone to set reminders can help too.
Having a calendar in the kitchen helps to remind me - and others around me - what my plans and appointments are. Keeping a diary in my bag also means I can write down everything important as it happens. I find this more helpful than using notes on my phone (although other people might find phone notes helpful).

“I found when I first started to get chemo brain, a note book to jot things down I needed to remember helped.

John

Writing everything down is helpful - not just things that need doing but also things you want or need to tell people. It can also help to write a ‘to do’ list and tick things off when you have achieved them.
Keep your brain active with simple crosswords and wordsearches. You could ask family or friends to play word games with you (for example, listing countries starting with A, B, C and so on).

“When I’m struggling to find a word, I use strategies I used to use when I was working with children with speech and language problems. I give myself clues to get to it: category, colour, something it rhymes with, facts you know, a word meaning the same thing, something it’s like etc. I do usually get there.

Debbie