Can he drink the high calorie Boost drinks?
February 12
How can you tell if your husband is handling treatment well or getting sicker when he's sleeping all day and losing weight?
The symptoms you're describing—excessive sleeping and weight loss—are actually quite common with lung cancer and its treatment, but they definitely warrant attention from his care team.
Weight loss Show Full Answer
How can you tell if your husband is handling treatment well or getting sicker when he's sleeping all day and losing weight?
The symptoms you're describing—excessive sleeping and weight loss—are actually quite common with lung cancer and its treatment, but they definitely warrant attention from his care team.
Weight loss affects about 60 percent of people with lung cancer. It can happen because:
- The body burns more energy at rest trying to regulate the condition
- Treatment side effects like nausea or loss of appetite make eating difficult
- Pain and exhaustion make it hard to manage regular meals
The extreme fatigue and sleeping all day is also common as the body devotes most of its energy to maintaining normal function during treatment.
However, these symptoms could indicate he needs additional support. It's important to contact his oncology team right away to discuss what you're observing. They can:
- Assess whether his current treatment plan needs adjustment
- Check for complications like low sodium levels or other issues
- Refer him to an oncology dietitian to help prevent further weight loss
- Evaluate his fatigue levels and suggest management strategies
Keep track of when these symptoms started and any patterns you notice. This information will help his doctors determine if this is expected treatment response or if something needs to change.
February 11