Understanding and Managing Chemo Rage: Tips for Coping
Health ConditionsCancer

Chemo Rage: It’s Not Just You

Chemo Rage: It’s Not Just You
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Published on December 1, 2025
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Chemotherapy (“chemo”) kills cancer cells, but it can also affect other healthy parts of your body, including your brain.

 During and after cancer treatment with chemotherapy, up to 75 percent of people experience thinking and memory problems known as “chemo brain.”

 Chemo brain can also cause anger — a phenomenon sometimes called “chemo rage.”

“Many consider chemo rage to be a byproduct of treatment, while others consider it to be a symptom of patients’ understandably growing sense of frustration, injustice, and anger toward the fact they are stuck in a position they never asked for and never imagined,” says Gabriel Cartagena, PhD, the clinical director of the psycho-oncology program at Smilow Cancer Hospital. “Most likely, chemo rage exists at the intersection of both.”

What Causes Chemo Rage?

The cause of chemo rage can vary, says Dr. Cartagena, but a few physiological and psychological underpinnings can explain the drastic irritability and mood changes people can experience.

For example, some chemotherapy drugs directly impact the brain, says Cartagena. “A chemo drug like cisplatin can impact the frontal lobe, which oversees our decision-making, restraint, and impulsivity,” he says.

Some chemotherapy drugs are more likely to cause mood changes than others, says Amit Kulkarni, MD, an oncologist and assistant professor of medical oncology at City of Hope in Phoenix. These include the following:

  • Alkylating agents like ifosfamide (Ifex) and temozolomide (Temodar) can cause confusion, agitation, or emotional instability.

  • Platinum-based drugs like cisplatin (Platinol), carboplatin (Paraplatin), and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) may lead to fatigue, anxiety, depression, and “chemo brain.”

  • Taxanes, including paclitaxel (Abraxane) and docetaxel (Taxotere), can cause irritability, insomnia, and anxiety.

Steroids, often used alongside these treatments, can also intensify mood swings and emotional changes.

 On top of all the mechanisms above, chemotherapy can affect your hormones, says Dr. Kulkarni. “It may reduce estrogen in women or testosterone in men, which can lead to mood swings or emotional ups and downs.”
Beyond the physical effects of chemotherapy on the brain, cancer treatment can have enormous psychological consequences, too.

 Chemo brain can make it more difficult to tolerate stress, use coping strategies, and think through your responses, all of which pave the way for panic and rage, says Cartagena. “This all occurs in the context of an illness that feels like it will never end and a significant loss of control for a patient,” he says.

What Does Chemo Rage Feel Like?

Chemo rage often feels like uncontrollable anger stemming from other emotions like fear, frustration, anxiety, and helplessness.

“In an instant, life completely changes: Time spent with family is now overtaken by medical appointments, and your body and what it can do begins to look and feel very different,” says Cartagena. “These injustices can also add to a whirlpool of anger and frustration, resulting in a rage that can often feel uncharacteristic.”

For example, on one cancer treatment message board, someone described feeling furious when her younger sister sent her flowers.

 “It just feels like everyone is doing whatever they can to wind me up!” wrote another commenter.

Tips for Coping

Your emotional reactions during chemotherapy can feel unpredictable, says Kulkarni, but you have options to manage them. “Remember, your emotional health is just as important as your physical health,” says Kulkarni. “You’re not alone. Support is available, and many people find relief with the right combination of strategies.”

Identify Your Triggers

It’s important to learn your triggers, says Cartagena. “These are the day-to-day stressors that, before treatment, felt largely manageable.” When you search for insight into interactions and situations that cause stress, you can see where potential mood swings might occur before you feel anger, says Cartagena.

Talk to Your Provider Often

Tell your oncologist or nurse how you’re feeling, says Kulkarni. They can help identify the cause and offer support or find you the help you need.

If your emotions get too overwhelming, you can also ask your provider about medications that could help during and after treatment, says Kulkarni. “Your doctor may recommend medications like antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs to help you feel more balanced.”

Seek Emotional Support

Kulkarni recommends looking for local resources or clinical mental health resources within your hospital system, such as counseling, support groups, or psycho-oncology specialists. These support systems can help you process your feelings, says Kulkarni.

“Think of mental health support as a fundamental part of your medical care. In the same way you have team members checking in on your immune system and other parts of your body, it’s important to have team members checking in on how your brain is doing, too,” says Cartagena.

Try Self-Soothing With Relaxation Techniques

Self-soothing activities can help relieve tension, shift your focus, and lessen feelings of anger, says Cartagena, who recommends listening to music, going for walks, and looking at pleasant pictures.

But if you find yourself suddenly angry, it’s also important to give yourself space instead of jumping right into a self-soothing attempt, says Cartagena. “Trying to use a coping strategy while in the middle of the stressor can be tricky and lead to more frustration.”

One way to reregulate your nervous system is with deep breathing techniques, says Cartagena. “I often do ‘4-7-8 breathing’ with patients — inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.”

Cartagena also recommends box breathing, which you can do by imagining a box in front of you and tracing the edges of the box one by one. Inhale and exhale for four seconds each as you scan each side. Besides deep breathing, you can relax your nervous system through practices like meditation, yoga, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation.

Reflect Without Judgment

When you feel angry, it’s easy to get frustrated with yourself. But your anger doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you, and it’s important to reflect on your emotions without judging them, says Cartagena.

Instead of judging yourself harshly, reflect on what might have incited the mood swing, says Cartagena. “Identify what you might want to communicate, what’s important to you, and how you may want to approach it differently with your new mindset.” Self-compassion is critical while figuring out what works best for you as you manage anger during chemotherapy.

Talk to Family and Friends About Chemo Rage

As the people closest to you, your family and friends may experience the brunt of your powerful emotions and may not understand where this is coming from. But you can help your loved ones by explaining what chemo rage is and asking for the support you need.

You can also encourage your caregivers to take breaks, find time to relax, keep up their routines, and ask for help themselves.

 Above all, be open and honest with the people closest to you: Share your fears and worries, and invite them to do the same. That way you can stay on the same team, even when emotions run high.

This, Too, Shall Pass

Chemotherapy’s effects on the brain can last months to years, but no research has shown how long chemo rage lasts on average.

 For example, one study of 86 breast cancer survivors found persistent chemo-related brain changes three years after treatment.

But other research has demonstrated brain recovery after treatment.

 In one study of 109 people, psychiatric distress was highest when starting chemotherapy, but it declined from that point onward.

Everyone reacts to chemotherapy differently, says Cartagena. If you feel you may have chemo rage and want to explore methods for coping with it, tell your healthcare provider, who can offer you individualized suggestions.

The Takeaway

  • Chemo rage, or extreme anger during chemotherapy treatment, can arise from both physical changes to your brain and the emotional burden of a cancer diagnosis.
  • You can cope with chemo brain and anger by identifying your triggers, self-soothing with relaxation techniques, finding emotional support, and talking to friends and healthcare providers.
  • If you feel extreme anger with chemo and want more methods to manage it, talk to your healthcare provider, who can offer you individualized suggestions.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
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Resources
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Walter Tsang, MD

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Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Walter Tsang, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist, hematologist, and lifestyle medicine specialist. Inspired by the ancient Eastern philosophy of yang sheng ("nourishing life"), Dr. Tsang has developed a unique whole-person oncology approach that tailors cancer care and lifestyle recommendations to each patients’ biopsychosocial-spiritual circumstances. He partners with patients on their cancer journeys, emphasizing empowerment, prevention, holistic wellness, quality of life, supportive care, and realistic goals and expectations. This practice model improves clinical outcomes and reduces costs for both patients and the healthcare system. 

Outside of his busy clinical practice, Tsang has taught various courses at UCLA Center for East West Medicine, Loma Linda University, and California University of Science and Medicine. He is passionate about health education and started an online seminar program to teach cancer survivors about nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep health, and complementary healing methods. Over the years, he has given many presentations on integrative oncology and lifestyle medicine at community events. In addition, he was the founding co-chair of a lifestyle medicine cancer interest group, which promoted integrative medicine education and collaborations among oncology professionals.

Tsang is an active member of American Society of Clinical Oncology, Society for Integrative Oncology, and American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He currently practices at several locations in Southern California. His goal is to transform cancer care in the community, making it more integrative, person-centered, cost-effective and sustainable for the future.
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Abby McCoy is an experienced registered nurse who has worked with adults and pediatric patients encompassing trauma, orthopedics, home care, transplant, and case management. She is a married mother of four and loves the circus — that is her home! She has family all over the world, and loves to travel as much as possible.

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