Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms among patients undergoing chemotherapy. A study published in Supportive Care in Cancer (2016 Feb;24(2):637–646. doi:10.1007/s00520-015-2824-4) examined whether a proprietary amino acid jelly containing coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and L-carnitine was associated with changes in fatigue levels in women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.
In this randomized study, participants were assigned to receive either the amino acid jelly once daily or standard care alone for 21 days. Of the 59 patients initially enrolled, 57 were included in the final analysis. The median age of participants was 50 years.
Compared with the control group, patients receiving the supplement showed significantly different improvements in several fatigue-related measures, including worst fatigue level, global fatigue score, and current feelings of fatigue. However, changes in average fatigue scores did not differ significantly between the two groups.
These findings suggest that targeted nutritional support may influence certain aspects of chemotherapy-related fatigue, although results varied depending on how fatigue was measured. Larger studies would be helpful to better clarify the scope and consistency of these effects.
