Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Feeling low in the weeks after surgery | CION Cancer Clinics
Feeling low after cancer surgery is common, and for most people it lifts as the body recovers. If the mood stays most of the day for more than two weeks, or nothing lifts it, that may be depression, which is treatable. This page explains why the weeks after an operation feel so heavy, how to tell the two apart, what helps, and who to tell. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
The short answer
Is it normal to feel low after cancer surgery?
Yes. Feeling flat, tearful or hopeless in the weeks after a cancer operation is very common, and it does not mean you are weak or that the surgery went badly. For most people the mood lifts as the body recovers. For some it does not, and that is called depression, which is a treatable medical condition and not a failure of character.
Why it often arrives after the operation, not before
Before surgery there is a job to do. Tests, consents, arranging money and leave, packing the bag. Your mind is busy. After the operation the job is over, the visitors thin out, and you are left in bed with a sore wound and a long, quiet day. That is when the weight of what has happened tends to land. Many people describe it as a crash a few days after getting home.
What the body itself is doing to your mood
Anaesthetic drugs take time to clear. Pain medicines can make you drowsy and dull. Broken sleep, a poor appetite and not moving much all pull mood down on their own, before you add any worry about the report or the next treatment. Some of what you feel is simply your body being unwell, and it improves as the body improves.
This page cannot tell you whether what you are feeling is ordinary low mood or depression. Only a doctor or counsellor who can ask you questions can do that. It can tell you what to look for and who to ask.
!
One thing that cannot wait
If you have thoughts of not wanting to be alive, of harming yourself, or that your family would be better off without you, tell someone today. Say it to the person nearest you, to your surgeon's team, or to the CION helpline. In India you can also call Tele-MANAS, the free national mental health line, on 14416 at any hour. These thoughts are a known symptom of depression after a serious illness, and they are treatable. Do not wait for the next appointment.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistTelling them apart
Ordinary low mood, or depression that needs treatment?
Low mood that usually passes
Depression worth naming
Comes and goes. Some hours are better than others.
Most of the day, nearly every day, for more than two weeks.
A grandchild's visit or a favourite meal still lifts you.
Nothing lifts you. Things you used to enjoy feel like nothing.
Tired because the wound and the anaesthetic are still wearing off.
Sleeping badly or far too much, and eating has stopped mattering.
Worried about the report and the next treatment.
Feeling worthless, guilty or a burden, with no way forward.
Getting a little more done each week.
Stopped doing the exercises, the walks and the calls.
Small things that work
What actually helps in the first few weeks
Keep a shape to the day
Get up at the same time, wash, dress in day clothes and sit in a chair rather than the bed. Have meals at the usual hours even if you eat little. Sit by a window or on the veranda in the morning. A day with a shape to it feels lighter than one spent lying down.
Move as much as your surgeon allows
Short walks inside the house, then to the gate, then the lane. Your physiotherapist or surgeon will say what is safe for your wound. Movement lifts mood in a way that is hard to believe until you feel it, and it also helps sleep and bowels.
Tell one person the truth
Not everyone. One person. Say the words: I am feeling very low and I do not know why. Saying it out loud takes some of its weight, and it gives that person permission to check on you.
Say it at the follow-up visit
Your surgeon asks about the wound. Tell them about your mood too. Surgical teams expect this and can refer you to a counsellor or a psychiatrist, or adjust medicines that may be making it worse.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
Four things families say, and what is actually true
"Feeling low means he has given up fighting."
Low mood after surgery is a normal response to pain, drugs, poor sleep and a frightening month. It says nothing about willpower or about how the cancer will behave. Telling someone to be positive usually makes them hide how they feel, which is the opposite of what helps.
"Tablets for depression will interfere with the cancer treatment."
Antidepressants are used routinely alongside cancer treatment, and the prescribing doctor checks them against every other medicine you take. Treating depression can make it easier to eat, sleep, move and get through the next treatment, which is exactly what the surgeon wants.
"It is the family's job to keep her cheerful."
It is the family's job to keep her company, fed and safe. Cheerfulness is not something one person can pour into another. Sitting quietly with someone who is low, without trying to fix it, is worth more than a room full of forced smiles.
"He will come out of it once the stitches are out."
Often, yes. But if the mood has not lifted by the time the wound has healed, that is the point to stop waiting and ask for help. Depression that is left alone tends to last longer and to make recovery slower.
Being straight with you
When is it more than low mood, and who do you tell?
If the low mood is there most of the day, most days, and it has gone on for more than two weeks, raise it with a doctor rather than waiting it out. Do so sooner if you have stopped eating, stopped moving, or have had any thought of not wanting to go on.
Who you can tell at CION
Any of them. Your surgeon, the ward nurse at the follow-up visit, the physiotherapist, or the helpline. Whoever you tell will pass it on to the counselling team. Treatment is usually talking sessions, sometimes medicine, sometimes both. Neither is a sign of being mad, and neither changes your cancer care.
For the son or daughter reading this
You cannot make your parent happy, and you do not have to. What you can do is notice, ask directly, and come to the follow-up appointment so you can say what you have seen. Doctors act on what families report. A parent who says they are fine, and a child who says they have barely eaten in days, are both telling the truth, and the doctor needs to hear both.
This page cannot say whether you or your parent has depression, or what treatment would suit. Those answers come from a person who can sit with you and ask questions.Questions we are asked
Common questions about mood after surgery
How long does the low feeling usually last after surgery?
For most people it eases over the first few weeks as pain settles, sleep returns and they get back on their feet. There is no fixed timetable. What matters is the direction: if each week is a little better, that is recovery. If it is flat or worse after the wound has healed, ask for help.
Can the anaesthetic itself cause depression?
The drugs used during and after an operation can leave people foggy, tearful and flat for a while, especially older people. This usually clears as the drugs leave the body. It is one reason surgeons say to judge your mood a few weeks on, not in the first days at home.
My father was cheerful before surgery and is silent now. Is that depression?
It may be, or it may be exhaustion, pain, or the shock landing late. You cannot tell from outside. Ask him gently and directly, and tell the surgical team what you have seen at the next visit. A short conversation with a counsellor can sort out which it is.
Will telling my surgeon about my mood delay the next treatment?
No. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy planning goes ahead on the basis of the report and your physical recovery. Telling the team about your mood adds support alongside that plan. Depression that is treated tends to make the next treatment easier to get through.
Is it safe to take antidepressants after cancer surgery?
They are widely used after cancer surgery. The prescribing doctor chooses one that sits safely with your other medicines and any planned treatment, which is why it must come from a doctor who can see your full list. Never start, stop or share a medicine on your own.
Does counselling help, or is it just talking?
It is talking, and that is the point. A trained counsellor helps you put words to what has happened, separate what you can change from what you cannot, and find a way to sleep and function again. Sessions can be in Telugu, and a family member can join if you want.
I do not want to burden my family with this. What can I do?
Tell one person outside the household instead. The CION helpline, a counsellor, or Tele-MANAS on 14416 are there for exactly this. Families almost always say afterwards that they wished they had known sooner. Hiding it protects no one and makes the weeks longer for you.
Can prayer, family and time be enough without any treatment?
Sometimes, for ordinary low mood that is already lifting. Faith and family are real supports and no one will ask you to give them up. Depression that is not improving after the wound has healed usually needs something more, and a counsellor or medicine takes nothing away from what you already lean on.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Sources
- NHS — Depression in adults: overview
- National Cancer Institute — Depression (PDQ), patient version
- Cancer Research UK — Coping with cancer emotionally
- Tele-MANAS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Impacts of cancer: your feelings
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
When to Seek Counselling After Cancer SurgeryThe signs that mean it is time to ask, and what a first session is likeFeeling Like a Burden During RecoveryThe guilt of being cared for, and what to do with itWaking Up Changed: Adjusting to a Different BodyWhen the change to your body is the thing weighing on youRecovery, Eating and Getting Back to LifeWhat the physical side of the same weeks looks likeCaretaker and Family Guide to SurgeryFor the son or daughter doing the looking after
Talk to us
Not feeling like yourself since the operation?
Call the helpline or send us a message. A counsellor from the CION team will talk it through with you, in Telugu if you prefer, and there is no charge for that conversation.