Taxol Treatment - Numbness And Pains In The Legs

After effects of chemotherapy with TAXOL

My friend finished a treatment of 12 weekly sessions of TAXOL and is suffering severe fatigue, numbness and pains in the legs which prevents her from walking freely, heavy tears and irritation of the eyes. The intensity of the effects built gradually with the treatments, and we expected them to wear off soon after they are finished. In fact, it is already 3 weeks post treatment, and the symptoms are getting worse.

We'll be much obliged for information on similar experience, and on the improvement at the end.

Thank you.

Dear Noa:
My cancer was Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, so it is not the same cancer or chemos that your friend is taking. Nevertheless, her immediate pains are not uncommon after any treatments for this disease. The initial symptoms like numbness and tingling pains in the legs, feet, arms and or hands is common peripheral neuoropathy that is from the initial treatments.

The problem that a lot of cancer survivors, or veterans, as I prefer to say, since this is a war we are in, seem to have is long term overall aches and pains in your upper and lower extremities, and a general feeling of fatigue.
The biggest problem with these side effects is that most people in the medical field, including your doctors, specialists, nurses, therapists, etc. can't find or see any physical reason for any of us to feel the way we do, so they have a tendency to act as if we are faking it or lying about it. Their answer is usually to tell you that it's not related to the treatments, whether it was chemo, radiation, or both.

The best way all of us veterans of cancer can help each other and those who will come after us, is to write down all of your symptoms before you visit your doctor next and insist that they are put into your permanent written reports. Otherwise the doctors have a tendency to downplay or whitewash your lasting effects from having and treating this disease. I have had to have my doctor rewrite some of his summaries on my follow ups because of his exclusion of what I was telling him how I actually felt. You have a right to copies of all your written reports from any test or visit you have with your providers.

I believe that we all have the right to have how we feel validated by the medical profession,
especially since so many of us are living so much longer. A lot of people who have gone through this disease feel guilty or not strong because they are told by their health provider
that they shouldn't feel like they do, as if that makes the pain less real.

We must educate the medical professionals to acknowledge these after effects and to strive toward finding better ways to help people deal with the long term problems after treatment, and the only way to do that is to speak up and let our doctors know, we are strong, resilient, and willing to live, but yes we are in pain and it is real.

Good fortune and God's grace to you and your family. Please allow all that wish to help you in your struggle, to do so. That is your gift to them. Keep your sense of humor, and go kick some cancer butt.

Please get in touch if you ever need an ear to yell in. Robbie R.

You didn't mention what type of cancer. I had Taxol the last 2 months of my chemo for breast cancer. The pain and sensations in my legs and feet were almost indescribable. The pamplet said muscle aches and pain. So I was prepared. (yah, right!) I have never felt anything like it before. It did take a while and it has gone away. It took about 3-4 months. My Dr. did give me something for the pain because it really afected my sleep. The only long term side effect I am feeling is my memory. Not like it used to be and I'm only 42. Good Luck to your friend and tell her to keep her Dr. informed...

I had 12 weeks of Taxotere (same taxame family)for breast cancer and experienced the pain and numbness. It goes away in several weeks. I have not been so lucky with the tearing...my tear ducts have been "scarred" by the chemo to the point of being sealed...tried to have them opened-up by my opthamologist, but the proceedure was too painful, so I've opted to live with the tearing. Eyes dry out with age (tear ducts relax/open too much and have to be plugged), so hopefully it will eventually balance out. There are worse things to live with!

I had Taxotere treatments and my last treatment was in August 2002. I developed numbness in the ball of both feet. My oncologist told me it would go away in time. I even called the drug manufacturer and they could not even give me a straight answer. In my opinion it affects some people differently. You can take the chemo and get no affects at all. Each person is an individual and the body causes it to react differently. I hate the thought that this is not going away. It bothers me 24/7, but then I say to myself "better that I got that beast out of my system" and so I will deal with this. If anyone knows any medication for this I would appreciate knowing. I have tried so many and nothing has helped. Also have gone to 5 different neurologists, and they just try different medications. They do not know themselves what to give.

Hi: I had a total of 12 treatments of Taxol and Carboplatin. About 1/2 way through I developed pain in the bottoms of my feet. The only way I could describe it was that it felt like the bottoms of my feet were severely bruised. I was 47 at the time (48 now). To get out of the car and walk a few yards into a store looked as if I were 95 years old and it would take me forever to get there. I also would get what felt like electrical shocks anywhere in my body at any time. I did not get any problems with my eyes. I developed fatigue but it wasn't too bad. Would Procrit help you?
The good news is that all of these symptoms went away. I'm not sure how long it took. It was more than 3 weeks but not more that 2 months.
These drugs worked while I was on them but the cancer came back in 4 months. I am now half way through a regimen of Hycamtin. The side effects aren't as bad as with Taxol.
Good luck to you. Try to enjoy every good day.
Jane
Stage IV Ovarian CA 6/2003

Thank you all for your responses.
It seems we only have to wait few months in order to feel better. Has anyone taken Glutamin or B6 vitamin tand felt an improvement in the legs condition?

I cut short by Taxol infusions for Esophageal Cancer fearing the foot pain would prevent standing or walking. I was told the side-effects are cumulative and permanent. I force myself to walk every day. I'm up to a mile a day and I've found it helps with the pain. I tried Anodyne treatments (www.anodynetherapy.com) and they seemed to give some temporary relief.
Good Luck,
Tom

I also had twelve treatments with taxol and didn't have too many side effects from the drug until two weeks after my last treatment. Unfortunately, the side effects got worse instead of better. The drug has a cumulative effect and the numbness can last for a year, and in some people, like myself, it never goes away. Hopefully your friend's side effects will subside over time. I finished my treatments in February of 2003 and my hands and feet are still numb.

One thing I do know is that Vitamin B-6 can help with the numbness, or neuropathy, as the doctors call it. Your friend can take 100 to 300 mg. of B-6 per day to ease her numbness.

Good Luck! I hope this information helps.

Lauren

Jane S.

Hope you're still reading these messages. I've had stage 1C ovarian cancer and my oncologist wasnts me to do weekly taxol (80mg/m2) and some level of carboplatin (AUC=6 - whatever they usually give every 3 weeks w/ the 175mg Taxol I guess). I'm highly concerned about the peripheral neuropathy. Can you tell me what doses you got? It seems like your treatment is the closest sounding to what they want to give me. I have not said yes yet.

Thanks,

Delia