Peripheral Neuropathy

After 19 weeks of treatment with virtually no side effects, other than losing his hair, my husband finished his chemo the end of November. Last week he began to have numbness in his fingers and toes. Now it is moving into his entire foot. The doctor said to take extra vitamin B, vitamin e (2000 iu) and vitamin d (800 iu) daily. Has anyone had similar side effects and did they go away or get worse?

 

On 1/25/2008 chersesg wrote:

After 19 weeks of treatment with virtually no side effects, other than losing his hair, my husband finished his chemo the end of November. Last week he began to have numbness in his fingers and toes. Now it is moving into his entire foot. The doctor said to take extra vitamin B, vitamin e (2000 iu) and vitamin d (800 iu) daily. Has anyone had similar side effects and did they go away or get worse?

 

I had terrible neuropathy in my feet and hands, burning tingling, pins and needles. I could hardly sleep! My oncologist put me on daily B6 200mg, and to that I added (after radiation and chemo) 100mg CoQ10, Alpha lipoic acid 300mg, and two 50 minute sessions of acupuncture for 10 weeks, then I went down to weekly and after 4 months I hardly have any  pain or tingling at all.(A little numbness in my forefinger and thumb on the  side of the mastectomy, and the side of my right ankle, but it is very easy to put up with.) I got this idea from some of the other women who had been through chemo and then had a recurrence. It worked for them and it has worked for me as well. Find a reputable licensed acupuncturist. Good Luck!  

I developed neuropathy during my 6 mos of chemo last yr w/ oxalyplatin and it actually got worse after I was done. My general doctor put me on vitamins B6 and B12, which is about the only thing I've done to try and resolve the problem. I still have the neuropathy now 8 mos later but it seems to be slightly less. I don't know whether I'm just "getting used to" it, my imagination thinks it's less or whether it actually is! I'll know more in a couple of months when the colder weather comes(here in south Brazil) whether it's better, since I notice it more in cooler temps. The acupuncture sounds interesting. I'm planning on going to a massage therapist here for some treatments to see if that improves anything since someone recommended that to me.

Hope to hear that things are improved there!

It has been a year since I had chemotherapy and the numbness in my hands is still there but I believe  it is subsiding.   In addition to B6 and B 12 I bought a paraffin bath and soak my hands in the heated paraffin. It is not a cure but my hands are at least not so cold afterwards. For my feet I bought a pair of socks that have a sand filling.  The filling is heated in the microwave and my feet stay warm for hours.  These things at least make you feel better.   

 

Siegrun 

After 6 months of chemo (Taxol/Carboplatin) I developed terrible Neuropathy in my hands and feet.  My onc put me on Lyrica about 6 months ago, but I see no difference.  Has anyone else been on this drug for Neuropathy?  I also began Aromasin about 2 months ago and body aches began.  My outlook is that if it's not life-threatening, I can deal with it.  But the truth is that is in very difficult when working each day and leading a busy life.

I take B-6, B-complex, D and Juice Plus.  I might try to find an acupuncturist as one suggested.  Has anyone had exerience with Lyrica?