Neuropathy

I have gone through two series of chemotherapy by infusion and I am now on Tarceva.  Shortly after I was diagnosed with stage 4 NSCLC in March of 2007,  I started chemotherapy in May of that year.  I noticed after a while that I had some numbness from time to time on the right side of my body in the waiste area; and still do at times.  Towards the end of last year, I noticed a stiffness in the right lung area (that's where I have the cancer) from time to time.  Since the beginning of this year , I have had discomfort and sometimes pain in the rib cage area and my back; and at times waking me from a sound sleep.  Recently I stumbled upon an article on paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathy; and on the list of chemo drugs that could bring this ailment on, was two of the drugs I received in my first round of chemotherapy being, carboplatin and taxol.  I was wondering if anyone has experienced the discomforts and pain I feel from time to time in the same areas I am experiencing these sensations in.  The article that refered to neuropathy, it only addressed the hands and feet, of which I haven't had discomfort, numbness or pain in those areas.  The cancer has spread into some of my ribs and spine, so I don't know if the discomforts I feel is from the cancer, or may be from neuropathy.   

  I am taking neuropathic chemotherapy for colon cancer - Oxaliplatin, a cousin of carboplatin.  My neuropathy only (so far) affects my fingertips, left thumb, and my feet.

  The kind of pain you are experiencing is not typical of the "peripheral" (that is the periphery of the body - hands, arms, feet and legs) that is associated with most chemo drugs.  I would certainly mention this pain pattern - particularly waking up at night with the pain - to your oncologist, and don't let him or her blow it off.  Make sure they HEAR you and pay attention to these concerns.  These are no typical symptoms, and they deserve attention.

  Take this from a medical oncologist who has cancer!

Chelo

Thank you for your response.  I was hoping it was neuropathy caused by one or more of the chemo drugs I have taken in the past, as opposed to the pain from the cancer in my bones.  I know the pain can only get worse; and it's something I don't want my family to see me go through.  I do have prescription pain pills but I choose not to take them at this point in time.  The summer is coming and camping season will soon begin; and I don't want to be groggy from the pain medication and not be able to enjoy the out doors, sightseeing and getting together with our friends and family, as we travel as a group lots of times.   My Dr. is aware of the discomforts I have had in the past few months, some of which is attributed to scar tissue in the area of the thorascic drain I had inserted when I was in the hospital about a year ago to drain the fluid from around my lung.

Best of Luck to you

Hi,

It is interesting, I too have some odd aches under the rib area which have got a bit worse after going off Xeloda 3 weeks ago for STG IV Colon cancer. I finished oxaliplatin 18 months ago. I have some neuropathy in the hands and feet, but can you get neuropathy elsewhere?

What would be the cause of the aches in the abdomen? 

thanks for your interest

Benny

  The neuropathy of oxaliplatin, as I understand from the literature and my own experience, is pretty much confined to the hands and feet.  Pain in the ribcage is not typical of oxaliplatin neuropathy pain.  Xeloda affects ths skin of the hands and feet - as well as mouth sores - and I don't see that causing ribcage pain.

  I'd ask my doctor about the ribcage discomfort - it could have nothing to do with your chemotherapy side effects.

  Good luck to you!