Neuropathy

Hi everyone.  Thank  you for all the helpful advise everyone has given me. I now need to know if anyone has suggestions to help alleviate the neuropathy in my toes, which some times is quite severe and other times just mildly painful, but aggrivating.

 Its been almost 6 months since I finished chemo, but this side effect isn't letting up at all.

I would truly appreciate any helpful hints on how to deal with this discomfort. 

This web site is absolutely fantastic and it gives me peace of mind to know that when I have a problem and need advice, I can post a message and all my fellow cancer survivors will help me out.

Thank you so much

 Shirley

On 5/30/2008 Browneyes_26 wrote:

Hi everyone.  Thank  you for all the helpful advise everyone has given me. I now need to know if anyone has suggestions to help alleviate the neuropathy in my toes, which some times is quite severe and other times just mildly painful, but aggrivating.

 Its been almost 6 months since I finished chemo, but this side effect isn't letting up at all.

I would truly appreciate any helpful hints on how to deal with this discomfort. 

This web site is absolutely fantastic and it gives me peace of mind to know that when I have a problem and need advice, I can post a message and all my fellow cancer survivors will help me out.

Thank you so much

 Shirley

Hi Shirley,

As with everything else related to treatment of this disease, the side effects & their duration varies from person to person.  My onco told me that it would take 12-18 months to subside.  From talking to people in my support group it seems that those who took Taxol had more severe neuropathy than those who took Taxotere.  I took Taxotere every 3 weeks for 18 weeks and I'm coming up on my 2nd year anniversary with some neuropathy left in my left toes.  It doesn't hurt anymore (did at first, I could hardly walk!) but if I wear any kind of heel or a shoe that fits close/tight, all the toes start to go numb.  Another gal in my group has permanent nerve damage in her feet and constant pain, even after seeing a pain management dr.  So the effects vary, probably not only because of treatment variations but also how an individual reacts to the drugs, your age, speed of recovery and any other health conditions you may have. 

Things that may help:  Eucerin Calming cream, Vicks Vapor Rub, take L-Glutamine (10 mg/day), B complex.

 Hope this helps!

Hi,

I'm 2 years out and still have numbness in my toes and fingers.  I still cannot go bare foot but the numbness does feel a bit better but not totally gone.  I'm used to it by now and hardly notice it except when I go barefoot.  Take care.

Teresa