nerve damge/ Neuropathy from chemo

Debra12
Debra12 Member Posts: 11
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I have the nerve damge/ Neuropathy from chemo. will it get better with time or is there anything i can do to help?

my pcp talk to me about taking vitamin b shots, has anyone done this and if so did it help?

 

thanks Debra

Comments

  • BrianH
    BrianH Member Posts: 10 Member
    #2
    Everyone is different but with time..

    Everyone probably heals differently, but with time I would think it will improve for you.  I'm 18 months out from ending chemo, I had what I would consider to be pretty bad Neuropathy in my hands and feet.  I would say my hands are about 95% back to normal, some pain and numbness but a lot better. I still have some issues with my feet but they too are better than they were a year ago.  I have never taken anything for my Neuropathy, just given my body time to heal.  If you search this site and others people do take different things for Neuropathy, I just decided not to.

    good luck

  • lilacbrroller
    lilacbrroller Member Posts: 412 Member
    #3
    depends

    I think it depends on the individual's response, and everybody seems to be different. My story - I had 12 treatments of FOLFOX (including oxaliplatin) and had really bad neuropathy after treatment 12. Before that I wasn't really affected - sometimes my hands locked but I found that if I wore carpal tunnel braces on my wrists (even while sleeping) I was okay.  After #12, it hit suddenly, and I couldn't do fine motor tasks with my hands - couldn't put on earrings, especially the backs, clasp necklaces and I could barely write. My fingers felt like the tips were frozen and dipped in wax.  My feet were okay but the bottoms felt strange, and I'd get these random pulses that would shoot across my feet.  I could walk and everything, so that was good.

    I stopped my Folfox in late January, and now in May I'm much better.  I no longer have the foot tremors, and I have complete functionality restored in my hands. I can write, type, put on earrings and clasp jewelery.  Life is good. My fingertips still feel odd - that sensation hasn't gone away. Now they just feel like I have a little bit of wax on the tips.  But I'm glad to be able to do things again!

    Now I take xeloda as maintenance chemo, which causes hand and foot syndrome, so I'm dealing with that. No impairment just strange sensations!  but I"m not sure what's the xeloda and what is residual oxaliplatin damage. sigh. it never ends, does it??

    best

    Karin

  • Debra12
    Debra12 Member Posts: 11
    #4
    BrianH said:

    Everyone is different but with time..

    Everyone probably heals differently, but with time I would think it will improve for you.  I'm 18 months out from ending chemo, I had what I would consider to be pretty bad Neuropathy in my hands and feet.  I would say my hands are about 95% back to normal, some pain and numbness but a lot better. I still have some issues with my feet but they too are better than they were a year ago.  I have never taken anything for my Neuropathy, just given my body time to heal.  If you search this site and others people do take different things for Neuropathy, I just decided not to.

    good luck

    That's great 95% better good

     

    That's great 95% better good to hear there's hope. my hands and feet always have numbness and tingling. and i feel like i'm walking on pillows.

    at first it was only with cold now after my last chemo #12 even the hot is really bad.

    thanks for the positive info.

    Debra

  • Debra12
    Debra12 Member Posts: 11
    #5
    lilacbrroller said:

    depends

    I think it depends on the individual's response, and everybody seems to be different. My story - I had 12 treatments of FOLFOX (including oxaliplatin) and had really bad neuropathy after treatment 12. Before that I wasn't really affected - sometimes my hands locked but I found that if I wore carpal tunnel braces on my wrists (even while sleeping) I was okay.  After #12, it hit suddenly, and I couldn't do fine motor tasks with my hands - couldn't put on earrings, especially the backs, clasp necklaces and I could barely write. My fingers felt like the tips were frozen and dipped in wax.  My feet were okay but the bottoms felt strange, and I'd get these random pulses that would shoot across my feet.  I could walk and everything, so that was good.

    I stopped my Folfox in late January, and now in May I'm much better.  I no longer have the foot tremors, and I have complete functionality restored in my hands. I can write, type, put on earrings and clasp jewelery.  Life is good. My fingertips still feel odd - that sensation hasn't gone away. Now they just feel like I have a little bit of wax on the tips.  But I'm glad to be able to do things again!

    Now I take xeloda as maintenance chemo, which causes hand and foot syndrome, so I'm dealing with that. No impairment just strange sensations!  but I"m not sure what's the xeloda and what is residual oxaliplatin damage. sigh. it never ends, does it??

    best

    Karin

    Glad your geting better love

    Glad your geting better love hearing good news, will pray that the other syndrome will be better for you also.

     

    sounds like about the same thing that happened to me. when i talked to my onc about it earlier on he ask me if it would go away

    if i ran my hands under warm water i said yes he said that was good. but we talk before my last chemo #12 about stopping the meds that was

    causing Neuropathy. but i only had one more chemo to go so i said to contenue. now it's real bad even the hot now is bad.

    thanks so much for sharing

    Debra

     

  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    #6
    Magnesium and calcium and nerve damage

    There is evidence that magnesium and calcium taken during treatment helps reduce nerve damage.   Infusions might help too.   There are other posts here with specific links so just do a search.   I don't know why my wife's oncologist didn't bring this up as there were current studies posted at the NIH library of medicine indicating these supplements are of value.  

  • Debra12
    Debra12 Member Posts: 11
    #7
    peterz54 said:

    Magnesium and calcium and nerve damage

    There is evidence that magnesium and calcium taken during treatment helps reduce nerve damage.   Infusions might help too.   There are other posts here with specific links so just do a search.   I don't know why my wife's oncologist didn't bring this up as there were current studies posted at the NIH library of medicine indicating these supplements are of value.  

    Thank you Pete for the info. 

    Thank you Pete for the info.  I read your profile and am very sorry for your loss.

    great that you still here on this site to help others and still get support for your self

    Debra

  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    #8
    Debra12 said:

    Thank you Pete for the info. 

    Thank you Pete for the info.  I read your profile and am very sorry for your loss.

    great that you still here on this site to help others and still get support for your self

    Debra

    You're Welcome Debra

    I forgot to mention that yes some people do get better over time and yes vitamin B will help, I believe B12 in particular.  Good nutrtition is vital.   I made a recent post about vitamin D, which also plays a very important role in cancer development and recurrence.  Not sure it would of be help for neuropathy though.  

    There are quite a few people on this site who have been here for a long time and many are very knowledgable, although you will run into firm differnces of opinion from time to time.    I try to let the research speak for itself and have cautioned other people here to use our suggestions as a jumping off point and to seak validation.   Unfortunately, our doctors are on the frontline of treatment not on the frontline of research especially when it comes to nutrition and are often not the best resource for final validation, although they should be made aware and have a chance to render their opinion or guidance.

    Good luck..

     

    peter

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