foot/palm pain on xeloda

We have many folks posting here on behalf of their loved ones, so we welcome you and look forward to helping you help your brother. 

The tingling in hands and feet is a sign that neuropathy is starting. Neuropathy can get out of hand very quickly and become permanent if allowed to get out of control. 

My suggestion to you would be to let your brother know that he MUST talk to his Oncologist about the side effects (all of them, not just the neuropathy) at EVERY visit. 

If the neuropathy is getting out of hand, then the dosage on his Xeloda should be lowered.  That is what the Oncologist is there for, to make adjustments to treatment, so that the patient gets the required dose to work on the Cancer, without causing long-lasting disability. 

There are definitely MANY Cancer patients out there who do not wish to know what their staging is. I actually read about a study and I was quite shocked at the results, being one who wants to know everything. 

So, there is nothing short of lowering the dosage that can help the neuropathy. Though, saying that, I have found that for me, perosonally, if I eat allot of sugar, my neuropathy is definitely worse; and that makes sense, because it is sugars attatching to the nerves that cause the tingling, numb feelings. 

I am one of those who have long-term neuropathy, because I wasn't upfront with my Oncologist about how bad it was getting. It wasn't until my hands went purple and my Onc noticed, and at that point, he stopped my 5FU immedietely.  I do believe mine was casued by an overdose of 5FU - there is a story behind that - as I didn't suffer anything during my FOLFOX treatment.  

What a wonderful sister you are to reach out on behalf of your brother. Love can take a Cancer patient a long, long way. 

Tru

You should never apologize for asking quesitons. It is how you learn and it is why we are all here, to share and to learn.

I am a medical assistant for a Podiatrist (foot doctor) and we deal with allot of diabetic patients with neuropathy.   In diabetic patients with neuropathy, the sugars attatch themselve to the ends of the nerves, thus causing tingling, pain, numbness otherwise known as nerve damage. 

So what I am saying that I PERSONALLY feel that when I eat too much sugar, my neuropathy is aggrivated.  Wether that is the true cause, I do not know, but my spirit tells me that for me it is an issue. 

While whatever it is in the chemo that caused the nerve damage, my neuropathy, three years five months out from treatment, is still present and I've lived with it long enough to notice when it flares up. 

Here is a paragraph that talks specifically about sugars and neuropathy. 

Dr. Richard P. Jacoby, author of Sugar Crush, explains how sugar imacts the nerves this way: "When you eat a diet heavy in provesed foods full of wheat and refined sugar, you body is put on a glucose roller coaster. Because fiber has been stripped out of these products, the sugar inherent in all carbohydrates literally enters the blood stream in a rush. As your blood sugar spikes, most of the excess gets carried away to be stroed as abdominal fat. While that's happening, excess glucose still circulates throughout your body, attaching itself to protien and building up sorbitol in the cells. causing them to swell and compress the nerves. 

Trubrit said:

No!

You should never apologize for asking quesitons. It is how you learn and it is why we are all here, to share and to learn.

I am a medical assistant for a Podiatrist (foot doctor) and we deal with allot of diabetic patients with neuropathy.   In diabetic patients with neuropathy, the sugars attatch themselve to the ends of the nerves, thus causing tingling, pain, numbness otherwise known as nerve damage. 

So what I am saying that I PERSONALLY feel that when I eat too much sugar, my neuropathy is aggrivated.  Wether that is the true cause, I do not know, but my spirit tells me that for me it is an issue. 

While whatever it is in the chemo that caused the nerve damage, my neuropathy, three years five months out from treatment, is still present and I've lived with it long enough to notice when it flares up. 

Here is a paragraph that talks specifically about sugars and neuropathy. 

Dr. Richard P. Jacoby, author of Sugar Crush, explains how sugar imacts the nerves this way: "When you eat a diet heavy in provesed foods full of wheat and refined sugar, you body is put on a glucose roller coaster. Because fiber has been stripped out of these products, the sugar inherent in all carbohydrates literally enters the blood stream in a rush. As your blood sugar spikes, most of the excess gets carried away to be stroed as abdominal fat. While that's happening, excess glucose still circulates throughout your body, attaching itself to protien and building up sorbitol in the cells. causing them to swell and compress the nerves. 

Never knew that about sugars but my neuropathy will happen even when going without eating all day.  Mine is permanent due to my oncologists negligence.  She never wanted to listen when telling her it was bad during treatment.  I'm sure that everyone reacts different so that is good information you gave for some people.  It sure could help.

Kim