cryotherapy gloves and slippers to prevent neuropathy?

I don’t know about the gloves

I don’t know about the gloves and slippers but I did keep my hands and feet covered in thin surgical gloves and submerged in packages of frozen peas. This was the cheap way to attempt to get the same result. My oncologist recommended it to me based on some research she had read and on conversations she had had with other oncologists at a conference she attended. I had short term symptoms of neuropathy, (just a few hours), after rounds 3 and 4. I also was taking gabapentin tho which may have helped as well.

Do it!!! I only the rounds of

Do it!!! I only had three rounds of chemo and, three years later, have severe neuropathy in both feet.  It is painful and debilitating. I wish someone had told me this!! I certainly would have iced my feet and hands. 

Love,

Eldri 

Worked for Mrs. Red
Mrs. Red had 4 rounds of carbo/platin chemo and we had her hands, feet, and head iced during each infusion. Used large gallon size plastic ziplock bags for her hands and feet in ice in small plastic tubs before and during chemo infusions. She had no neuropathy whatsoever. We used penguin cold caps fo her head and while her hair did thin out a lot, she kept hair which grew back after chemo was over right back to her original texture and length the same as before treatment. The theory of icing science is the carbotaxol part of the chemo attacks fast growing cells ie cancer cells. The cold from icing stops the chemo from attacking fast growing hair follicle cells and nerve ending cells in hands and feet. Icing is tough but doable and worked for Mrs. Red.
Red Corvette

SurvivorSuzanne444 said:

Neuropathy getting worse

I had five rounds of chemo...which sandwiched 28 rounds of radiation. My last chemo was in mid March, 2017.  I never felt total numbness in my feet but it has gotten progressively worse since treatment ended.  The worst is at night.  My feet get HOT and lately I'm having shooting pains in my feet, ankles and calves.  Gabapentin never even touched it.  My cancer surgeon suggested Cymbalta but the side effects scared me too much especially since I live alone and have no one to rely on to help me if I had a severe reaction.

I wish I'd known or been advised to do the cold cap or soaking my feet in ice prior to and during chemo. 

Have you tried Eldri's

Have you tried Eldri's rememdy of Nyquil?  Otherwise try using the ice gel packs on your feet when you go to bed at night. That was the only way I got some sleep when I had the burning pain from neuropathy. You may have to have enough for changes during the night if the pain wakes you back up, but it may help you to get some sleep.

ZsaZsa wins the Ice Princess Award!

That's for sure some due diligence!  We were more low-key with our Target cold packs wrapped in kitchen towels and tied with rubber bands, but it got the job done.  I was not as tough as you and had to take some breaks during infusion, but still felt like we stayed chill enough, and never thought of iciing once we went home.  No neuropathy here - and I wish you the same!

Icing Hands and Feet

My earlier comments to this thread were lost in the site crash, so I'll recap.  After my first carbo/taxol infusion, I was in agony in my lower legs and feet for several days, with numbness and pins and needles in my hands as well. Then I found this thread, and for my second infusion last week, I was prepared with ice packs.  I also with my oncologist's permission added a daily B-Vitamin and Glutathione - and he gave me a prescription for Tramadol in case I had that severe pain again.  Second infusion went much better in terms of neuropathy.  I did have some twinges, and general achiness in my legs and joints for several days, but not enough to need the Tramadol, and I didn't miss work (I did take Tylenol for several days).  A week out from the infusion, I have no pain, and my hands and feet work normally, athough I still do have a kind of weird 'dull' feeling in both, kinda what you get after using a tool like a palm sander or lawn mower that vibrates... if that makes any sense.  This feeling never went away after that first infusion, so it's a hold-over from that... at least the icing and other things I did seem to have kept it from getting worse.  What I did, specifically:  For my hands, I bought a large insulated tote bag and cut it up, making two  square 'thumbless oven mitts' and a flannel liner.  I put two gell ice packs in each, and put my flannel-covered hand in between them.  I switched the ice packs out twice during the infusion, and started cooling after the premeds were started, and stopped after the carbo infusion was done.  For my feet, I bought a big soft-sided thermal lunchbox that was big enough for both my feet to fit into, and also got multiple sheets of reusable ice cubes from the camping department (its like the ice cubes in blister packs that can be bent... these are a lot cheaper than gel packs).  I wore thin sock and arranged the ice cube sheets so they wrapped around my feet, and zipped it all up inside the insulated bag.  I didn't get as good contact with my feet as I did my hands, but it did seem to make a difference.  I've since discovered that you can get 'cold therapy' devices that circulate chilled water through various body-shaped attachments - the are sold for post-surgery recovery and for chronic conditions like arthritis and neuropathy.  You can a machine with 'boot' attachments that cover your feet and ankles for about $300... which isn't cheap, but to prevent permanent neuropathy I think's a bargain.  I wish I'd known to ice during my first infusion, because this 'dull' feeling in my fingers and feet is annoying. (At least it's not painful and I can still function normally.) To anyone reading this -- don't risk it -- chill your hands and feet if you're getting Taxol or any other chemo with a risk of neuropathy.