calcium/magnesium/FOLFOX

taraHK
taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I'd love to hear from anyone who has received calcium/magnesium infusion to address peripheral neuropathy (pins & needles, sensitivity to cold) associated with FOLFOX treatment.
After 8 cycles of FOLFOX, I started having more persistent and more troublesome neuropathy. So, with my 9th treatment, I had calcium/magnesium infusion (which I had learned about on this board, thanks!! -- my doc was open to it but hadn't brought it up before). Frankly, it doesn't seem to have helped -- the neuropathy seems the same or a little worse this time. I'm wondering if the calcium/magnesium takes some time to work? If not, I'm thinking of quitting it -- because it adds 2.5 hrs to my already LOOOOOOONG chemo (I'm hosptilized for 48+ hrs....).
Thanks,
Tara

Comments

  • nanuk
    nanuk Member Posts: 1,358 Member
    #2
    ask your doc about gabapentin-(Generic for Neurontin) seems to help my neuropathy. nanuk
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #3
    nanuk said:

    ask your doc about gabapentin-(Generic for Neurontin) seems to help my neuropathy. nanuk

    Thanks for this. I'll check it out. I think my doc mentioned this as a possibility -- he said it wd make me very tired -- has that been your experience with it?
    Tara
  • goldfinch
    goldfinch Member Posts: 735
    #4
    Tara,
    I used neurontin for shoulder/arm pain due to a herniated disc. I was VERY sleepy on it. Didn't like the way it made me feel at all, but everyone is different. If the neuropathy gets bad for me I may reconsider, though I doubt it.

    I've only had 2 doses of oaxliplatin. Asked for the mag/ca from the get go. Didn't have much trouble with the first dose, but had plenty of pins and needles feelings after the second.
    Mary
  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
    #5
    Hi Tara. The calcium/magnesium infusion worked very well for me in combating neuropathy. Maybe it's not a solution for everyone, but I found it helpful and well worth the extra infusion time (I also used to have three-day infusions). Maybe it would be worth another try. I was always very happy with the results.

    Best wishes,
    Rodney
  • KFalvey
    KFalvey Member Posts: 118 Member
    #6
    Hi Tara,
    I received Cal./Mag. infusions with each treatment, and still the Neuropathy steadly got worse. I stopped the Oxaliplatin 1 treatment from finishing because of the neuropathy. There are 2 types of neuropathy from these drugs(FOLFOX) The Oxaliplatin causes the cold sensitivity (that went away 4 or 5 days after treatment) and the needles and pins,that's still there,the severity comes and goes). The 5FU causes a different Neuropathy which makes the fingers and toes numb to touch except the tips of my fingers are super sensitive. I'm having problem just pushing the buttons on the TV remote. I can't do anything that requires fine,detailed movements. I've also noticed a muscle weakness progressively getting worse. I'm having muscle pain after exercise of any kind and tire out quickly. This bothers me more than anything because I feel like I'm becoming a wimp! I wish the doctor had told me this would get worse after treatment ended; I might of stopped sooner. It's been 11 weeks since I had the Oxaliplatin and 9 weeks since the 5FU. Just hoping the neuropathy will stop soon.
    Best of luck to you with your treatments and hope you are one to emerge problem free. Kandy
  • BusterBrown
    BusterBrown Member Posts: 221 Member
    #7
    Tara:
    I was administered calcium/magnesium before every dose of chemo. Did it help w/ my neuropathy? I do still have the neuropathy, granted I've only been off the juice for 2months. It's not too bad, but it's still a little annoying. My feet feel like they're asleep and my finger tips still feel kinda funny. I live in Wisconsin and it's starting to get cold and I can tell my finger and toes don't like the cold.
    I've been told by my onc that it could take at least a year for these pains/feelings to go away.
    Hang it there...
    Buster
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #8
    BusterBrown said:

    Tara:
    I was administered calcium/magnesium before every dose of chemo. Did it help w/ my neuropathy? I do still have the neuropathy, granted I've only been off the juice for 2months. It's not too bad, but it's still a little annoying. My feet feel like they're asleep and my finger tips still feel kinda funny. I live in Wisconsin and it's starting to get cold and I can tell my finger and toes don't like the cold.
    I've been told by my onc that it could take at least a year for these pains/feelings to go away.
    Hang it there...
    Buster

    Thanks to all for your replies. Really useful. What would I do without this board?
    Tara

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