I read about this about 1/2 way through my chemo and iced my hands and toll my chemo laying down with feet elevated. My chemo nurses and Oncologist laughed, but humored me. I think it did help and would do the same again.
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mcgheere started following
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Question: Ice caps to prevent neuropathy
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mcgheere asked a questionBreast Cancer
Ice caps to prevent neuropathy
17 answers-
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Diamondm35
over 3 years agoI have terrible neuropathy and I'm on gabapentin too. And it does very little for my pain. 5 months out of chemo
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Roses4ever
over 3 years agoI also got neuropathy. If I would have known about the ice treatment I would have tried it. My last chemo was only 4 months ago, but the pain has overwhelmingly been unbearable. I had to go get a second opinion cause my onc was like it will go away and seems to not even care. She did have me try gabapentin but even at the highest dose it did absolutely nothing. My pain is so severe that my wrists feel broken, bones in my fingers feel broken, and I can hardly walk due to leg and foot pain. It's been so debilitating. Finally I went to a new onc who also specializes in pain management. He was awesome! He said mine is a mixture of neuropathy, depression, and no estrogen. He put me on methadone. Yes I know it sounds scary but it's a very low dose. Within 2 days I'm feeling almost like a normal person. It's been a week now and I even exercised for 30 min. today. My hands are still numb and I still have some pain in one wrist but nothing like I was before. I know it sounds pretty extreme but mine was definitely an extreme case. It's nice to have someone actually listen to me and know how to treat it. Thank God!!!!
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mcgheere started following
Question: Having many problems with treatment
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mcgheere started following
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mcgheere asked a questionBreast Cancer
Aftereffects of Chemo: Neuropathy
15 answers-
jojo2
over 3 years agoAcupuncture helped me immensely. I went from not being able to feel my right foot to knowing where it is in 15 treatments. Also bought The REBUILDER and had good results with consistent use. The feeling of walking on a hockey puck has resolved to some mild pins and needles. I no longer think of my feet with every step. There is a newer med for diabetic neuropathy called Metanx that some on another site had good results from and clinics that treat neuropathy specifically opening up in the Twin Cities area. Keep trying new supplements ant treatment because any improvement is worth it. Best wishes jojo2
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Karenhi
over 3 years agoFrom http://www.livestrong.com/article/537614-melatonin-and-peripheral-neuropathy/
"...there is evidence that melatonin may help treat peripheral neuropathy in humans. In a study published in the April 2011 issue of “Clinical Medical Insights Oncology,” women who were undergoing chemotherapy received 21 mg of melatonin a day at bedtime. After the chemotherapy was over, significantly fewer women had acquired peripheral nerve damage from the treatment compared to the normal numbers. This shows that melatonin can help protect against nerve damage. Whether it also can reverse existing nerve damage in humans is yet to be seen."
I wish more oncologists would at least offer this as on option during chemo. I found out about it on my own after my first dose of taxol gave me terrible neuropathy in my ankles and feet, and hearing that it would only get worse with more doses. I took it for about 4 months, 20 mg a night. The neuropathy was never as bad as that first time, and I now have no residual symptoms (9 months post chemo now). Slept great, too!
I wonder if you could inquire about trying it now for a couple of months, just in case it could help. Seems like it might be worth a try....
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barbsrec
over 3 years agoI have neuropathy in my hands and feet, my doctor gave me gabapentin also but all it did was hide it for a little while. I told him I didn't like the way the gabapentin made me feel so he prescribed vitamin b12 in liquid form 1000 mcg for circulatory and nerves. This has really helped my nerve endings and my neuropathy has almost disappeared. I feel 100 times better, this may be something you want to give a try. I did not take gabapentin anymore. This is just me and my experience but there may be some info here that you could try.
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