Hello - what can be taken for painful heels, toes and hands? This is a chemo side effect. I use cream given to me by the team for dry feet but the heels are painful still and the toes feel like pins and needles? Thank you
Hello - what can be taken for painful heels, toes and hands? This is a chemo side effect. I use cream given to me by the team for dry feet but the heels are painful still and the toes feel like pins and needles? Thank you
Hi JoeyB,
Thanks for getting in touch.
I am sorry to hear that you are suffering from painful heels, toes and hands as a side-effect of chemotherapy. This is likely to be due to a condition called peripheral neuropathy. Whilst this is often temporary and gradually improves once treatment stops, it can be extremely uncomfortable.
If you are still having chemotherapy, it is important that your hospital team keep a close eye on you and monitor the symptoms. They may need to lower the dose of the chemotherapy drug causing this, or even stop it temporarily to allow the symptoms to improve.
Here are some things you can do to protect your hands and feet which can help with the discomfort. You may wish to discuss other ways of managing the symptoms with your medical team.
I see that you have joined a few groups on our online community, and hope that you have found these supportive.
If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to get back in touch. You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us.
Best wishes,
