Numbness and pain

Hi Retreat

Thanks for contacting Macmillan Cancer Support and welcome to the online community.

I’m sorry to read that your experiencing common side effects of the treatment you have just finished. Peripheral neuropathy for many, can be debilitating and frustrating.

When treatment stops most people find that their symptoms gradually improve with time as the nerves slowly recover. This may take several months or more. However, for some people, nerve damage will be permanent.

There are guidelines in place around treatment that doctors will follow to get the best treatment for you.

Keeping a pain diary may be helpful to document your pain and how just effective any analgesia is that you are using.

For some people acupuncture can help alleviate some of the symptoms that you have.

It may be worthwhile asking your GP or Consultant if this can be accessed within the local NHS services, in your area. This link can help you locate a local registered practitioner if you wish to look into sourcing acupuncture privately.

There are other things you can do to prevent further nerve damage, including protecting your hands and feet in the following ways:

• Keep them warm by wearing gloves and socks in cold weather.
• Wear gloves when working with your hands – for example, when gardening or washing up.
• Use potholders and take care to avoid burning your hands when cooking.
• Wear well-fitting shoes or boots.
• Avoid walking around barefoot and check your feet often for any problems.
• Test the temperature of water with your elbow to make sure it isn’t too hot before baths, showers or doing the washing-up. Turn the temperature control (thermostat) to a lower setting for hot water or have a temperature control fitted.

However, any new, worsening, or ongoing symptoms should always be reviewed to determine the cause. We would encourage you to make an appointment with your GP or hospital team or 24 hour chemo line today for review.

If you’d like to talk things through a little more, please don’t hesitate to contact our nurses on the support line. We are always happy to take the time to talk over any worries or concerns you are having.

Best wishes,

Annemarie (Cancer Information Nurse Specialist)

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

Ref: AKR / KG