My husband has had 33 rounds of chemo for met. Liver cancer. His worst pain is his fingers where they crack. They are so painful he says he wants to cut them off. We have spoken to the oncologist but there is nothing we can change in his chemo to help.
is there any cream that numbs the pain, or something stronger than paracetamol that he can take. Cane we try acupuncture?
Thank you
Hi JoeyB
Thanks for getting in touch.
My name is Paula and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.
I can see you have joined a couple of groups on the online forum. I hope you’re finding it helpful to share your experience with others.
Your husband has been on a long journey with his cancer treatment and no doubt it’s been difficult for you both. Cancer treatment can be tough with troublesome side effects it can make it even harder.
Skin and nail changes are common with cancer treatment and can last throughout and for many months afterwards. Complimentary therapies such as acupuncture have shown to relieve pain and some side effects. It may be worth looking further into this. Some hospital trusts or local hospices, run complimentary therapy services.
As your husband’s side-effects are impacting greatly on his quality of life, it may be worthwhile talking to the oncologist again. They could refer him to a dermatologist to review his skin condition or the pain team. Both teams are in an ideal position to assess and possibly manage his current symptoms alongside the oncologist. You can also talk to the GP about pain medication also.
It’s important for your husband to protect his hands and nails, by avoiding hot baths and wearing gloves for household chores. Using a fragrance free thick moisturising cream or ointment may help with the skin changes. There is a range of products on the market to buy, it might be best to talk to a Macmillan pharmacist to see if they can recommend something appropriate to help.
Supporting a partner with cancer can be hard. It’s important to look after yourself too and getting the right support. You might find it helpful to talk to one of the nurses on the support line. Sometimes giving us a call can help. It’s a free phone number on 0808 808 0000 and we are here 7 days a week, 8am-8pm or email us.
I hope this information has been helpful, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.
Ref: PW/SB
