Nerve damage

Hello Janeejanjan, I had adjuvant chemo in 2014 following lung surgery and some time afterwards noticed my feet were becoming painful when walking longer distances. They would also often feel cold but were warm to the touch. Things didn't improve and I was also told it was nerve damage from the chemo and there was no treatment other than painkillers. 

I don't know how much more your GP has said, but the painkillers recommended to me were not the usual paracetomol, ibuprofen etc., but initially gabapentin which I took for a few months. These didn't work too well so it was then trial and error, taking amitriptyline and then swapping the gabapentin for pregabalin. They seemed to work up to a point although on reflection I'm not really sure how much and they did make me quite sleepy but no other side effects. After a couple of years I deliberately lost weight (about 4 stones) that I had gradually put on over a few years and decided to stop taking the tablets - result no change in foot feelings so I'm reasonably happy with this now.

I guess it might depend on your attitude to taking tablets but if you're reasonably comfortable with this it might be worth a try. I've learned to live with the problem now which luckily is not severe and often more of an irritiation, some days are better / worse than others but I still go for long walks regularly. I have also changed the shoes that I wear to Skechers (although other types are available) and this helps considerably. 

Maybe research the drugs I've mentioned if you hven't heard of them before you decide what you might like to do. I have heard of people who suffer much more from nerve damage so I'm lucky this is not a huge problem for me and if this is all I have to endure for a cure so be it.

I do hope you get sorted out.

Hi Janeejanjan, sorry to hear that you are dealing with Nerve Damage. I see that you have also put your post up in the Breast Cancer Group - this will widen your options for replies.

I have a blood cancer and ended up with severe nerve damage in my neck where my brick sized mass was.

The mass had enclosed nerves and muscles so the pain was off the scale stretching up into my head and down my left side specifically effecting my hands and feet on my left side..

Once into treatment that was very strong chemo the pain actually got progressively worse. This was due to the chemo 'effect' but also down to the chemo breaking down the cancer mass resulting in the trapped nerves and muscle 'finding new space' and stretching. I was on some very strong pain meds but things were not improving.

Following my treatments I was actually in a wheelchair due to me being bed bound for a good amount of time so was getting Physiotherapy 2 times a week to get me up and walking. After 4 months I was out of the wheelchair, back on my feet and not using walking sticks....... but the pain was still there.

My Specialist Cancer Nurse (SCN) and the Physiotherapist agreed that I had to get more active so my SCN marched me across the road to our local Maggie's Centre where she enrolled my in a weekly men's circuits group. The group was run by a cancer trained fitness instructor who set each group member various activities designed to build up muscle mass and fitness levels. He also gave us set exercises to do every day at home - I even get myself some of the resistance bands and weights.

I got fitter and could see the difference in being able to walk good distances with little or no effect but the byproduct of this was the nerve pain slowly reduced and after about 18 months I actually asked my GP to remove the strong pain meds from my repeat prescription.

I am 4 years on from removing the pain meds and on the whole doing great although I do find a little discomfort in the same areas during the winter but I do put this down to being less active.

I wish you well in navigating a way through this ((hugs))

Hi Highlander. Many thanks for your advice, I will look into it. Cheers.

Hi excavator. Thanks for replying and your advice. I will look into it. Cheers. Janeejanjan 

I have lymphoedema in my lower legs and wear compression stockings which do help. I have nerve pain in my lower abdomen but that is no doubt due to the hysterectomy. My feet are also painful and often feel cold but are warm to the touch. I wear bed socks which help. Haven’t tried pain relief. Hope you find a solution.