Hi Everybody,
Just want to reach out to anybody who has had Chemo for cancer and is experiencing or has experienced horrible freezing feet all through the day and worse at night and hot 'flushes' during the night making undisturbed sleep difficult.Also toes that feel all buckled up and numb and uncomfortable.
It would be helpful if I could discuss this with you.
Thankyou
Rita D.
Hi MariaD
I had a different type of cancer but also had chemo. Mine finished a year ago. I have peripheral neuropathy in my hands and my feet. It's different sensations- sometimes coldness, sometimes burning, sometimes numbness, sometimes aching pain, sometimes a sort of spasm/crampy pain. Sometimes its just weird sensations. It started with tingling sensations from my first chemo. My doses were adjusted but it continued. My consultant said its damage to the nerves from the chemo and has said it is permanent.
I find massaging helps, warm socks and gloves, squeezing a ball (one of those sensory type ones with the little spikes on) Have been prescribed amitryptiline and although I found it helped a bit- I came off it because I didn't like the way it made me feel. There are other neuropathic pain medications that can be used.
I also get the hot flushes type feelings. Especially in muggy weather or when I have been physically active- like doing the housework. I didn't have them before chemo.
Best thing to do is to talk to your doctor and maybe make a list of the symptoms so nothing is missed.
Jane
No, menopause at 78 doesn’t seem to be a very likely explanation 
. Sorry I can’t help you!
No you don't sound at all like a weakling. They are unpleasant symptoms. I do have symptoms everyday and they are from the treatments rather than the endometrial cancer that I had. My neuropathy symptoms started with the first treatment, seemed to progress with each chemo cycle, even though the dose was adjusted. I was told that it was permanent at one of my check up appointments. I also experience symptoms each day from the pelvic radiotherapy that I had. I am coming up to a year since I finished treatment and while I still have the symptoms and they are not getting better- they are not getting worse either so I am hopeful that they will settle.
Life is different to before the cancer but there is still quality. I have not returned to work and would find it difficult to do the job I was doing before. However this gives me time to do other things. I try to keep positive and try as much as I can to put the side effects to the back of my mind- it is hard- but I try and focus on others things where I can. And the cancer is gone. I became involved with Macmillan which I like doing as I feel I am giving back. I try and keep active, walk daily and this helps with symptoms. It's sort of different and that takes some time to accept but I tend to try and go with the flow and find new things I enjoy. I am a year post treatment and they said I would take some time to recover from it all and they are right. I am however finding I am starting to do a lot more than I could.
Thank you. I was prescribed amitriptyline for the neuropathy but didn't like the way it made me feel so stopped it. I hope that your next CT scan is positive.
Jane
