AWAKE.........

Good morning PenelopeJ57

Is the nerve pain in your feet and hands? Leg? Unfortunately Taxotere is renowned for this. Discuss it with your oncologist.  It often takes six months to improve and there are painkillers......trial and error I'm afraid.....eventually we found that I take up to 500g of gabapentine a day ......but if things don't improve unfortunately you will need to see a neurologist. B vitamins can also help if you are deficient. I was deficient in B1,6, and 12 which are all linked to nerves.

I had an operation for the problems chemo caused on the sciatic nerve but my feet and hands have nerves which were permanently destroyed. Mine was a severe reaction and my own fault as I don't live near the hospital so didn't contact them when the problem first started during the change to taxotere. I just thought this was normal and I didn't want to make a fuss. It wasn't and the next time the reaction was so bad that my last chemo was cancelled. I still have skin which peels away from time to time and my fingers flare up so sometimes stiff and move less than other times. My feet are always both burning and freezing at the same time but with the neurologist's help, I can manage the pain so I do most things again now.

My advice.....discuss it. Make as much fuss as you need until someone takes notice and don't let them convince you paracetamol will be sufficient. Hopefully you will start to see an improvement soon.

Love Karen

Oh for gods sake what is it with paracetamol ? It’s useless .

No Karen my pain is down my left arm where they had to dig out an enlarged lymph node . During surgery my nerves were bruised. 
Im not having chemo . It’s radiotherapy but im scared that if RT causes burning sensation and soreness what am I going to be like having already got those symptoms ?

Sowaking to the oncologist again on Monday and may well take the week long course of steroids as well .

Sorry to hear your story . What hospital were you under ?

xx

I live in the Charente, SW France. The hospital wasn't to blame. They did everything they could to rectify the problem and still are. I have my next neurology appointment next week. Stopping the chemo when they saw the side effect at least didn't make it worse. I have had tests so I know which nerves were permanently damaged. I want to stress again.......this is  not the usual reaction that normally corrects itself within six months. I don't often mention it because it will worry some people unnecessarily but I thought that was the nerve pain you were referring too.

Your arm pain is certainly a nuisance. I have read people whose arm pain has continued for a month or two longer than expected. I was lucky there.....only the sentinel node removed and arm pain disappeared around the sixth week. Perhaps you could try tramadol? I think my surgeon gave me that for the original arm pain. But it is addictive so you have to be careful. I assume you are moving your arm.....the exercises are important.

Hopefully your oncologist will have suggestions and I'm sure they won't consider radiotherapy unless they think it's safe. Radiotherapy isn't too bad if you follow the instructions for creaming and washing so you have clean skin for each session. My hospital used hyaluronic acid cream which was excellent then recommended a savon surgras to remove it before the next session. I am very fair skinned but I didn't burn and I had 33 sessions of radiotherapy. In fact no one in my waiting area burned except a french lady who misunderstood the comparison to mild sunburn and actually creamed before she went. That caused a panic and we all had an individual talk with a nurse to make sure no one else made the same mistake!

Morning all! I haven’t abandoned you  well in a way I have, other than the first week of the cycle when we have lots of steroids I can’t stay awake by and large, it’s the docetaxel, funny how each drug affects you so differently. I’m sorry you’re feeling so uncomfortable PenelopeJ57, you definitely need to get back to your team for help with this pain, massive hugs to everyone x

Thank you once again Karen . Yes indeed I was on Tramadol for 30days . Not sure I want to go down that route again to be honest , not that I was feeling addicted but you never know .

On reflection , in the aftermath of what has been a bumpy journey over the last 8 weeks I am going to speak ( telephone appointment ) to my oncologist on Monday as to why I have not been given a proper physiotherapy appointment .  Reading back on posts it would seem a lot of people have had this and indeed acupuncture as well. 
Going to start putting my foot down a bit about all this next week . 
Have a lovely Saturday everyone . 
Hugs

Penelope xxx

So sorry to hear your struggling so much PenelopeJ57 I hope your oncologist can help on Monday xx

As if most of us need another hour of sleep deprivation

Managed a day without a nap hurrah. On the downside the antibiotics gave caused thrush. Boo

Night night Fruit Loops, sleep well, stay safe and don’t forget the clocks change! (Extra hour to be lazy tomorrow morning!) 

Lots of sleepy fairy dust for all who wish

hugs xxx