Burning feet

Hi 

This sounds like CIPN (chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy) or could even be Palmar Plantar (PPE) Are your hands affected at all, or just your feet ?

Both of which can occur months after you finish your sessions. This may be getting worse now because of the warmer weather ? The thing that can aggravate this the most is friction; climbing hills, stairs etc Try keeping your foot flat rather than putting all your body weight on the balls of your feet.

There isn't so much info about these on UK sites but if you google both you should get some links to US Cancer sites where information is much more open and freely available.

Some members with this have found Udderley Smooth cream (available from Amazon) helps but if you decide to try some make sure the one you purchase is the one containing10%

You could also type CIPN and Palmar Plantar into the breast group search bar to bring up previous messages / discussions.

Hope this is of some help for now, take care, G n' J

Thank you , that has certainly given me more ideas to follow up.

I also stopped Paclitaxel early after 7 as I started dropping  things, my face and right hand developed an itchy rash and my hip felt odd.  My oncologist said that usually it gets better (and hopefully goes away), but some women develop it a few months after they finish, or existing PN worsens.  I'm 5.5 months post chemo now and have had little flare ups, like when I was unwell lasy month my hand became blotchy where the rash was. 

Thanks for your reply.

I am finding that the sensations are increasing and I developed very

itchy patches on various places around my ankles. The GP gave me 

steroid cream for those . I also have a fan on my feet at night to try and keep them cool.

Today however I went to the beach with my grandchildren and stood in the cold sea.

I really think it helped as they have taken longer to get painful tonight and I certainly 

know where I am heading tomorrow.

Hi,

could burning feet be caused by radiotherapy? I have a burning, hot itch on the sole of one of my feet which I can’t get rid of!? 

Hiya

Just replied  to your other message here.

Don't think you had chemo did you ?

G n' J

I had breast cancer so the radiotherapy was aimed there and apart from skin discolouration I had no further problems with it.

Hello,

You are describing exactly the symptoms caused by Peripheral Neuropathy. Mine did occur during the Taxotere part of chemo but at first I accepted the burning/ peeling developments as normal, (partly as I had also been extremely sick with FEC) and thought it was just me reacting. By the time the oncologist saw my feet they were in a bad state and I struggled to walk. My last session of Taxotere was cancelled but it took many weeks before I was walking properly. Dreamthief is right about flat shoes.....go for a low heel or formed sole. If they're not too old fashioned for you a Hotter shoe has the perfect comfort sole for PN. I now have summer and winter shoes plus boots with this sole. 

Unfortunately as you can tell for me the PN became permanent partly because I delayed telling anyone. That was my fault but in your situation, it is totally wrong that your present condition is being ignored. Insist, either through your GP or BCN that you are referred to a neurologist. My neurologist found I have permanent nerve damage but there is also a link to low blood vitamins. He found I was deficient in Vit D, Vit B1, B6 and most importantly B12. He has told me I will be taking these for at least another year. I have already had them since Oct 2019. I take the B12 as a capsule every ten days. My feet are painful most days. It is an odd sensation.....they feel like ice blocks but are burning underneath. ( Try describing that in French!) They still peel but not like at the start when during chemo the skin lifted in sheets. I get strange blisters which come in  painful, red lumps which sort of burst although not like a normal blister then scab over. I may then have a week or two before they flare up again.

Please don't ignore your current problems. Mine is probably worse because I did but I also had a spinal compression accelerated  by the chemo and that affected the sciatic nerve causing continual leg pain. It may have been as simple as the fact in trying to walk with the very painful feet, I walked very badly for the back. I had an operation from a neuro surgeon. It had to be a priority before the neurologist took over......

All the doctors and the physio I have seen agree chemo will certainly have contributed, if not caused my problems.

If anyone reading my reply is  about to start Taxotere, don't be too worried. This was five years ago and there have been many changes to the way the drugs are administered. Your protocol will be more individual today. It is both amazing and wonderful...the progress that has been made even in such a short time. Just be aware Peripheral Neuropathy can develop and isn't like a bit of nausea with EC that will stop on its own. It is important that if your feet start to burn or throb or peel or you notice red skin on your hands and they start to peel or both, you discuss it urgently. Oncologists will know where to reduce doses or cancel treatments or where the problem is only a slight development and can be discounted but you shouldn't try to guess which it is. As a description I usually say for me it was like standing in a bowl of very hot water that you couldn't get out of for several weeks.

So to conclude ......this is not something to ignore. You must insist on a second opinion from the department which specializes in neuropathy.....neurology. 

I hope you get something sorted soon.There are pain killers which help although when it's permanent you have to be prepared to take a relatively high dose.

Good luck.

Love Karen

Lots of oncologists are  stopping the Herceptin early - between 9 and 11 weeks - as the  most recent research suggests it's just as good.  Could you ask about that, a it might also help your symptoms?