Gloves and socks to avoid nerve damage

Hi, not sure about socks etc but I think I have heard that ice packs on feet/ hands are supposed to help but check with your chemo team. I am writing to say you are right to be concerned I started to get signs of neuropathy during latter stages of chemo and regret not being more careful as 4 years on I still have numbness and the occasional twinge in the soles of my feet. My mobility has suffered but this is also down to arthritis. I do very much recommend you take care of your nails. I didn't realise how important this was. Many ladies wore  black nail varnish I wrongly thought this was for vanity to cover fungal infections. My toe nails are still distorted as a result, fortunately hands are ok. There are other nail protection products available. I hope you get some more specific advice to your post. My advice is to follow it. Very best of luck. Chemo is nasty but very doable. Be kind to yourself x

Hi, I recently finished 4 EC followed by 4 Paclitaxel every 2 weeks and cold capped throughout. I was also concerned about peripheral neuropathy so purchased the Suzzipad Cold Therapy Socks and Gloves from Amazon plus an extra set of cold packs to swap out as they only stay cold for around 45 minutes. If you don't want to buy cold gloves I've heard others have held small bottles of frozen water. After my first Paclitaxel I had tingling and sensitivity to hot water in my fingers and toes, a couple of rashes and more fatigue than on EC so it was decided to lower my dose to 80% for the remaining 3 cycles which was much better. My last Paclitaxel was on 17th May and so far so good. I also did the fast mimicking diet before each chemo which I think also helped with general fatigue and side effects.

Hope it goes smoothly for you and you don't get too many side effects x

Thankyou Rozalia. It’s really helpful to hear your views and experience. Thanks for your tips and support. I do hope your numbness reduces over time x

Thankyou Starling222. Really helpful especially as you have just gone through the same regime - and come through the other side. Pleased for you. I’ve been busy googling these suzi products and they look good. Did you use them for the EC as well as the Paclitaxel? I guess it’s best to use all these throughout. Thanks x

Hi CurlyKL, I only used them for the Paclitaxal as I don't think peripheral neuropathy is a side effect of EC. Good luck with everything x

Hi again CurlyKL, I've just read your profile (sorry I haven't done one yet) and I can see that we seem to be on a very similar journey. I start Radiotherapy on Monday plus Anastrazole then another hormone tablet in a couple of months so if you ever want to ask me anything feel free x

Thank you - that would be great best of luck with the radiotherapy and be in touch x

As I have posted elsewhere recently, my son had some problems with his feet following first chemo. Then used cold packs like the ones they use for sports injuries on his feet for the next few chemos and had no more problems with his feet. He kept them on his feet by using some cheap polythene galoshes a couple of sizes larger than his real shoes, to hold the packs against his feet. He couldn't hold them in his hands as well as there was too much else he needed to do with his hands.

Thank you so much. Really helpful. I do hope your son responds well to the rest of his chemo with no more side effects x