Hello everyone... I am new. I had a lobectomy. then chemo... and now I have got such bad neuropathy in my feet.... 3 months last chemo and it is still so painful... cannot walk. anyone had this? would welcome some advice and hope... Gary
It is a relatively common side effect of chemo. Have you spoken with your cancer team about this? You could ask t be refeered to the Palliative Care team , who deal with all types of pain and pain relief (not just end of life).
I , managed mine with paracetamol and over the counter antihistamines.
Hope this helps a bit.
Kegsy x
"If you are going through hell, keep going" ; Sir Winston Churchill
" Cancer may take my life; however it will not become my life" Kegsy August 2011
thank you for sharing that Lorraine... actually I am Gary;s wife here... I am at such a loss as to how to heal his pain... it has impacted day to day life. They say it eases up after a few months... love to know if anyone has lesser pain now.
thank kegsy for replying... I just bought some antihistamines... before I pop one... can you tell me how they helped please... and after how long... also, with time has your pain gotten better?. many thanks.. Gary
My neuropathy came about due to a relatively rare autoimmune reaction to the lung cancer. which i found out later is called paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS). The neurological effects of the PNS made me think I was starting with Motor Neuron Disease, It was those symptoms that made me go to the GP, which in turn led to the lung cancer diagnosis.
My neuropathy effected my legs, arms and head, so all my peripheral body parts. I don't know if this is usual, but it tended to be worse in my lead limbs i.e my left leg and right arm.
I was advised that the chemo would probably worsen the effects of the PNS, which it did. As mine was due to an autoimmune reaction to the cancer, I decided to try the painkiller/ antihistamine combo rather than the stronger painkiller options (which are generally designed for problems such as epilepsy etc and are designed to 'dampen down' the brain).
Now because mine was caused by PNS and not chemo, I still have the neuropathy but am no longer in pain. Occasionally the nerve endings will kick off which can be quite uncomfortable (akin to short sharp electric shocks) which is when I reach for the antihistamines to calm down the nerve activity.
I took the combo for several weeks before it started to have a positive effect; so please do not expect an instant cure. One more thing, if you can, take two antihistamine tablets to start with (especially before going to bed).
Sadly, it is a case of 'use it or lose it', so please make sure that you do walk every day. If you haven't already, get a pair of good quality trainers that are both lightweight and very flexible, with a good memory foam insole. These will help with both the movement and comfort aspects.
Your neuropathy symptoms will ease in time as your body heals the nerve endings, so just do whatever you can to keep yourself as comfortable and mobile as possible.
I hope this helps a bit. Any questions, just ask!
Kegsy x
"If you are going through hell, keep going" ; Sir Winston Churchill
" Cancer may take my life; however it will not become my life" Kegsy August 2011
Dear Lorraine.. thank you for that. I tried a few doses of pregabalin and it gave me hallucinations. You just cannot win.... Oh well I am hoping that it will ease up slowly.
Hi Gary22, I too have neuropathy from chemo. Pregabalin made me feel dreadful so I manage on paracetamol. I am about to try a new therapy, chilli therapy, arranged by my oncology nurses. It is supposed to stimulate the nerve endings. I'll try anything because my feet drive me mad. I'll let you know how it goes. Contact your nurses to see what else they can offer you. There are always alternatives
