I'm a veteran of eight years of cancer. I had prostate cancer surgery in 20i8, SABR Radiotherapy in 2022 for metastatic cancer and Hormone Therapy (ongoing) plus Chemotherapy for metastatic cancer in 2024. My PSA is currently undetectable (ie below 0.01). One thing I discovered during my experience with chemotherapy was how many people do not know about taking Paracetamol a few minutes before the 'Cool Cap' is switched on. On my first chemo cycle I had an immediate headache as soon as the 'Cap' was switched on. This lasted twenty minutes. On the second cycle the headache lasted the whole three hours I wore the 'Cap'. I believe Sir Chris Hoy described this as 'Torture', a sentiment I agree with. However, before my third chemo cycle my wife read on the NHS website that you can take Paracetamol before the 'Cap' is switched on. I did this three or four minutes before and I didn't get any headache at all. The same applied for cycles four, five and six. None of the chemo nurses in the ward told me this and I also mentioned it to the oncology nurse at a recent Macmillan Prostate Cancer Seminar and she hadn't heard of taking pain killers either. Having suffered unnecessarily, I'm hoping that other people who are suitable for wearing the 'Cool Cap' and can take Paracetamol can get the same result as I did. I did ask my oncologist prior to my third cycle if it was ok to take Paracetamol and she said yes. I would suggest anybody thinking of trying pain killers should talk to their health professional first.
Wearing the 'Cool Cap' did work very well for me. I didn't lose any hair from the top of my head. Elsewhere yes, but that wasn't any issue to me. In fact my hair feels thicker and stronger after chemo. I wish the rest of me did.
Great advice Terry, thank you for sharing.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
Hi Terry TerryB thank you for this information as I did not know that Cool Capping was used during Prostate Cancer treatment a d great that it worked for you….. I am only 4-5 months post my Prostate Diagnosis so am newbie and am on Active Surveillance…….
But I am no stranger to cancer as over the past 26+ years I have been treated aggressively for 2 very rare types of T-Cell Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma's….. I also have Asbestosis…. I do like my cancers ;)
When it comes to treating blood cancers like Lymphoma Cool Capping is not used as it stops the movement of the chemo through all the blood stream where it looks to catch those rogue Lymphoma cells that may escape the Lymphoma mass…. so hair is basically guaranteed to go like a layer of snow when the sun comes.
Time will tell if I get to the point of needed any treatment for my Prostate Cancer…… and based on my treatment journey what treatment my body could deal with.
All the very best.
