Not sure what to think

gracie1019

I am new to this forum and needed somewhere to go and vent, for myself and my mom...My mother was diagnosed in 2001 with BC and underwent chemo and a lumpectomy followed by radiation. I believe she was diagnosed with Stage III. Then, in June of this year, she was undergoing a simple surgery and they found lesions on her liver. After the scans and tests were all done and calculated, it was her BC back again but only in the liver and a small part was shown on her sternum. She is undergoing chemo (Abraxzane, not sure of sp) and she has done well...tumor shrinkage but side effects are tired, weak and bad neuropathy. Her onc is giving her 3 more treatments and then on to hormones.

Now, I am wondering, aside from the thought of if my mom can beat this again, but does anyone out there know of a good remedy for neuropathy? She is having a hard time with it and I know that after this chemo it may or may not go away and I just want her to be comfortable!! I don't like seeing my mom in pain!! If anyone has any insight to any of this, I would appreciate it! Thank you! And my prayers go out to all of you courageous fighters. Keep living and laughing every day!!    Amy

barbe1958

I see no one has seen your post yet, so I'll mention Lyrica and Neurontin. But her doctor should be able to help her with this.

gracie1019

barbe1958,  She is on Neurontin but it doesn't seem to be working that great. Her onc said he wants her to stay on it so I guess we shall see. But another question I have for you or anyone is are the benefits of hormone treatment just as good as chemo? I know my mom needs a break from her chemo but I'm scared she will go on the hormones and then the cancer will grow. I remember last time she was on one for 5 years, but that was after her cancer was cleared. Will these be the same? I'm confused and I hope I didn't confuse the rest of you!!! Thank you! Amy

dlb823

Amy ~  I had good results with B6 for neuropathy while on Taxotere.  I don't recall the exact amount, but I used Whole Foods own brand in the lowest available mgs, and it made a marked difference right away.   Deanna

barbe1958

Gracie, it takes weeks for the drug to "fill" her system. How long has she been on Neurontin? If it's not working, suggest a higher dose or switching to Lyrica. Also consider the alternatives, like Deanna suggested. Good luck.

gracie1019

Thank you both for your input. I will be sure to tell my mom about the B6. I also heard L glutamine also works too. Barbe, she has been on Neurontin for about a month now at 400 mg a day...that's why I believe it doesn't work well for her.

barbe1958

Grace, please keep us posted on her well-being. And take care of yourself too! {{{{{ hugs }}}}}

flash

the pain is also accentuated by low blood and lymph flow.  Have her move as much as she is up to doing.  Even if it's just clenching, unclenching hands, wiggling toes when she's tired.   the more the blood flows the lower the pain.  Make sure that she's getting enough veggies in her diet for magnesium,calcium and b's during the chemo.(not supplements unless onc ok's)

shopper16

Hey Gracie!

My Mom is also struggling big time with the neuropathy.  She was on Abraxane for 5 months (6 cycles: 3 weeks on, 1 week off) and did very well but took 300mg of B6 a day: 200 mg of a Vitamin B Complex and 100 additional mg of B6.  She was recently switched to Xeloda and has struggled with neurapathy since.  She was on neurontin but had an allergic reaction to it this past Friday.  She's now on Lyrica but struggling to get insurance to approve it. 

My Mom's oncologist always said that once the cancer is in remission or "NED---no evidence of disease", my Mom could go back to hormonal therapy.  Hormonal therapy acts SLOWER then chemo to prevent cancer so that's why it's normally not an option until the cancer is gone.  So inquire with your Mom's oncologist to see why she would get switched to hormonal therapy and if it's b/c her cancer is NED...it's time to celebrate!

It's definitely a battle...I'm noticing my Mom starting to run out of steam as she has gone strong with treatments for 7 months now.  I'm hopeful the holidays will help rebuild her spirit and keep her fighting this battle as strong as she has the past 7 months.

The best of luck to you and your Mom.  Let me know if I can help with anything!

Shauna

dogsaver

i was given alpha lipoic acid during chemo and i dont have neuropathy. during chemo i had occasional tingling in fingers and feet, like they were falling asleep but once chemo stopped i dont get it anymore. the alpha lipoic acid really did the trick as well as keeping active and healthy. best wishes