Tips on keeping hands/feet cold to prevent neuropathy?

heidi16

I will start chemo Taxotere/Cytoxan and wonder if anyone has tips on icing hands and feet to avoid neuropathy and loss of nails? Thanks!

ThePrincess

I used the gel gloves - they are are on amazon - and booties - elasti-gel I think - for a 60 min taxol infusion it was 2 sets - starting 15 mins prior to taxol, changing to freshly cold set at 30 mins after taxol started and keeping them on until 15 mins after taxol was done.

KYmarathonmommy

We froze alcohol and water in Ziploc bags in Gladware containers. One for under each foot and one for over each foot, and the same for each hand. I wore socks and little thin gardening gloves. I was in for 5 minutes and out for 5 minutes. I started about 15 min before the Taxol and tried to keep hands and feet cool until about 30 minutes after. I didn't have any neuropathy. Good luck!

gardengypsy

My onc strongly advised that all areas of the body be kept warm during chemo to allow the medicine to reach everywhere, including the head, feet and hands.

Traveltext

I used ice mittens throughout the taxol and have zero after effects two years after.

heidi16

Thank you everyone! I ended up getting the Elastogel mittens and socks but only used them the first infusion. I was cold capping too and just couldn´t handle that much cold at once!! No neuropathy.

Meow13

Heidi, good luck hopefully this will get you all protected from chemo.

mattiej

I wish I had known about the cold for the hands and feet. I have neuropathy and now am loosing my fingernails. I am 7 wks post chemo. I was unaware of the neuropathy until after chemo was started and didn't know about nail loss until I was finished chemo. I thought I knew the side effects (pretty much anyway). I never vomited, very little nausea and feel blessed for that. But....I am more devastated about the nail loss than I was loosing my hair. I'm told that the nails will grow back.....Good luck with the gloves and socks!