Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

ever - you can develop neuropathy after you have finished chemo - it would be delayed onset neuropathy.  Neuropathy is more commonly a numbness or tingling, but can also be expressed as pain.  Talk to your onc about it, but I also am wondering how fast they are infusing your Herceptin?  If it is 30 minutes, you might ask for a slowdown and see if it improves your hands.  Have you started Tamoxifen yet?  If so, that could also be the culprit - I had trigger finger problems with Femara.

I'm still on TCHP and have what feels like sensitivity in my fingers, especially the tips. No numbness or tingling, but I'm aware of them. Not sure how else to describe it. I've mentioned it once to my onc but am going to mention it again. At the time he seemed to not care about it.

Thanks for the advice. It isn't any worse, at least. My fingernails, on the other hand, are getting worse. That is bumming me out.

I remember waking up one morning feeling like my ring finger nails had been smashed with a hammer. The pain was gone after a few days but those fingers are the worst for the nails letting go. They are just barely holding on.

Everforward - sounds arthritic in nature to me. Especially b/c of soreness/stiffness in the morning, combined with popping (if it feels like it is coming from the joint), and then it loosening up and feeling better.

Tamoxifen typically doesn't cause joint pain but it can indeed. A good friend of mine just had to stop it due to severe joint pain - she could barely walk. The same thing had happenned to her when on AI's. She did better with Tamox for a while, but then it started up again.

I would discuss with your doc, don't let it progress.

After about 2 months post TCH, my nails also started peeling, like they were made of veneer. I went back to using gel polish to keep me from picking at them. The ring finger nails are barely hanging on anyway.

I have some mild neuropathy in my toes from chemo, which is more severe for about a week after the herceptin only. Also, after my Diep recon I had back & rib pain, which would be expected because you walk bent over for a few weeks after surgery.It seemed to be improving but it too flares up after herceptin. Might slower infusions help this?

I didn't lose any nails during chemo, but I did get horizontal ridges on every finger nail, one for each chemo, six in all. Its like rings on a tree, I can count each treatment. Its greadually growing out. Also, I now have 3 ingrown toenails. Podiatrist says chemo is the cause, it made my toenails curve.

I can't say my fingers were ever sore but my fingernails were very sore right before they all started lifting. They also turned very dark brown/reddish color. Sorry I can't help you much

Is the T or C or the H in TCH hard on your joints? My knees and ankles are starting to bother me 3 months post last full TCH infusion.

EverForward, it sounds like you have mild neuropathy. I have the exact same thing, except it's in also in my feet, and it's in addition to other neuropathy symptoms- it doesn't really go away during the day, and I also have tingling and numbness. I am having to take painkillers in the morning to be able to walk around, even.

I had a little bit of pain in the tips of my fingers after my 5th TCH treatment, so they cut back on the Taxotere for the 6th, but it got markedly worse over the course of a few weeks after that last infusion.

In my case, it's really irritating, (especially when I can't find things in my purse because my fingers *feel* normal at that moment but a lot of sensitivity is gone) but not debilitating. I'm back to hiking up to 4 miles at a timea few days a week with numb and tingly feet, with yoga on the days in between. I can't say as it's helped the neuropathy, but it makes just about everything else better

Something I've found to be helpful is keeping my hands warm at night- I wear a pair of fingerless gloves when I sleep. Actually, I wear them a almost all all the the time now

oh! And I started gettin shellac manicures after my nails started peeling. So far it seems to be helping them hold together nicely. Plus it lasts a couple of weeks, which is a bonus :

Thanks Bippy & JenKay - When I see my onco and complain about knee/ankle pain & wobbliness, I will know that others have the same s/e's and won't let him fob off my complaint.

They will tell you it's not from chemo.
Seems funny that we all have it though.

I've just started my first course of chemo today (THC-P), so I know virtually nothing! (Took lots of notes from the managing nurse... am still trying to decipher my writing and go through all the pages of hand-outs she gave me!)

She mentioned that B-complex vitamins could help with neuropathy. Is that true? Or just maybe works with some people at some times?

April I have heard B-complex vitamins can help. My MO was against taking anything new so I didn't take them. I wish I had. I have a little left over numbness in my left heel.