Itching

My daughter started having itching, burning, sharp pains in her feet, toes, and hands about 2 wks after her 2nd Taxol treatment. It gets worse when she's working I think because she's on her feet for 4 hrs. It's causing her major anxiety and I had to call her oncologist 3x in last 4 days. Dr just said she can take benadryl every 6 hrs, this makes her too sleepy to do anytbing but sleep. Got a different Dr tonite and he ordered rx steroid cream. Hoping this helps!

I read about Hand Foot syndrome w taxol, it causes leakage in the capillarys in hands and feet. I don't know if this can be permanent or temporary. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I have the same problem. unbearable sometimes. I do only natural so what helps? calamine over the counter cools for a bit, a shallow very not bath works when nothing else, takes a long time soak though, last n ight I put in calendula arosole, tea tree, 3 drops, epsome salts, a bit of wintergreen essential oil, (organic. then after dried off could sleep. there's an apricot hand and body lotion, cools well but does dry and flake, forget the name just now........Jason

After Taxol #9, I started getting that itchy feeling in my feet that would turn into a burning feeling (while already on a low dose of Lyrica for sciatica). I started taking Reactine and vitamin B12 (1000 mcg), and it went away. I needed to continue the Reactine for about 5 weeks after chemo or else that itchy feeling would come back. I'm still taking B12.

Thank you for the info. Appreciate it!

a couple of things I've not yet tried but have. too much work? kava kava, and on the rads thread somene said aloe vera jell on a cloth in the freezer. something wonderful to fantasize about

Dear Mom8016: Let your oncologist know what is happening. You could ask them if they could cut the dose down, and see if that works, before you tell them to stop it. It is probably some kind of neuropathy like the other post eluded to.

Unfortunately the more of these drugs you get in your system, the more it accumulates and the SE's begin to happen.

I am sorry you are going through this. It is beyond exasperating all the SE that can happen. We pay a high price to kill the cancer in our bodies, but no guarantee that it will not come back.

I hope you body responds to Neurontin, Cymbalta, or Lyrica. They just drugged me up, and did nothing for the neuropathic pain.

Keep us posted.

These are frustrating times. Keep a notebook of your SE each time you call your doctor or see him. Because as time goes on, you may not remember if chemo brain starts to set in.

Mom8016:

Because I have such a hypersensitive system, this class of medications produced a "zombie" effect. I refused to live that way. Pain doctor wanted to use pain patches, but I can't wear any patches; I get reactions from them. My choices are limited. I don't have much faith in the medical world of medicines. I do have faith in natural supplements. This is strictly my opinion.

FYI: The steroids they give you can cause itching too, redness, and flushing on your body parts, but that usually decreases in a about a week. I was given two different steroid creams by a dermatologist. One for my face, and one for the other body parts. It helped some. Keep in mind, it may not be just your Taxol.

I wonder what our MO would go through if they took the same chemo drugs as us...hm-mm.

I pray they can truly find a medicine to help you. Hopefully you are not too far along with the Taxol, that they could change the chemo med. Apparently, I was too far along; because all they did is decrease the dose a little every three weeks, hoping to turn my neuropathy around, but that did not work.

It was my hope that all these SE's would have gone away after treatment, but surprise; they did not for me. I don't think it is this way for everyone.

Even Benadryl, caused a allergic itching reaction; which was not supposed to be. I had all the opposite SE's of drugs that were the opposite for most people. The MO was very frustrated because everything he gave me to help minimize the SE's did not work. I just say I am special to deal with it that way. Doctors have to treat me so much different than the normal patients. In fact, my GI gave me a drug that was not supposed to cause stomach cramps, but it did for me. It was a surprise to them how sensitive my system is.

It is my feeling most doctors don't know how to treat patients that have had chemotherapy/radiation side effects. They think all this gets back to normal after treatments. I wish more doctors knew how to treat me.

Thanks for listening. These forums do help.

Hi Millie,

Unfortunately, I think any of these numerous SE's from chemotherapy can be permanent. We pay a high price to get cancer free, more than I realized.

Hope this cream works.

Cindy

I wonder if a steriod would help? Or are you already taking one?

I also took l-glutamine and vitamin B6 during Taxol - supposed to help with neuropathy - which I didn't suffer from - coincidence or from the l-glutamine/B6?

Worth a try, no?

that's

what wounds do whether surgical, accidental, complementary conventional therapies, they itch and bleed