← Return to Has anyone experienced leaking chemo in the arm tissue?

Discussion

Has anyone experienced leaking chemo in the arm tissue?

Cancer: Managing Symptoms | Last Active: May 4 3:22pm | Replies (9)
Comment receiving replies
@reginacrick

That’s exactly what the ER doctor told me, it’s pretty much a chemical burn.. it was the worst pain ever, it took about two months for the skin to peel off.. the problem I’m still having is numbness on the top of my arm and tightness when I try to make a fist.. my oncologist prescribed antibiotics and prednisone and doesn’t seem too worried about it… this happened January 9th so I’m hoping it’s not going to be like this too much longer..

Jump to this post

Replies to "That’s exactly what the ER doctor told me, it’s pretty much a chemical burn.. it was..."
Rubyslippers | @triciaot | May 4 3:22pm

I’d suggest you ask about hand therapy or occupational therapy. It’s possible the medial nerve was involved in the burn. If your ring finger and pinkie finger are also not making a fist, then the ulnar nerve may be involved.
One thing therapy can help with is preventing scar tissue from developing as your arm heals. I do not know enough about chemo burns to know whether this will be a problem, but I’d ask.
Frankly, I would write down as much as you remember of the day of the chemo infusion that leaked. Such as, was the entire infusion completed before they noticed there was a leak? Or how long into the session did it happen? Did they flush the area, vein included, with a saline solution?
How many chemo treatments were prior to this - was putting in a port discussed to prevent this from happening (they not have been able to prevent it, but that is one reason ports are used).

VIEW AND REPLY