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Has Chemo caused on Nerve Pain and/or Damage for you? I’m worried

Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Oct 23, 2023 | Replies (11)
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@tristram

Thanks for the note. As a three-time survivor of GBS which attacks the nerves, I'm more worried about nerve damage than others might be.

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Replies to "Thanks for the note. As a three-time survivor of GBS which attacks the nerves, I'm more..."
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Dec 18, 2022

@tristram, I can understand your heightened concern about potential nerve damage due to chemo given your history with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

Some chemotherapy drugs are known to have a higher risk for causing peripheral neuropathy. Not all of them do. Many (most?) patients find that the peripheral neuropathy lessens or disappears after chemo ends. But some patients are at higher risk for permanent damage, like people with type 2 diabetes. Here’s more information:
- Nerve Problems (Peripheral Neuropathy) and Cancer Treatment https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/nerve-problems

The chemo (oxaliplatin) that my dad got for colorectal cancer is known to cause chemo-induced neuropathy. Because he also had type 2 diabetes they watched this particular side effect closely and reduced the amount of oxaliplatin in his cocktail of drugs to reduce the risk of it becoming permanent.

Does your team know about your history with GBS? Do you know which chemo drugs you will be getting and if they are at risk for causing peripheral neuropathy?

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