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Ice packs for hands and feet during chemo.
I had read about ice being a possible deterrent to CIPD while going through certain chemo therapy drugs.
Question: If this could possibly help avoid the onset of peripheral neuropathy, why aren’t there ice machines in the chemo clinic? I had Ovarian cancer 5 years ago.
I have had good results from treatment, it was left with CIPN. It has been a life changer for someone who used to be quite active. Yes, I thank God for treatment that saved my life. But, for the price of ice, I could be back to my physically active self.
Any thoughts??
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There is no real science. The ice packs will prevent neuropathy. There just isn't any studies that would support the use of ice on hands and feet.
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2 ReactionsI appreciate your response. It actually makes me feel better since I didn’t do it and had wondered if I would have had a different outcome.
I think people should do it. It falls into the category of "can't hurt, might help".
I did, and I never had any neuropathy in my hands. My feet are slightly numb, but it doesn't affect function. I've now had 17 cycles of taxol.
I came to think that you should ice your hands and feet during the infusion, but then warm them up when you get home and keep them warm for a couple days. I explained my reasoning in a different post a couple years ago.
I bring frozen gel packs for my feet and frozen water bottles, to hold in my hands, from home. But most infusion centers do have ice, intended for drinks, that you can use to cool your hands and feet if you want.
Iced hands and feet by the marvelous nursing staff at Rochester was my life saver! Highly recommend using icing!
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1 ReactionThey sometimes discuss icing and/or compression of hands and feet on the pancreatic and breast cancer boards. This is a particularly in-depth comment: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/1250927/
There is an ongoing clinical trial at various locations in the US comparing icing, compression, etc. for prevention of neuropathy (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05642611). Expected completion date is in 2031, so if you're having chemo now, you're going to have to decide whether to do it without iron-clad evidence.
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1 Reactioni purchased two coolers that have timers and foot wraps thru amazon and bring them to chemo with frozen water bottles. preventing neuropathy is very important to me
Does this work for all chemos?
For women with gyn cancers, peripheral neuropathy is mostly an issue for chemo regimens that include paclitaxel/taxol and, I imagine, nab-paclitaxel/abraxane. I only iced my hands and feet during paclitaxel infusion, not the carboplatin.
I agree. The question is why doesn't the infusion rooms provide ice. It's uncomfortable and it really has no proven effect. I didn't do it. I got no neuropathy either.
I used the hand and feet gel packs for my carbo/pac infusions on the recommendation of an acquaintance who shared hers with me. My doctor had never suggested it! The infusion team supported it by allowing me to use the freezer, but otherwise would not involve themselves so I always had a chemo buddy to switch out the packs. I am almost three years out from chemo and my hands are fine! My feet have very minor neuropathy symptoms, mostly when cold or at night, so I always wear socks to bed.
My recommendation would be to try it and in fact I passed along the gel packs to another woman who had been unaware. Thank goodness for the love of our sisters! 💙