Chemo-induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Breast Cancer

Hi @seindroit, I moved your question about neuropathy to this related discussion. Click the link to see helpful tips from members.
- Chemo-induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Breast Cancer: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-11/

@seindroit, did you talk to your cancer team about the sensations in your face to rule out something else?

I had the same thing happen to me. both my feet felt like I had permanent pads on my soles.
I had tingling in my neck that lasted for what seemed like minutes but probably was less than one minute. I stopped taking Letrozole and within six days it was a lot better. I think in time both symptoms will go away the longer I am off Letrozole . My oncologist said it was not the Letrozole, but my neurologist said, it had to be. Nothing else was wrong with my nerve endings.

Hi Karen
I did wear cold mitts and booties during my chemo that helped with getting neuropathy.

I have to ask if there’s anything different you’d have done going into your dose dense chemo. I’ve got the same chemo starting next week.
I play multiple instruments and don’t want to lose my hands….
Nutrition supplements…..icing…?

I hope things go well and it does not affect your hands. I am a pianist and I really sympathize with you. I would talk any recommendations the medical professionals tell you. In addition, I would like to share that my husband's doctors had him take vitamin B6 and maybe another B vitamin to help prevent/repair damage. Maybe you could ask about that. The main thing I would like to tell you is that he has improved far past the point that they told him would be possible by simply squeezing a racquetball. He did not have breast cancer, but he did have chemo and he had significant peripheral neuropathy. There came a point that they told him he would never improve any more, but he really did. I can see it in his handwriting and in the tiny things he like to work on like micro-circuits. It couldn't hurt to try it. He says to just squeeze it while you are watching TV or bored or waiting in a line or whatever. Maybe this could help.

A friend told me to ice my hands and feet while on Taxol. I met resistance from the infusion nurses, but the agreed to it. I have minimal to zero neuropathy, but another friend was not told that and after 5 treatments she was unable to walk and she was getting treatment at a Premier cancer institute. After people questioned me about it, I was told by the intake nurse that it had helped so many others who witnessed it and has helped so many people since. I don't understand why other facilities aren't telling people this. The boots and gloves are available from Amazon, so I changed them out every 15 minutes. I wish you all had known this ahead of time.