Coping with neuropathy

Unfortunately for many of us, neuropathy is a possible side effect of some common breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy with taxane medicines like paclitaxel (Taxol) and docetaxel (Taxotere).

What is Neuropathy?

It is experienced as a pain and numbness in the hands or feet.  For most women, the symptoms go away within months after their last taxane dose, but how fast it goes away can vary a lot from woman to woman. About 5 to 10 percent of women can still have symptoms up to a year later. When women receive ongoing chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer, many of the medicines used can have peripheral neuropathy as a side effect. This means the nerves never really get a break from exposure to damaging chemotherapy so that they can heal themselves.

What are the best treatments for neuropathy?

Unfortunately, there are no best treatments for neuropathy. There are medicines that can lessen some of the symptoms such as amitriptyline (Elavil), gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica), but none of them treat the problem. The most important thing is to be aware that you have the problem so that you can guard against injury. When peripheral neuropathy affects your feet, having shoes that cannot slip off is a good idea. If your balance is affected, sometimes using a cane or a walker is the smart thing to do.

If you have peripheral neuropathy symptoms in your hands, talk to an occupational therapist—they usually have excellent strategies for dealing with severe symptoms.

Are there any vitamins or supplements that help neuropathy?

There is some evidence that vitamin E may help women who develop peripheral neuropathy from the platinum-based medicine cisplatin (Platinol). Glutamine may help reduce some of the signs and symptoms of neuropathy from taxane medicines. Supplements like acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) may also be helpful A number of other medicines are currently under study to determine if they help relieve neuropathy.

Source:  LBBC Ask the Expert