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Pins and needles after Chemo

Lady-on-chemo
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I understand this is fairly common after chemo (and I was warned against it) but it was a lot worse than I thought, even 3 months after chemo. It feels like I am walking on cobblestones, can't do up buttons and it keeps me awake at night

The nurse advised exercise - which does help for an hour or so after but comes back. Another women told me about Phyto-V,  a supplement which was tested for long covid and seems to help people with tingling and tinnitus. It helped her. I was not sure if it was a "placebo effect" but after a week my numbness got better so I stopped it. It then returned within 2 weeks - so back on again and within 2 weeks it's very much better again. I have tried to look it up for chemo side effects but have found no information. That' why I joined this forum - to see if anyone else has had a similar experience with this or other similar things.

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    Are you talking about peripheral neuropathy[PN]? Or tingling throughout your body? If it's PN, it can get better, but sometimes it can be permanent. A woman my wife did treatment with, had it and it eventually went away, but it took months.

    Nerves are notoriously slow healers, so only the passage of time will tell you one way or another.

  • Offline in reply to ProfBaw

    Hello ProBaw

    Thanks for the reply - nice to know someone is listening!

    Yes - I believe it's called peripheral neuropathy - and very annoying, to say the least

    Fortunately it's very much better after taking Phyto-V - I talked to my oncologist, she said she had not heard of it for this problem but suggested but said it was safe. She did say it should be tested in a trial but would need more feedback 

    thanks 

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    Hi Ladyon chemo.I was pleased to see your post and discover that someone is having similar although not the same after effects from Chemo.I had Folfox for colorectal cancer and now 4 months after finishing my last cycle I am suffering very badly from Peripheral Neuropathy.

    My feet are increasingly numb and feel as if I am walking on cobblestones as you described either burning and tingling keeping me awake at night or freezing cold even on warm days.I cannot travel on buses for more than 10 minutes before my feet trouble me so much I have to get off to walk a bit.This has been going on for over 2 months now.I am 78 years old and now wish I hadn't had Folfox chemo but I was warned about these dreadful after effects which are impacting seriously on the quality of my life .What is also very depressing is that my GP my Oncology team and my nurses don't seem very bothered about what I am going through I have come across nothing that makes it more bearable.

    My hands are slightly numb but not causing too much trouble so far although they were affected during each chemo cycle.

    I will look up Phyto -V but until now I have not heard of it.

    Thank you for sharing your story and I hope it resolves.

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