Hi, Has anyone out there, following chemo (Taxotere), developed carpal tunnel syndrome? I thought the pain in my palm, pins and needles and numbness/‘swelling’ in my right hand was peripheral neuropathy but it seems to be getting worse not better and it wasn’t a side effect whilst I was having the chemo but has only developed in the past month/6 weeks - I finished chemo and rads before Xmas.
Before I go whinging off to my GP I thought I’d ask if this is a known effect or just little old me being eccentric again!
I didn’t have taxotere, I had epi/cmf chemo after a right mastectomy.
My friend however had a left lumpectomy and taxotere chemo and has
always complained about pains in her hands, fingertips and her feet have been very painful, she has also had carpal tunnel like symptoms.
She had problems with her fingernails falling off durring and after chemo, but lately has had to have toenails removed because of recurrent infection, the doc reckons it is all down to peripheral nerve damage due to taxotere. It would be worth going to your doc, no your not neurotic. Hope this helps. Your never alone on this website.
I finished FEC/ taxotere in November 2008 ande have had pains/pins and needles in hands and feet ever since. In fact the pain in my feet has got progressively worse. I saw the GP last week. He said do not stop Arimidex as I think it may be that certainly with my feet. At times it is very difficult to walk. I am 58 going on 88 I feel. The pins and needles in hand have i think got better but I find are usually worse in the morning after sleeping all night -I wish.
Hi teacherjy My hands & feet are both pretty bad. There is a thread called Fingers & Toes that I started earlier this year.So far as I can gather I’ve just been unlucky.
I had peripheral neuropathy towards the end of my 6 cycles of Taxotere and although my memory isn’t brilliant with regard to exact timings, I know I went through a phase of it getting worse about 6 months or so after the treatment had finished. This episode only lasted a couple of months and then went away completely. My Tax finished in March 2009.
Hi treacherjy
I am having docataxol and i have had pain and pins and needles and numbness in my left palm on and off, it seems to come and last a couple of days then get better, hope when i am finished chemo it will go for good.
good luck to you
reneex
There is a condition called Brachial plexus neuropathy which is a side effect from radiotherapy. I have it, although it was diagnosed as Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow. I had surgery to release it but to no effect. Have since been told its Brachial plexus neuropathy.
I had radiotherapy at the end of 2004 and have gradually lost a lot of the use of my left hand and arm. Dr EJ Maher, oncologist has done a lot of studies in it and happens to be my oncologist. There are a few articles and reports if you want to search for them. Its quite a rare SE and degree of problems that people suffer from vary a lot. Some with very mild numbness in fingers or pins and needles sensations.
I had both hands operated on for carpel tunnel, after chemo and Arimidex, apparently it is a common side effect. Go to your gp and he will do some really simple tests.
regards Ann
Hi everybody and thank you so much for responding. How interesting this all is - if it wasn’t such a blithering nuisance it would be fascinating! I shall hie me to my poor benighted GP ( a real sweetie) and see how things go. I do feel that when it becomes painful to lift a teacup to my lips the time has come to say ‘Enough, no more!’
If anyone has further egs or comments please do keep posting, though, as the thread may be useful to others.
This sounds alot like my sister’s problems in Arizona. She went through Chemo and her masectomy very well, but now, losing the use of her hands is very severe. There doesn’t seem to be anyone in her medical group who can help. The doctor she saw for carpal tunnel is unwilling to operate. He said it seldom works if it is Chemo related. Someone please give me some info she could use to get relief. I don’t live near her so I can’t be there for her.
Hi there, I only found out today there is a link between carpel tunnel and Chemo. I spent 2013 having chemo followed by 6 weeks Rt. Over Xmas my health and strength finally returned and I spent 3 months house renovating to end up the last month with terrible night numbness, tingling and eventually pain. I had operation for carpel tunnel to my left hand 5 weeks ago, no one mentioned any connection to me. I am. Ow back at work and my hand is very painful, the numbness has gone though. My right hand is definitely not as bad since I have stopped using the sander but I was booked in operation to this hand and now wondering should I do this??? It is a long recovery time and is the pain going to go away??
Hi teacherjy I have the same symptoms as you following radiotherapy in October it has just started recently. I am hoping it is a phase in things adjusting back to normal. It does worry me but I don’t think anything can be done and don’t want more surgery. Let’s ride it out together eh?
Hi. I just finished six months of chemotherapy for for lymphoma cancer in March. About five weeks ago I noticed both my hands were tingling at night with severe numbness in the morning. I have now been experiencing this for 5 weeks and it is now very painful. I went to see a Neurologist and after been given some nerve testing they are telling me that I have severe carpal tunnel in both hands. I am scheduled for surgery on my right hand at the end of August. I did not want to do both hands at once.
I mentioned to my Neurologist that I had recently undergone chemo treatments and his only response was that I probably had always had it but the chemo could have thrown it over the edge.
My chemo treatment was R-EPOCH. If anyone has had this kind of chemo and is experiencing these same symtoms please reply.
I have thus is my left hand and only had 4 cycles of FEC. Mine has been put down to axillary clearance. It is intermittent but very painful at times. Gradually the feeling in the end of my fingers returned but my hand only has to be in the wrong position for a few seconds and the pins and needles and numbness starts. Did you have an axillary clearance particularly as it seems to be only 1 hand? Xc
Hi teacherjo
I went several times to gp but they are useless
I was offered the carpal op and tried acupuncture instead. Then I stopped medication (letrozole) for a while and used tamoxifen and it improved. I then tried a different brand pf letrozole it is back so i am just battling on really. It seems pretty common for sure judging by the posts. You are not eccentric, believe me!
I haven’t had any surgery but I get numbness, tingling and trigger finger in the hand on my bc side. If I turn over during the night it wakes me up, tried going to sleep on that side to see roughly how long before it happened and it was almost an hour and a half. Mentioned it to my Onc, said it wasn’t to do with the cancer and did give me an explanation about it, but I was so happy with my scan and blood results at the time, afraid it went in one ear and out the other! It is a bit of a nuisance but doesn’t trouble me any other time, if I get trigger finger that tends to be in the mornings so assume it is a nerve/circulation thing.
Hi all, I have a rare blood cancer and will be on low dose of hydroxycarbomide chemo treatment for life. This condition thickens the blood so I had a stroke but have recovered well but have developed TCS in both hands which is waking me up and causing me to have problems gripping and being clumsy with numbness and pins and needles especially at night and in the morning. Doctor doesn’t think there is a link so I googled and found this site. There is definately a link … we are not all mad! Thank you for all this information. I will pursue it with my doctor and consultants and let you know the result …
Hi
I developed carpal tunnel syndrome after chemo -my middles &I index fingers were the worst with numbness & tingling -felt like a tight band around them -oncologist nurse said it’s possible
The chemo may have irritated the nerve Tried various painkillers & acupuncture without success GP was great & did injection &a pleased to say pain went & 7 months later still pain free