hi ladies im had my 3rd tax last week my question is has anyone experienced sore finger nails and toes they are so tender to touch dont understand why had 7 sessions of chemo and had no problems until now is this normal
Hi Elaine
Here’s the links to the BCC taxol and taxotere publications as not sure which one you have had, they contain information about side effects:
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/Taxol_ERJ.pdf
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/taxotere_jan_08_0.pdf
Hope this helps
Lucy
Hello Elaine,
If you are having Taxotere, then sore fingers and toes are not unusual, and the effects may last after your chemotherapy course finishes. As with all questions related to your chemo, I would strongly recommend asking your oncologist for advice. One tip I would offer in the meantime is to paint your nails (fingers and toes) with a dark nail polish, as the taxotere can make them sensitive to light, and cause pain and/or lifting of the nails. My oncologist recommended dark polish, and I also wore frozen mittens whilst the taxotere was administered. My nails were sore, but 19 out of 20 survived - I just lost one from a little toe, and it regrew quickly.
In my case, the painful fingers have gradually improved and are now virtually gone, 18 months after the final tax.
Best wishes,
J
Hi elaine I had very sore fingers and toes on TAX, I remember I couldn’t do the buttons up on my clothes,lost all my nails too,and even now 2 years on I still have sore toes and a pins and needles feeling it’s called peripheral neuropathy not sure if that’s the correct spelling, is quite a common side effect of TAX.
Best wishes mel xx
Yes sore fingers and toes are normal. I found the effects of taxotere increased the more doses I had. The first was not too bad but after the second things got steadily worse. I did not have frozen mitts as my oncologist did not think it would work. The true effects of the chemo did not show themselves until 3 to 6 months after all the chemo had finished. It takes 6 months to a year for a full nail to grow right from underneath the cuticle. I did not lose any nails at all but they were bad. I had a chiropodist come every 3 weeks during and after the chemo who managed my toe nails which were better than finger nails. I massaged oil into my nails ie Sally Hansen. The nails will be very dry so this helps. Also kept them short and did wear false nails but you have to be careful of infections under the nail. I hope this helps.
The pain in your fingertips is called neuropathy, a recognised SE of docetaxel, the oncs grade it so see how severely you are affected and might reduce the Chemo dose if it gets very bad. The beau lines are also associated with taxanes. Had my nails dark during tax but still have some affected by the ridges. Tina x
Have had 2 tax, one left. My big toe nails feel as though someone is squeezing them with pliers sometimes and I get a few pains in my fingers. Cannot open cans etc as easily as hurts when i use nails, also untying knots in show laces! Grrr.
Hi tors,
So sorry you are suffering. Not much you can do except keep your nails short and oil them and your hands and feet regularly. I had 6 tax so really suffered. Finished chemo May 2009. Have lovely nails on my hands again but lost all my toe nails. Small ones are fine again but big ones are still growing out. One almost finished but one being silly and not hurrying to grow out.
It is a nuisance and some people suffer more than others, let’s hope you are one of the lucky ones. Something we have to put up with as the tax is saving our lives.
Good luck,
E
ta, wouldnt swap having the tax tho!
I’m 3 months post-tax, my nails have grown back to the edge of my fingers and apart from a numb toe on each foot and a slight numbness (which I don’t notice) in my fingers I’m ok.
Chemo is just hideous, but it really does get better quickly after the treatment stops, make sure you take it easy.
Hi all…
I have just finished my last chemo (Taxotere), and have had the same symptons of sore finger and toenails, but didnt know there was a name for it! Oncologist just said it was common side effect, but didnt say it was called neuropathy (sp?)… will have to google it and read up some more about it.
Im finding it hard to cope with, almost everything you do with your hands is affected in some way… even typing this now is uncomfortable!.. but I guess its worth the discomfort when you think how the Tax is saving your life!
Take care xx
Hi Milo’s Mum, glad you found the thread.below is some information on chemo induced neuropathy
Mel xx
What is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)?
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy describes damage to the peripheral nervous system, the system that transmits information between the central nervous system (e.g. the brain and spinal cord) and the rest of the body, caused by some chemotherapy agents. Commonly used chemotherapy agents associated with peripheral neuropathy are listed in Table 1.
What are the symptoms of CIPN?
Symptoms are related to the type of nerve that is affected by the chemotherapy. Sensory nerves are at increased risk to chemotherapy associated damage compared to motor nerves. This is because most of the drugs associated with CIPN are not able to enter the well-protected central nervous system, where the cell bodies (the location of important cell sustaining functions) of motor nerves are located. Therefore, patients often experience sensory symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or burning sensations. Patients may also notice that things that are not normally painful are now painful (called allodynia). For example, after receiving cisplatin, some people report that touching cold things or cold breezes over the skin are painful (CITE). In addition, patients may develop decreased sense of vibration, diminished or absent reflexes.1-3 Sensory symptoms often begin in the tips of the fingers or toes and may progress into a stocking and glove pattern. While it is less common, some people can develop weakness.2 Symptoms are described by drug class in Table1.
The onset and resolution of symptoms is variable. Some drugs may cause symptoms during or immediately after the first dose. The platinum compounds have been reported to have a delayed onset of symptoms, up to several weeks after the last dose. The severity of symptoms is related to the cumulative dose of the drug received.1,2 Patients with pre-existing peripheral neuropathy may be at risk for a more severe and long-lasting neuropathy. It is unclear what proportion of patients have a complete resolution of symptoms or how long it takes for symptoms to resolve because there are no published studies that have examined these questions. However, many patients report to their health care providers that their symptoms improve or totally resolve over time.
Table 1. Commonly used chemotherapy agents associated with peripheral neuropathy
Taxane Class:
Paclitaxel (Taxol®)
Docetaxel (Taxotere®)
AbraxaneTM
60%6
50%6
71%7 Mild to moderate numbness, tingling, burning/stabbing pain of hands and feet are common which can become severe with increased doses.8,9 Reduced or absent achilles tendon reflex.4 Weakness of distal muscles has been documented with high cumulative doses of paclitaxel and docetaxel