while having my second FEC today my nurse told me that i will be wearing special ice gloves and socks during my first TAX chemo in 6 weeks, i thought shewas joking but no apparently they come straight from the freezer onto my feet and hands to try and stop my nails peeling off, i have never heard of this before, has anyone had this treatment???
Bringing to the top for leilac
Jo, Facilitator
Hi Leilac,
Yep, afraid this is true :). I have had the frozen mitties and booties for my tax treatments. It is horrible at first but bearable after the first 6-7minutes. I have 3 sets during tax, one 15 mins before , then change on for 40 mins, then last set about 20mns. So far my nails are fine just but discoloured from the polish.
Love
KQ
P
I didn’t have this treatment, but it is standard with tax in America. I took frozen peas with me to the chemo suite and put my hands and feet between the bags. The nurses just asked why and let me get on with it as if I was slightly mad. I felt it was me that was going to have to put up with the problems so I would do all I could to prevent it. I didn’t have problems with loss of or painful nails or any neuropathy in fingers and toes. My onc was sceptical, but I had read the research and went ahead.
There were others on the chemo thread at the time who tried it as well (started chemo Oct 2010).
Hope it works for you. Wishing you minimal SEs. xx
I wish I had been offered something like this when I had my 4 x TAX chemotherapy last year (2011) I lost all my finger nails and most of my toe nails and have periferal neuropathy in hands and feet.
Like supertrouper I wish I had known about this. I was having dose dense Taxol (3 weekly dose but every 2 weeks) and although I didn’t actually lose any of my nails I suffered with dreadful neuropathy in hands and feet. This at the time caused me such anxiety as I really didn’t know if I would get the feeling back. (They went completely numb). So I could have done without the added stress of this at the time. Luckily 18 months on all is well, but it took a good 6 months to regain feeling in hands and a bit longer for feet.
So I would say if you can cope with it definitely worthwhile as neuropathy is a dreadful side effect.
I am somewhat surprised (polite expression for horrified!) that there are chemo departments out there who have not heard of this? I had frozen mittens during taxotere 4 years ago, and I was also advised to keep all my nails painted with a dark polish, as the drug makes them photosensitive which can also contribute to nail loss. These were proper, specifically designed frozen mittens, not just an ice pack/pack of frozen peas, and the treatment is standard in my unit.
For me, I found the frozen gloves to be horribly painful, and I was reduced to tears a couple of time - but I am convinced they worked.
J
I read about the mittens and socks when I had chemo. My BCN was Australian and said that it was standard for TAX chemo there. I used frozen peas in nappy sacks. I got a few weird looks and the chemo nurses didn’t know about the mittens and socks. I had no neuropathy and although my nails discoloured, I didn’t lose any xxxx
I also wish I’d known about this before having Docetaxol in 2009 when trying to safeguard against nail damage by using freezing or dark-coloured nail varnish was never mentioned. I was lucky to have only very minor peripheral neuropathy and my finernails recovered within about 3 months. However, my big toenails are still discoloured, thickened and generally disgusting and I somehow doubt they will every return to normal.
I am getting taxol for ovarian cancer right now and am experiencing neuropathy. I would love to know the brand of the frozen gloves that you are using. I have been reading that wearing these gloves will cut down on neuropathy.
thanks,
Barb