loss of circulation in fingers/hands
loss of circulation in fingers/hands Does anyone else suffer excessive loss of circulation in hands and fingers? Every night it I have problems with my ‘good’ hand (on my left side). Some nights I wake up and I can tell my left hand (especially the middle finger) has been ‘dead’ for some time. The circulation comes back quickly enough, but it worries me my hand might be ‘out cold’ for so long - especially since I’m left-handed.
The left side is where I had most of my chemo, especially all of the FEC, and I know my veins have not fully recovered, because the vein still feels hard at the elbow, like a tight string.
I finished chemo in June, and rads in August, and have been on Tamoxifen since July (hot-flushes galore). Towards the end of chemo I suffered a little peripheral neuropathy in my finger tips, which hasn’t cleared yet and might be related, although this is actually worse in my right hand (which is where I had most of my Docetaxol chemo delivered).
I spoke to the BC nurses about it, and it clearly it isn’t a common problem, so I’m wondering if it is ‘just me’, and maybe nothing to do with treatment. It seems a little strange to acquire this so many months after finishing treatment.
For angilbert Hi angilbert,
The loss of circulation in your fingers sounds like it is causing you some discomfort. If you would like a reply from one of our specialist nurses please do email in your question and details to the Ask The Nurse email service, you will find the page for this under the ‘support for you’ section on the website or alternatively you are welcome to call the freephone helpline on 0808 800 6000 Mon-Fri 9-5, and Sat 9-2
I hope this is of help to you
best wishes
BCC Host
Hi Hello, was just looking through the forums and saw your post so i hope you dont mind me giving my two penneth!! Has anyone mentioned carpol tunnel syndrome to you?(not sure if it is correct spelling and as far as i know not related to chemo etc)
It is usually worse at night, either with pain or just a tingeling sensation and numbness, usually effects the thumb and the two fingers next door and as soon as you hang your arm over the edge of the bed so your fingers are dangeling, the feeling comes back pretty quick.
Can be related to the work you do or many other things but i do know that one of the main symptoms is that it wakes you up in the night, its all to do with the ligementy thingys in your hand, im sure your gp will help explain it better!!!
Hope that helps a bit xx
carpel tunnel I agree with bubba, I had 4 fec & 4 Taxatere 41/2 years ago, the feelings in my fingers never really came back, over the years it became steadily worse, I could not pick up small things, threw things dropped things, I had ovaries removed last year and things worsened dramatically, could not feel a thing. To cut a long story short, carple tunnel is more prominent in women, especially after the menopause, i.e. oestrogen, which is destroyed with chemo. Definately go to the doctors the little test they do is quick and easy, and referal is straight away, don’t leave it like I did as it almost stopped me being able to work. The hands were operated on 2 months ago, what a difference, they are like two new toys.
good luck hope this helps
Ann
thanks for your advice. I have made an appointment with the GP tomorrow - and will ask about carpel tunnel. Its tempting to put 2 and 2 together and make 5… but I am a software engineer, I’m left-handed, I use a right-handed mouse, and thus my middle finger, left hand, does all the work. So it is quite tempting to think perhaps its a form of RSI - aggravated by chemo. We shall see! I feel better about it already -even without a diagnosis. Thanks again.
Yes I have it!! I finished chemo in August and rads end of September.
I wake both in the night and every morning with ‘dead hands’ the feeling does come back quickly.
I mentioned it to my partner as I was thinking of going to my G.P.
He said that he has it every night also and he hasn’t had b.c.
I am putting it down to my age!
Jugsy
Numbness may be caused by taxol chemos Hi Everyone
I also suffer from neuropathy in my fingers. It ranges from days where there is no feeling at all in the tips of my fingers to tingling in my fingers and right up into my hands. Both hands are equally affected . I mentioned this to the oncologist and was told this is a side efffect of the taxol chemo. I had taxotere chemo and also AC.
I would suggest that it is good to have your GP or onc check you over to ensure that it isn’t something like carpal tunnel or arthritis. I was told by the onc that this can last for several years following taxotere chemo.
Hope that this helps
karen
carpal tunnel Yes… my GP is suspicious that it could be carpal tunnel, more likely agravated by hormone therapy rather than chemo, but quite possibly unrelated to treatment. My case is a bit inconclusive at the moment, so I am going to try a wrist brace at night, to see if this relieves the symptoms (which would also prove the diagnosis). There are several nerves that run through the wrist, and carpal tunnel is associated with the nerve that ‘services’ your thumb and first 2 fingers - so numbness concentrated in these fingers is a strong sign.
Partly I am just relieved to hear it (probably) isn’t a circulation problem, I couldn’t see my neuropathy improving if the nerve stem cells were denied a blood supply!
Thanks for all your replies.