My last chemo was due to be tomorrow I really felt Id had enough and didn’t want to do it. However since the last one my feet have been acquiring more and more numb patches. By Wednesday the onco said it was Grade three and the chemo was cancelled anyway. Although the pn is chemo related it doesn’t necessarily get better when you stop and is a degenerative condition. So just when I was feeling like celebrating… is anyone else tackling this post-paclitaxol bonus???
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Hi @twink1 . I finished my chemo treatment (paclitaxel) back in Nov 25 and still have residual peripheral neuropathy in my feet. I do have reflexology every 3 to 4 weeks which works wonders for me. My toes are numb when I need a session and I walk out with full feeling again.
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I had wondered about that. Thanks.
I had 12 weeks of paclitaxel in 2022 and then further treatment with NAB-paclitaxel in 2023. PN affected me a little during the last 3 infusions in 22 and I had a dose reduction to help. It came back with my last treatment in 23, escalates after I stopped, and I still have it in both hands and feet. Tingling, altered sensation and woolly finger and toe ends. It doesn’t hurt.
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Hi @twink1 , I completed chemotherapy with Paclitaxel in June 2025 and from the very beginning of the treatment I started to have serious problems with peripheral neuropathy in hands, feet, legs, sometimes in my arms and lips. Even now I still have residual neuropathy but very little left in my right foot, I would say 90% gone. I initially had treatment with the heavy stuff, like gabapentin, pregabalin then amitriptyline and due to various side effects I had to give up on them. I was then referred to a specialist in the hospital who prescribed me a new drug, duloxetine. This professor also prescribed me Dermacool 5%, which is a menthol cream that has to be massaged on the whole feet going up to the knees, at the same time the cream has to be applied on the lower back. She also advised to wear neuropathy socks, mentioning that not everyone feel benefits when wearing them. And exercises for foot neuropathy: ankle rolls, calf raises, walking on toes and strengthening exercises when sitting down - all of them can be found on the net. All of the above helped a lot and I really think that I can get rid of that little bit of residual peripheral neuropathy very soon. I was badly affected by PN and didn’t think I was going to have improvements but it’s a huge difference in the way I feel now.
I encourage you to talk to your oncologist about your problems and even suggest for a referral to a specialist if the oncologist can’t help you. All the best 
Yes - one of the reasons I didn’t spot the first stages was the lack of pain! That’s numbness for you, though. It has been affecting my balance and my feet get hot when I walk any distance and my shoes feel tight. When I look at them there’s no sore places or blisters and they recover. The BCN nurse told me to keep walking with my Nordic poles and doing Tai Chi - and to do strength training, which I don’t enjoy at all. What advice have you had?
Thanks for this feedback, Celestine. I hadnt realised those meds might be curative rather than just offering relief from symptoms. I’ll definitely check out those exercises on the net. I do Nordic Walking and Tai Chi -,both of which help temporarily - but I have nothing like the problems you’ve had! It’s quite scary, isnt it? - coming just when you thought you were out of the woods. Well done for getting through it and I hope you deal with the last 10% as well as you did the first 90!
I developed itchy hands and feet after my first round of paclitaxel and it got progressively worse after rounds 3 & 4. It really is horrible when it flares up on my feet. I have been prescribed Urea cream 10% and the menthol cooling cream too. I am really hoping this will ease off with time. I hadn’t heard of neuropathy socks and will investigate. I had read on another thread about someone trying a hyperbaric chamber to help PN.
I’ve been in touch with one and some people find it helps. If this persists or gets worse, I ‘ll give it a go. After a year + of surgery and chemo I find myself strangely phobic about regular appointments just now!