Nurse at yesterday’s first weekly chemo session, for 12 weeks, with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin (Taxol/Carbo) told me that it was highly likely at my age, 67, that I’d develop Peripheral Neuropathy, and that there was NOTHING to be done about it! I’ve read a research article on this great site that non pharmacological interventions, i.e. cryotherapy socks, compression gloves can help reduce the risk. I have arthritis in toes and fingers already, and PN would be the icing on the cake, NOT! Any advice hugely appreciated. I’ve found these socks, but ice gloves mostly withdrawn because of frostbite risk, I believe. If compression gloves should they cover the fingertips too? Should gloves / socks go on before treatment and stay on afterwards? Thanks so much
Hi, I just started Taxol (session 4 now) and have been using these gloves since the first session. I bought them on Amazon ( Amazon.co.uk ) - I have the purple ones from them. So far I had only a little bit of tingling after the 4st session on one foot (the next day after the treatment) and the following day it was gone. You put them 15 min before Taxol and during the session for 1 hour. At one point I had to take them off for a few minutes but then resumed again. Make sure you drink a warm green tea afterwards to warm up.
Hi Miriam,
Were you referring to cryotherapy gloves or compression gloves. If so how did you keep them cold enough prior to treatment. If not have you had experience or could recommend compression gloves?
How have you been getting on with Taxol. I’m on weekly Paclitaxol.
Hello,
The link to my cryo gloves are here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B49TY3RK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 (bought them on Amazon) and they worked well. I had them on both hands and feet. As I had a canuler on one hand, I had one gel block under a small towel just the ice pack and it was enough. I actually finished 12 out of 12 Paclitaxol sessions this Monday and didn’t suffer any neuropathy side effects. May be some tingling at night but drinking water normally resolved it. I drunk a lot at night afterwards. Also, if you can have the cold cap for your head, it kept all my hair (it’s a bit thinner but you wouldn’t say I had 12 doses.). Regarding the compression gloves - we took them with us from the freezer before we left in a freezer bag with extra blocks to keep cool and put them on together with the cap (30 or 15 min prior). The first 10 min were the hardest, hands were fine but after 5 min of the cold socks on my feet I had to take them off, rub my feet to loosen them up and then put them on again, When you get used to them, they are fine. I had then on during 1h Paclitaxol and then 1 -1.5 h afterwards as my cap was for 1.5h after the treatment. Good thing about this is that by applying cold to your feet and hands it also cools your core body temp and I didn’t feel the heat from Paclitaxol. To save your gums, funnily enough my other half helped me with small ice cubes to chew. I know, if you can manage for during the 1h of Paclitaxol I think it helped. M
Sorry, forgot to mention, if you can, don’t eat before and during the treatment, just drink water. I had treatment in the morning and started eating at 2-3pm bur again not to much on the day. Have a ginger tablet 2h prior the treatment. That helped with any stomach upsets.
Thank you so much for the info.
I already had the socks when I suffered HFS with Capeceitabin and have recently bought the gloves.
I’ll give them both a whirl next week.
I’ve never bothered with a cold cap.