anyone know any good sream besides udder cream for really sore feet and hands due to zeloda ? i am trying to do my christmas shopping but it is too irritating like severe frostbite . fed up with all these symptoms as i am also on taxotere and this is supposed to be my good week from that , now this !! may try trainers today and thick socks , going in with my mum so i guess i will be stopping all the time for breaks . awful when you see everyone else rushing around with what it sems not a care in the world eh .
i have had 2 rounds of taxotere , the first i was in hospital for 6 days with neutropenia and an infection , the 2nd in bed for days with pains in legs and could hardly walk ! started xeloda properly this round about 9 days ago .
any insight ladies~?
hugs Tracy xxxx
I’ve been on TAC chemo and had sore feet and hands - but I plaster mine twice a day now with aqueous cream, works for me. What you don’t want is anything that will rub the skin at all - easier said than done, i know. I’d go for very soft cotton or wool socks next to the skin of your feet - and two big bowls of aqueous cream to put them in when you get home!
If there is a shopmobility place where you’re going you could always hire one of their scooters and terrorise the streets.
have a great day shopping
(am jealous as i don’t have the energy myself)
hugs x x
Hi Tracy,
It is almost certain the problem is being caused by xeloda and I am wondering if you have told your oncologist about this. With the combi of taxotere and xeloda I think things will only get worse. When I had both these drugs, but not together, I was told these were symptoms they needed to know about sooner rather than later! and my dosage was adusted accordingly. In the past on previous drugs I had been tempted to be very stoical and think I could manage. MISTAKE! When some of these symptoms get a hold it is quite hard then to get control of them. My hospital provided me with cream which I think was diprobase.
dawnhc
Hi Tracy,
I think soft socks and trainers, or shoes which don’t cause your feet to rub, make a difference on xeloda. Your onc may suggest you try vitamin B6 too. I was on a trial for a while to see if this helped but in my case, I really don’t think it made much difference. I have bought loads of different creams for my hands and some that I would recommend include L’Occitane Hand Cream, Body Shop Hemp hand protector, Aloe Vera gel (Holland & Barrett) Neutrogena intensive hand (& foot) creams and I just got Vaseline intensive rescue hand and foot creams, on offer in Tesco.
So there are a few suggestions to be going on with!
I have this morning broken the back of my Christmas shopping with the aid of my computer here, and am consquently feeling quite stress-free and smug! Hope you manage to have a good day of it with your mum.
Jenny
xx
If the skin is very tender and you’d prefer not to be rubbing it, I’d recommend spray on baby oil (such as Johnson’s but I expect there are alternatives). Apply after your bath or shower and then give it a chance to sink in (go eat your breakfast or brush your teeth before trying to dress). Spray on baby oil is also handy for reaching inaccessible bits (such as your back or feet if stiff).
If you can tolerate rubbing something on, go for something luxurious and pleasant smelling, so you enjoy using it and it isn’t a chore. Udder cream does the job but isn’t exciting? I quite like Crabtree & Evelyn products which actually work out cheap than some budget stuff because you use less. A tube of handcream lasts ages. Chemo often makes your skin smell slightly odd, so a gentle scent in the product is nice if you can tolerate it.
Hiya Tracy,
You are suffering with this lot of chemo! I’ve got sore feet but not sore hands, think its from standing up all day. I like quisie’s idea of hiring a shopmobility scooter, you could cause chaos. No new suggestions, I use the diprobase cream but also got some nice expensive Aveda cream too which is nice.
Don’t forget to stop for lots of mince pies to keep your energy levels up.
Take Care
Allie
Hi Tracy
I’ve been on Xeloda for almost four years, and have tried most of the creams on everyone’s list – Jenny’s & Holey’s suggestions are particularly thorough! One of the many nurses I seem to bump into these days told me that changing creams frequently is a good idea (think our skin gets used to each formula after a while), so perhaps extend your collection, if you can afford more. Also like the scooter idea, as keeping off your feet will reduce pressure & rubbing, which makes the problems worse. And the mince pies, of course!
I also think it would be good for you to speak to your onc or a nurse in her/his team about possibly reducing your Xeloda dose. It may be just as effective as your current dose, with fewer side effect problems. My onc team (at the Christie Hospital in Manchester) is convinced that we are better off getting a regular amount of the drug on perhaps a lower dose, than having a higher dose but needing frequent “chemo-breaks” because we’re in such pain or unable to walk or use our hands. I’ve had two dose reductions during my four years, the most recent was over two years ago (to 1000 mg x twice a day; two weeks on/one week off), and I have very few hand/foot problems now. As with everything relating to our treatments, it’s a balance between effectiveness and quality of life.
Hope this is useful.
Marilyn xx
I agree with Marilyn - I’m on a reduced dose not because of the state of my hands and feet but because my liver can’t cope with the higher dose and consequently I don’t have the problems a lot of people do.
I seem to get very dry and ‘shiny’ hands but that’s all plus my cuticles have disappeared with bits of skin round my nails just appearing like threads!
Pinkdove
x
Hi girls,
I have had Capecitabine for a year for liver mets and am currently having a break as hands and feet were soooooooooo sore. You really don’t appreciate your feet until you are unable to walk! I couldn’t even climb the stairs. 8 Weeks on and my feet are just starting to recover.
I have heard that there is a trial in the states at present that is using the “one week on” “one week off” regime of this chemo. Apparantly it has helped with the foot and hand syndrome. Has anybody heard of this?
Paulinex
Hi Pauline,
I have read of this protocol in the States but have not heard of it being practiced in this country. Will try and remember to ask onc about it next time.
Jenny
x
does anyone get the cold shivers with zeloda? i getg really cold around tea time and shivery . tomorrow i am going to oncology to show them my feet and hands (which are now peeling ) !! oh what fun eh , am so fed up of all these side effects of these 2 chemos , managed to do lots of shopping with my mum the other day but my feet were so sore , i saw one of those mobility scooters outside boots lol and was tempted i must say to steal it and drive off .
anyway speak soon .
love Tracy xx
That makes for a very funny picture Tracy - I can see the newspaper headlines now…
Sorry, can’t help with the shivers, but yes, tell oncology of your side effects and they may well reduce your dose.
Jenny
xx
lol jenny , forgot to mention i have runny teary eyes too and its horrid as i love to wear nice eye makeup. anyway am off to oncology now to show my feet and hands , that should be fun as my feet have stuck to my socks with so much udder cream !!!
Hi Tracy
I get ‘wet’ eyes first thing in the morning as though I’ve been crying (not sticky or anything just weird!).
I also, sometimes, get a runny nose for no reason at all!
Pinkdove
x
I get teary eyes for a couple of days a month and occasionally have a runny nose too. I always forget about these side effects as they are so intermittent. Hope you got on OK with onc.
Jenny
x