hands now painfully sensitive to touch and temperature after 3rd Docetaxel

[kcamH]

A week ago I had my 3rd Docetaxel infusion. Aside from a dry mouth and funny tastes, there's been no side effects. But now I'm getting dark red spots on my hands and arms and the skin on my knuckles is red and very sensitive to touch and temperature. Are these known side effects? Is there anything else besides moisturizer to apply?

Thanks

[Fairwind]

.neuropathy..Nasty business.. How are your feet ? Maybe ask about switching over to Cabazitaxel (Jevtana) which for me at least worked better with no .neuropathy.

[kcamH in reply to Fairwind]

toes were sightly stingy but not noticeable now.

[Tall_Allen]

Some guys tell me that holding ice-packs in their hands during the infusions helps prevent neuropathy, and chewing on ice chips during the infusion helps prevent dysgeusia.

[rontara1 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Agree on the ice packs. My husband has only been through 2 treatments of Docetaxel but we have used the frozen gloves and socks for both treatments and no issues other than dry skin. Will take note and add in the ice chips!

[Hidden]

Part of it sounds like neuropathy and part sounds like an allergic reaction or immune response. It could be caused by the chemo.

Best to talk to you doctor about it.

[Hidden]

There's also hand-foot syndrome sometimes caused by Docetaxel.

[tango65]

It sounds like allodynia which is associated with peripheral neuropathy. Gabapentin may help with the symptons. Here there is some info:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

"PAINFUL PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIES IN CANCER

Cancer may cause paraneoplastic polyneuropathy that is due to the toxic activity of cancer cells, or to an autoimmune response induced by cancer. The majority of paraneoplastic neuropathies are sensory, motor, axonal, or axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathies and they are seldom painful. Symptoms of paraneoplastic polyneuropathy often anticipate the symptoms of cancer. When symptoms of polyneuropathy appear in patients with diagnosed cancer they are more likely caused by chemotherapy. The mechanisms producing nerve injury, and in particular neuropathic pain and sensory symptoms, are not clear. However, the severity of nerve damage appears to be directly proportional to drug dosage [2, 9, 12, 29]. The widely used paclitaxel is known to provoke neuropathic pain and sensory dysfunctions mostly affecting hands and feet, related to a myelinated fibre neuropathy preferentially affecting the largest fibres, with sparing of C-fibres function at warm sensory testing [12]. Ascending distal paraesthesiae and dysesthesiae together with burning pain and allodynia to cold or mechanical stimuli in a stocking and glove-like distribution often appear after chemotherapy [62]"

[JamesAtlanta]

I’d recommend putting your finger tips in ice during the infusion. All you do is get a tray, fill it with ice, wear surgical gloves, and put your finger tips in. Then keep them there until it’s too cold. Take them out for a bit and then put them back in for as long as you can stand it. The hospital should have all the supplies at the infusion room. Really helps!

Also, others here have recommended using frozen gel pads to cool the toes and balls of your feet. That’s the only place I experienced neuropathy.

The skin irritation may be an allergic reaction, as someone noted earlier. Definitely ask your MO about it and make sure they know all your symptoms.

Hope you get relief soon! We are pulling for you!

James

[Grumpyswife]

I wish there was a sticky here for chemo prep as there have been lots of tips. Bags of frozen peas in small coolers work as well.