Taxotere and numbness

[ChickenWrangler]

Hey all, I am on dose two of taxotere and today I feel my mouth and especially tongue growing numb. Has anyone else experienced this? Any home remedies? Also feeling light headed. Just wondering how common these symptoms are and when they usually occur and how long before they hopefully leave! Sending good vibes out to all!!

[Sunnysailor]

how is your BP and heart rate? My husband had a ton of side effects and that was not one. Also I found calling the nurses at the infusion center incredibly helpful or your oncologist. Make sure you are drinking more than 64 ounces of water. I think my husband was drinking about 9-10 glasses a day. He did lose his sense of taste (salt) and had lots of mouth sores. The dizzy feeling maybe blood pressure. We logged his every day.

[Concerneddaughter123]

my dad hasn’t had that side effect with his mouth but he has had some mouth sores. Did they mention that was a possibility to you? Sometimes the sores can have a weird sensation before they appear. He swishes with salt water throughout the day.

I’ve also seen on this blog some other men would chew or suck on ice chips during the chemo infusion.

[HikerWife]

My husband kept ice chips in his mouth during docetaxel infusions (he also chilled hands and feet with ice-pack mitts). Zero problems with mouth sores or tongue problems, or with neuropathy issues in hands/feet.

[ChickenWrangler in reply to HikerWife]

Did he chill this hands and feet just during the infusions or something that he did daily afterwards? Thanks so much!

[HikerWife in reply to ChickenWrangler]

Start chilling before infusion starts (maybe 10 min, while medical staff is setting up), continue during infusion, and if possible for about 15 min after. Do some walking around immediately afterwards to get blood moving around. I think there is info in this forum if you search, as well as online. The cold constricts blood vessels in the areas that are chilled, which lessens the amount of chemo drug reaching the area, helping to minimize damage.

[RoseDoc]

Taxotere will cause neuropathy over time. Using the ice mittens/socks will help. Sucking on ice during the infusion may help to lessen the gradual loss of taste that occurs. Side effects are cumulative with each dose.

Hydration is very important before and after the infusion. As for mouth sores (cankers), sucking on deglycerized licorice tablets at the first hint of onset will eliminate them. Suck on one tablet every 4 hours or so. Once you have them, the tablets hasten their resolution.

Exercise is also very important during the weeks of infusion.