[White Knight]

[Dear Fellow Warriolrs:
My name is Roadrunner. I am a 4 time breast cancer warrior. This time, the fight is more intense. I have Stage 4 Metastic Breast Cancer. I have 2 tumors in my lungs, one in the right, one in the left. I have low tolerance for Chemo drugs. In fact, thanks to my last onocolgist, I cannot do chemo or radiation any longer due to the fact that it has effected the nerves in my hand and feet. I have just been to a neurologist who said that I have 95% damage to my feet and hands from the drug Zeloda. The next chemo drug, Taxol, just finished the job. :mad . He has prescribed a drug for me to take to help relieve some of the symptoms: Venlafine. Have any of you heard of it? Are you familiar with it? I cannot begin to describe how much this sucks. My neurologist was surprised that he did not stop the chemo treatments before this much damage . Well, it's life one day at a time now. God bless.

[mrsD]

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

So sorry about your chemo damage.

There are studies out there in PubMed about using acetyl carnitine during and after chemo to protect the mitochondria of your nerve cells.

I don't know if it is too late for you or not, but considering how severe you are I'd try anyway.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22271810

and this one:

CNS Drugs. 2007;21 Suppl 1:39-43; discussion 45-6.
Acetyl-L-carnitine for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a short review.
De Grandis D.
Source

Divisione di Neurologia, Ospedale Civile di Rovigo, Rovigo, Italy. ddegrandis@iol.it
Abstract

Peripheral neurotoxicity is a major complication associated with the use of chemotherapeutic agents such as platinum compounds, taxanes and vinca alkaloids. The neurotoxicity of chemotherapy depends not only on the anticancer agent(s) used, the cumulative dose and the delivery method, but also on the capacity of the nerve to cope with the nerve-damaging process. The sensory and motor symptoms and signs of neurotoxicity are disabling, and have a significant impact on the quality of life of cancer patients. Moreover, the risk of cumulative toxicity may limit the use of highly effective chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, prophylaxis and treatment of peripheral neurotoxicity secondary to chemotherapy are major clinical issues. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), the acetyl ester of L-carnitine, plays an essential role in intermediary metabolism. Some of the properties exhibited by ALC include neuroprotective and neurotrophic actions, antioxidant activity, positive actions on mitochondrial metabolism, and stabilisation of intracellular membranes. ALC has demonstrated efficacy and high tolerability in the treatment of neuropathies of various aetiologies, including chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). In several experimental settings, the prophylactic administration of ALC prevented the occurrence of peripheral neurotoxicity commonly induced by chemotherapeutic agents. In animal models of CIPN, ALC administration promoted the recovery of nerve conduction velocity, restored the mechanical nociceptive threshold, and induced analgesia by up-regulating the expression of type-2 metabotropic glutamate receptors in dorsal root ganglia. These results, plus the favourable safety profile of ALC in neuropathies of other aetiologies, have led to the effects of ALC on CIPN being investigated in cancer patients. Preliminary results have confirmed the reasonably good tolerability profile and the efficacy of ALC on CIPN. The present studies support the use of ALC in cancer patients with persisting neurotoxicity induced by paclitaxel or cisplatin treatment.

PMID:
17696592
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I'd start at 500mg acetyl carnitine a day and raise up to 2 or 3 grams over a month. It may take several weeks to see any difference if it is going to occur. Take in divided doses to for best absorption.

iherb.com has several brands at affordable prices. I tend to gravitate now to Doctor's best Brands... they are very high quality in the other 3 things I use now. Amazon also carries Doctor's Best products at a big discount.

[Rrae]

Originally Posted by White Knight

[Dear Fellow Warriolrs:
My name is Roadrunner. I am a 4 time breast cancer warrior. This time, the fight is more intense. I have Stage 4 Metastic Breast Cancer. I have 2 tumors in my lungs, one in the right, one in the left. I have low tolerance for Chemo drugs. In fact, thanks to my last onocolgist, I cannot do chemo or radiation any longer due to the fact that it has effected the nerves in my hand and feet. I have just been to a neurologist who said that I have 95% damage to my feet and hands from the drug Zeloda. The next chemo drug, Taxol, just finished the job. :mad . He has prescribed a drug for me to take to help relieve some of the symptoms: Venlafine. Have any of you heard of it? Are you familiar with it? I cannot begin to describe how much this sucks. My neurologist was surprised that he did not stop the chemo treatments before this much damage . Well, it's life one day at a time now. God bless.

Welcome to NT!
A true warrior indeed - that's YOU!
I'm so sorry about this battle you are faced with, especially the damage the chemo drugs have caused. MrsD has given some good information and I hope it proves to be useful to you. There is hope around every corner.
Here is the link to get you to the Breast Cancer forum:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...aysprune=&f=95.

There are alot of survivors over there and I know you will be as much an inspiration to them as they can be to you. Please feel at home here. You are not alone. We're all in this together...

Caring,
Rae