[aussiemom]

Which is a chemo drug. I think I've got every reaction in the book. My feet are swollen, purplish red, very angry looking, and starting to peel.

This has been going on 2 weeks.

I already had PN in my feet, mild, bearable, will this make it worse?

Anything I can do?

[mrsD]

Chemo typically kills off healthy host cells, while also targeting
cancer cells.

I post some of the substances that have been found to help spare your own mitochondria on these forums.

Acetyl Carnitine is the most readily available. The studies used 2 grams a day for the most part, in divided doses.

Also discuss with your doctor, as he/she may have a routine to minimize the toxic effects. You have to push for this with some doctors.

Also cancer can raise proteins in the blood...these clog up the small blood vessels and impair circulation in the hands and feet. You can have the doctor test for gammopathies, and see if this is adding to your PN problem.

[aussiemom]

Doc called it hand foot syndrome, wrote rx for Medrol PAC, ordered 2 bags of fluid. Said there wouldn't be any more chemo, this was round 5. I'll be having surgery in a few weeks, then rads, then a pill for 10 years.

[mrsD]

More on Hand/Foot syndrome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemoth...acral_erythema

It appears to be a toxic neuropathy of some sort. To get any benefit from acetyl carnitine, now is the time to take it. The longer you wait, the window of effectiveness may close.

http://oncolink.org/treatment/articl...=2&s=13&id=384

Vitamin E may help:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22331734

Some studies suggest pyridoxine like this one:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...wY6HrbuZjuhiHw

I'd use P5P (by NOW--activated B6) for best results if you decide to try it.
Your dose could be less than in the above article.

[Stacy2012]

MrsD, you are one of the most helpful people I have ever seen on a forum. People here are lucky to have you. It takes alot of time to look all this stuff up and be available to a forum.

God Bless!

[v5118lKftfk]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Vitamin E may help:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22331734

old post but I can't help but chime in for those reading later ...

I personally chose not to combine Vitamin E with chemo or post cancer treatment because there have been some important recent studies that shows that it feeds/grows cancer.

They were really hoping Vitamin E during chemo would help prevent neuropathy and they were very surprised and disappointed with these findings, particularly with colon cancer which is a related cancer / behaves in some ways similar to ovarian and some other cancers. If you search online for vitamin E and colon cancer you will find the studies.

[mrsD]

From a meta-analysis of studies in 2013:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24491883

Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2013;83(2):101-11. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000149.
Protective effects of vitamin E on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Eum S1, Choi HD1, Chang MJ2, Choi HC3, Ko YJ3, Ahn JS3, Shin WG1, Lee JY4.
Author information
Abstract
PURPOSE:

This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of vitamin E for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
METHODS:

A comprehensive search from 1973 through July 2011 identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the preventive effects of vitamin E on CIPN. The relative risk (RR) of CIPN with vitamin E supplementation, compared with placebo, was assessed with the Bayesian random effect model and expressed as RR with a 95 % credible-interval (CrI). Bayesian outcome probabilities were calculated as the probability (P) of RR < 1.
RESULTS:

Five RCTs, involving 319 patients, were identified. Upon pooling these RCTs, vitamin E supplementation (300 - 600 mg/day) had a significant effect on CIPN prevention (RR 0.43; 95 % CrI 0.10 - 1.00, P = 97.5 %). Subgroup analysis by chemotherapeutic agent type was only available for cisplatin and showed that vitamin E supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of CIPN (RR 0.26; 95 % CrI 0.06 - 0.89, P = 98.1 %). Furthermore, there were no adverse effects caused by vitamin E supplementation in any of the RCTs.
CONCLUSION:

Available data included in this meta-analysis show that vitamin E supplementation might significantly prevent CIPN. Currently, however, the data are insufficient to confidently conclude the true value. Large-scale, rigorously designed RCTs are needed to confirm the role of vitamin E supplementation in CIPN prevention.
KEYWORDS:

chemotherapy, peripheral neuropathy, vitamin E

PMID:
24491883
[PubMed - in process]

The studies do vacillate back and forth, and readers here should consult their physicians for further advice.

Here is a link from American Cancer Society, and lists what may help with neuropathy from chemo (2013):
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid...002908-pdf.pdf