My husband had leukaemia which transformed to Hodgkins disease. Very ill for 6 weeks during which time the muscles in his legs all but disappeared. Arms and hands also affected. Neurological tests showed that the axon had been severely damaged. Now he cannot walk, can just about take his own weight but the legs and feet don't go where he wants. Also doubly incontinent. Has been told that IF the nerves grow back it could take up to 2 years. Has anyone else had this? How did you cope? Has there been any improvement over time? Did any treatment help. Many thanks. Sally in UK

I think you were reading my mind, as you posted I was researching the concept of nerve fiber regeneration, not related to cancer, but just in general. I have not been thru cancer, although I did work on a cancer unit as a medical professional. I can't speak about the cancer experience personally but some of our members can.

I found something that was enlightening about 'regeneration'. The entire websites are below.

I was going to post this anyway, as there is seems to be confusion about nerves regenerating, so, I wanted to see what I could find, then your post appeared.

I want to preface this with the comment, that your husband has been thru a tremendous ordeal, and has more issues in terms of his weakness and mobility than only neurological. He has critical illness myopathy, which means his muscles have degenerated just due to being that sick and immobile. Chemo is tough on nerves, but it is tough on everything, but many cancer patients recover remarkably from brutal chemo and radiation regimens. It appears that the docs are saying he has nerve tissue that is alive and functioning, and it will take time for that tissue to repair.

You can look to the 'Livestrong' info on the web, and to Lance Armstrong who survived some brutal cancer and chemo. I know members on here have also survived cancer and chemo, and are quite fiesty.

From what I found, nerve fibers, or parts of the nerve cell do regenerate, but the nerve cell once dead, does not regrow, luckily we have a lot of nerve cells. Muscle size and strength will improve as the muscles get worked over time. Functioning motor nerve cells will take on additional muscle innervation to compensate for dead motor nerve cells.

Interestingly, if a nerve cell that innervates a muscle fiber, or motor unit dies, that motor unit will likely be innervated by a working motor nerve cell with an axon, and branches of that motor axons near by...that existing nerve cell has to work overtime, but it does it. Myopathy does still occur, if there is not enough re-innervation, and the muscle cells can degenerate and die, but the body makes a good effort to innervate muscle to help us regain function. Nerve cells innervate bunches of muscle cells in varying places, and it works that way, so that if a nerve to one motor unit in one area dies, that whole area, still receives neural stimulation from other nerves coming in from other places. This is really ingenious, that the body is built like this. This process concerns motor neurons, and does not address sensory or autonomic neurons.

I was going to post a graphic but I could see it was overwhelming, but you can look up 'motor unit' and it will show you how muscle cells are innervated by nerves.

Nerve fibers are dendrites (or what you could call 'incomings'). I never heard of nerve fibers being referred to as dendrites. I just knew the receiving end of the nerve cell was a dendrite.....I never, in all my years, heard of that being called a 'fiber'. Dendrites connect to the cell body or soma and the 'outgoing' is the axon.

It is possible for nerve fibers, or dendrites, to regenerate IF the parent nerve cell, or soma, the actual nerve cell is alive. (Kind of like growing new fingers if the hand is alive).

"Peripheral nerves have the ability to regenerate, as long as the nerve cell itself has not been killed. Symptoms often can be controlled, and eliminating the causes of specific forms of neuropathy often can prevent new damage." It appears 'incomings' can regenerate....and in the case of motor neurons, healthy axons, can take on additional workload to innervate motor units.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/p...neuropathy.htm

Below is a source for what a nerve cell, versus nerve fiber looks like and a pretty comprehensive explanation of the nervous system.

http://www.biologymad.com/NervousSys...ystemintro.htm

I think if the doctors told you that healing can take place in two years, then that is what they feel is reasonable, and they must be basing this conclusion on data they have. It is very hard to predict. Every one is different, and it sounds like your husband has fought this disease courageously and with all he has got, so, he will likely fight as hard to regain his function. Two years probably sounds like a long way off, but remember, that function will return incrementally and slowly, he should improve day by day, and week by week, month by month. Healing takes time.

I wish you both strength and hope and the best in healing.

they must have nutrients provided to do so.

For chemo induced nerve damage the premier one is l-carnitine.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...medid=16406309
The AIDS community has been using l-carnitine for at least a decade now
to help prevent drug induced neuropathies.
Type l-carnitine chemo induced neuropathy into PubMed and Google, for more.

Other nutrients needed for the repair of myelin nerve sheath are
EFAs, (flax oil and fish oil)
Vit B12 (we use oral methylcobalamin here from iherb.com)
folic acid
Vitamin B6

There is an RX with all the activated B's in it called Metanx that you can
get from the doctor.
http://www.metanx.com/

I don't know if this is available in UK. The OTC versions should be.

Many thanks for your reply and the web sites which were very informative.
The axon damage occurred before he had chemotherapy and was described as chronic illness syndrome (UK). The neurologist said that the tests showed only a shadow where the axons had been. I don't know if this means the nerve cells are all dead. At one time he couldn't speak or swallow, but that has come back now. He says his feet feel cold, but to the touch they are warm. He now has a nasty case of shingles on his head and neck.
As a gardener I pinch out the growing tips of plants to make them bush out. I am hoping the nerves will regrow from the beginning of the damage, and from what you said, it sounds as though that might happen. I know that this can occur with blood vessels that compensate for blockages by putting out capilleries around the blockage.
Again many thanks for your help. Best wishes Sally in UK