Question re: MS and PN
 

This may not fit in this forum/thread... but, you do so much reading. Have you happened to run across anything on neuropathy of feet due to chemo. My husband has been experiencing this for almost a year, and the pain in getting worse along with the numbness. His oncologist says it just takes time, and that sometimes it doesn't get better. I'm wishing there was something that could be done for him other than the "wait and see" approach.

Thank you for your time. I hope it's okay for me asking about this here. Hope I didn't mess up on the sticky. Thanks!:)

You might want to check out the sticky in the Peripheral Neuropathy Forum for information about Chemo and Neuropathy. Here's the link. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread177.html

The members of that forum are a wealth of information about neuropathy.

This is also relevant to MS, in the sense that Peripheral Neuropathy is something that WE might end up with (I have it) . . . but may also be caused by many other conditions/treatments, etc., including chemo:

"What is peripheral neuropathy and how is it related to chemotherapy?

The body's nervous system is divided into two major systems; the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is also divided into two major parts, the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The somatic nervous system consists of peripheral nerve fibers that send sensory information to the central nervous system and motor nerve fibers that send signals to skeletal muscle. The autonomic nervous system controls smooth muscle of the viscera (internal organs) and glands.

Peripheral neuropathy results from some type of damage to the peripheral nerves. Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause peripheral neuropathy such as vinca alkaloids (vincristine), cisplatin, paclitaxel, and the podophyllotoxins (etoposide and tenoposide).

Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy:

Numbness, tingling (feeling of pins and needles) of hands and/or feet
Burning of hands and/or feet
Numbness around mouth
Constipation
Loss of sensation to touch
Loss of positional sense (knowing where a body part is without looking).
Weakness and leg cramping or any pain in hands and/or feet
Difficulty picking things up or buttoning clothes"

http://www.chemocare.com/managing/nu...__tingling.asp

Cherie