Peripheal Neuropathy in the legs and fett

[bkane]

I had an adominal hysterectomy in 9/2005, diagnosed with cervical cancer stage 1ab, 28 treatements of pelvic radiation ending 1/31/2007, 30 hours of internal brachytherapy 2/06 and then 6 chemotherapy treatments consisting of carboplatin and paxlitaxel. The taxil caused a great deal of neuropathy in my feet (constantly tingling, sensative, and the burning in my upper left leg has gotten worse when i lay down at night.  During the day it's not bad, but at night it's sometimes unbearable.  Even the sheets touching it hurts.  If i run my fingers over my skin it hurts.  I am currently on Lyrica, and my chemo ended 11/06.  I feel like i'm wakling on large stones if i step on even a small crumb on the floor and my feet are very sensitive to cold.  But the burning is what concerns me so badly.  It's like burning under the skin at the top of my left leg.  After my hysterectomy i was numb in that same area i guess due to all the surgery.  I also am having side effects from the radiation therapy as well.  I believe i have scar tissue.  I have vaginal stenosis which makes intercourse almost unbearable and when i do try i bleed afterwards.  My PAP's are now coming back benign abnormal and my gyn/onc. says it's from the radiation therapy, not uncommon.  It is benign.  Is there anything else i can do except take 50 mgs. of Lyrica 3 times per day?  

[carisa78]

So sorry to hear about your pain. My grandma is in the same exact pain you are in from her neuropathy. Her feet are constantly hurting her. She says it's as if her feet are on fire. Her feet are also bright red from it. She also says it's like walking on really hard gravel. I feel so bad for her and she cannot get any relief. She ended up going off of chemo because of it. Let me know if you find something that helps so I can tell her. I'll let you know it she finds something too! Good luck!!

Carisa

[bkane]

Thank you so very much.  I will definately keep you in my prayers.  And you too, keep it up, you rock!!!!

Barb

[Tybear]

Barb...I'm so sorry your having the neuropathy issues. I too took Taxol, and although mine gradually disappeard after I finished chemo, I remember all to well how annoying it was. I never had it as bad as you seem to though - I hope your doctor's can get you some relief soon.
Becky
p.s. I'm not sure why the other commenter felt the ned to point out she was "alive"...you are too, and are fighting this with all you've got. Keep it up!

[bkane]

Yes, this is what i'm taking but my dosage is 50 mg. 3 times per day.  I guess it isn't working.  My main concern is to stop the burning sensation under my skin.  And regarding your comment on my staging, I was staged at a 1a 1b because during my surgery, they were unable to take lymph nodes due to excessive hemorraghing and my hematicrit had dropped so low that i had to have 7 blood transfusions and woke up on life support until i was able to breath on my own.  So, they were guessing by the size of the tumor and later on i had a needle biopsy of a lymph gland that was swollen which came back positive for metastatic cervcial cancer, so based on that, that's how they staged me.  And that is why I took radiation, brachytherapy and chemo.  One of the chemo drugs was paxletaxel which is well known to cause peripheal neuropathy.