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Coping With Nerve and Muscle Effects Related to Chemotherapy

Sometimes anticancer drugs can cause problems with your body's nerves. One example of a condition affecting the nervous system is peripheral neuropathy, where you feel a tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness or pain in feet and legs. Some drugs can also affect the muscles, making them weak, tired, or sore.

Sometimes these nerve and muscle side effects, though annoying, may not be serious. In other cases, nerve and muscle symptoms may be serious and need medical attention. Be sure to report any nerve or muscle symptoms to your doctor. Most of the time, these symptoms will get better; however, it may take up to a year after your treatment ends.

Common Symptoms

Some nerve and muscle-related symptoms include:

Tingling
Burning
Weakness or numbness in the hands and/or feet
Feeling colder than normal
Pain when walking
Weak, sore, tired, or achy muscles
Loss of balance
Clumsiness
Difficulty picking up objects and buttoning clothing
Shaking or trembling
Walking problems
Hearing loss
Stomach pain
Constipation

Tell your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

What to Do

Here are some tips that may help:

If your fingers are numb, be very careful when grasping objects that are sharp, hot, or otherwise dangerous.

If your sense of balance or muscle strength is affected, avoid falls by moving carefully, using handrails when going up or down stairs, and using bath mats in the bathtub or shower. Use a cane or other walking aid if needed.

Always wear shoes with rubber soles (if possible).

When bathing, check the temperature of your bath water with a thermometer. This will help you avoid getting burned by water that is too hot.

Be careful when cooking. Take steps to avoid cutting or burning yourself.

Wear gloves when cooking, washing dishes, or gardening.

Rest if you feel tired.

Ask your doctor for pain medicine. There are multiple different medications available that can effectively treat the pain related to neuropathy. In certain situations your doctor may refer you to a cancer pain specialist for further treatment.

Consider acupuncture. Many patients with acute neuropathy find acupuncture helpful. It usually takes 2-5 treatments before beneficial effects can be appreciated. Acupuncture treatment is in some cases covered by medical insurance.

American Cancer Society

http://www.cancer.org

National Cancer Institute

http://www.cancer.gov

Kaptchuk TJ. Acupuncture: theory, efficacy, and practice. Ann Intern Med. 2002; 136:374.

National Cancer Institute. Chemotherapy and you: support for people with cancer. National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/chemotherapy-and-you.pdf. Updated May 2007. Accessed March 25, 2010.

Peripheral neuropathy. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated September 8, 2011. Accessed May 14, 2012.

Shlay JC, Chaloner K, Max MB, et al. Acupuncture and amitriptyline for pain due to HIV-related peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial. Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS. JAMA. 1998; 280:1590

Visovsky C, Collins M, Abbott L, Aschenbrenner J, Hart C. Putting evidence into practice: evidence-based interventions for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2007 Dec; 11(6):901-13.

Last reviewed May 2012. by Brian Randall, MD

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.