Monday, April 30, 2007
The Latest Irritant
How often do you use your fingernails, and what are they used for?
Do you scratch your nose? Open your can of soda? Put on a necklace? Fasten a puppy's leash? Open a box of cereal? Take cellophane off of your new dvd?
For some reason I've got pain in my most-used fingertips (and my big left toe as well as both pinky toes). My index fingers are both tender, my right thumb is quite sore, my left thumb is a little bit sore, and it's starting in the middle fingers of both hands. A few of the nails actually show red marks in the middle; I don't know if the pain will go away when the red marks grow out or not. It hurts to press anything too hard with my fingertips, and using my fingernails is almost out of the question. Typing is a little uncomfortable, but still do-able. Other tasks are...getting difficult.
This could be neuropathy, a possible side effect of many chemo regimens. I do not have any tingling, though, just pain. If it is a side effect of my medications, I wonder what to do about it. Will I switch medications? (And here I was all happy about continuing on Abraxane.) Is there something I could take for the fingertip pain? If I switch to something else, is it reversible? Will it just go away on its own?
It's weird and irritating.
Do you scratch your nose? Open your can of soda? Put on a necklace? Fasten a puppy's leash? Open a box of cereal? Take cellophane off of your new dvd?
For some reason I've got pain in my most-used fingertips (and my big left toe as well as both pinky toes). My index fingers are both tender, my right thumb is quite sore, my left thumb is a little bit sore, and it's starting in the middle fingers of both hands. A few of the nails actually show red marks in the middle; I don't know if the pain will go away when the red marks grow out or not. It hurts to press anything too hard with my fingertips, and using my fingernails is almost out of the question. Typing is a little uncomfortable, but still do-able. Other tasks are...getting difficult.
This could be neuropathy, a possible side effect of many chemo regimens. I do not have any tingling, though, just pain. If it is a side effect of my medications, I wonder what to do about it. Will I switch medications? (And here I was all happy about continuing on Abraxane.) Is there something I could take for the fingertip pain? If I switch to something else, is it reversible? Will it just go away on its own?
It's weird and irritating.
Labels: Abraxane, chemo, fingernails, neuropathy
Comments:
Hi, Janet. It is neuropathy you have. My brother has it in all ten fingers and toes (post chemo for testicular cancer). The only thing that we know of that will help is mega doses of Vitamin B6. Might want to check with the MD to make you can take it with your current regimine. Good luck to you! Paige (Challa/YSC)
# posted by 
: 5:01 PM
: 5:01 PM
At this point, the nails that were tender have actually partially lifted off the nail bed. Those that have separated from the nail bed no longer hurt, but I am paranoid about accidentally ripping them completely off. I wonder if I can use nail glue to glue them to my fingers, or what. I have cut them short, and can only wait for the lifted part to grow out.
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