Author: Express Specialty Pharmacy
Date: July 22, 2020
Fax: 833-797-9792
Phone Number: 1-618-233-0100
According to WebMD, “Peripheral Neuropathy refers to the conditions that result when nerves that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord from and to the rest of the body are damaged or diseased.” Neuropathy can happen at any time during or after your chemotherapy treatment.
The most common symptoms of neuropathy are:
- Numbness,
- Burning, or very unpleasant sensations that for some it’s hard to describe. The loss of sensation in the feet can cause problems with balance when walking; if you can’t tell where your weight is being carried, is it on your heels or the balls of your feet? your brain gets confused.
Prescription medications can help. But research shows that they only ease the pain by about 30% to 50%.
How can you bridge the gap?
- Learn how you can get relief now — and prevent the condition from getting worse down the road.
- Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control. If you don’t manage your diabetes, your blood glucose levels get too high. Over time, excess blood sugar can damage your peripheral nerves.
- Get Your Vitamin D. Your skin produces this nutrient in response to sunlight. It may protect against nerve pain. When researchers from Britain’s University of Sheffield studied people with diabetic neuropathy, they found that those who had lower levels of Vitamin D were subject to more pain.
- Stop smoking. “Smoking causes your blood vessels to constrict, impairing your circulation,” Sackheim says. This means your peripheral nerves may get less nutrient-rich blood, which can lead to more pain.
- Get B Vitamin Complex. These play an important role in your nerve health. Not getting enough vitamin B12 can lead to nerve damage. Vitamin B6 is important because it helps the brain produce certain chemicals that send information through our bodies, low levels of these chemicals can worsen pain.
Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause neuropathy. The chemotherapy drugs linked to include:
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Oxaliplatin
- Taxotere (docetaxel)
- Jevtana (carbazitaxel)
- Velban (vinblastine)
- Vincristine
- Vinorelbine
- Etoposide
- Ixempra (ixabepilone)
- Thalomid (thalidomide)
- Revlimid (lenalidomide)
- Velcade (bortezomib)
- Pomalyst (promalidomide)
- Halaven (eribulin)
- Kyprolis (carfilzomib)
Ask your pharmacist about over the counter and compounded topical pain relief.
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