Ice Water for Neuropathy?

[msmart]

Someone wrote that they lost all 10 fingernails and 2 big toe nails while on Taxol, while someone else submerged their fingers in ice water during treatments, with no nail loss/neuropathy?
Has anyone tried it or heard of it?
Thanks!

[judiek]

Yes, I have heard of this. I know of a gal from bcmets list and she said they did this at her clinic (i think australia). You can check this site out and search the archives...you may find more on this.

warmly,

judiek

[al from canada]

Icing should be right up there with grandma's most famous cure-all's. It is under-estimated in terms of therapuetics and it wouldn't surprise me if the story you heard was true.
Al

[MGordon]

Although Lisa has been blessed by Taxol side effects less severe than nail loss, I know our Onc office uses ice chips to reduce mouth blisters, but I will ask them about nails too.

Mel (spouse of Lisa)

[*_Celina_*]

I'm not sure if ice would prevent neuropathy, but if you already have it, warm water or warm compressed can reduce the stiffness of joints...at least that's what my sister's doctor told us this morning.

[jessica]

ice for vasoconstriction while you're getting your infusion...ugh, it's brutal!
The theory behind it is submerging your finger tips & toes in the icewater bath causes vasoconstriction-the blood vessels constrict, shrink/close up-preventing the chemo from getting to that tissue & causing the toxic response of neuropathy, necrosis of the nailbed, fingernails turning black & falling off, etc. In fact, there was a time when they used to do ice caps during infusion, for the same reason, to vasoconstrict the vessels in scalp, preventing hairloss. BUT b/c the brain is a potential metastatic site, you wouldn't want to PREVENT chemo from getting up there, so that idea was abandoned quickly.
I had pretty bad problems w/my fingernails a couple of yrs ago & would try to do the ice bath during my infusion. The biggest problem was trying to keep my fingertips submerged in ICY water, while already goofed up from the benadryl was nearly impossible.
AND consider, Taxol has a 12hr half life in the body, meaning it continues to be active & circulate in the body for 12 hrs after it's been infused...if you're freezing your fingertips for only 1 hr of that 12 hour period, is it really worth it? I don't know b/c we didn't start doing the icebath until after my fingers were already effected.
Good Luck to you!

[al from canada]

Hi all,

The reason ice works is because after the vascocontriction there is a sudden "flush", ie vacodilation. That's why when icing: go 15 minutes on and then 15 minutes off. It is during this "off" time that the "flush" occurs. The rationale for icing to prevent hairloss is strange because of the flush effect. As well, most drugs don't cross the blood / brain barrier anyways. Icing the right way is one of the most theraputic treatments around. It has been studied to death in athletics but using it in the cancer connection is something new: I think it warrants further investigation.

Regards,
Al

[Susan]

My nurse at Hopkins suggested that I try this. I took ziploc bags with ice cubes to the treatment and put them on my hands and feet during the taxotere infusion. I had no problems with neuropathy or my nails until the very last treatment.