hand & foot probs without xeloda
 

I have been on tykerb for a year now. Herceptin for about 3 months and 1 treatment of Avastin. I am having weird feelings in my hands. Kind of like when you have a bandade on your fingertip and then you remove it and the finger feels weird-numb-sore. My whole hand feels like that (both of them) and they seem extra sensitive to hot water. Ditto for my feet - they can start out fine and then heat up in my shoes and then hurt like I'm walking on crunchy glass. I am not a very hot person (except for the obvious hot-girl ness) and don't know why my feet seem to randomly get hot and hurt for no reason. If I use my hands without wearing gloves it's trouble. I don't know if I should reduce tykerb for a few days and see if I improve or maybe just stop it for a few days to see if the hands/feet and rash resolve.

Does anyone else have this and what can we do about it?
Thanks.
Flori

Flori,
I have been putting up with hand/foot syndrome and today my onc. said I shouldn't have, but I am on xeloda. A couple of things that helped me was to put my feet and hands in cold water or on ice packs. I tried putting on a nicotine patch and my Doctor rolled his eyes and said " I can see it is working well for you" His sense of humour. 15 years ago I didn't much care for his humour but now I get it. He used to make fun of all the vitamins and potions I was trying.
I went dancing last night and I know exactly how "walking on broken glass" feel like today. I have been given a break from xeloda until it clears up. Apparently hand/foot syndrome is caused by a toxins being released in the small capillaries of the hand and feet. I should have contacted my primary nurse sooner, live and learn.
Hope you find the answers soon,
Hugs,
Diana

I was given the corticosteroid, Decadron, tp help in the prevention of the hand/foot syndrome while on TCH.