Cold Therapy Gloves and Booties to Combat Chemo Neuropathy
Hello,
Has anyone tried cold therapy gloves or booties during chemo to combat neuropathy? If so, what brand did you purchase and from which site. Thanks
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TreysRib, They are pretty expensive. I just bring quart size zip lock bags and fill them with ice at the infusion center. I wear thin socks and rubber medical gloves. I only using during the taxotere infusion which is an hour and I only put my fingers and toes on ice. I start 15 minutes before and keep the ice on 15 minutes after. They give me washcloths at the center to place under the bags because they sweat but you could bring your own. I have had no neuropathy or nail issues.
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TreysRib, I used booties with gel packs on my feet. I bought them off Amazon for around $25 I think. They worked well. For my hands I just held a frozen water bottle or bags of ice. I did not experience any neuropathy. Whether it was the icing or just luck I'll never know but I was happy. I also drank slurpees or frozen cokes during treatment to kept my mouth cold. I just like them but maybe those helped as well.
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I've been using small ice packs that fold over my toes and fingers during infusions. The ice packs are called CryoMax. They stay frozen for eight hours with no dripping, sweating, or refreezing. I bought them through Amazon. The size I bought were 6 inch x 6 inch squares. There are 2 ice packs per box, so I bought 2 boxes (total of 4 ice packs) to cover both feet and both hands. The total cost was about $20. The infusion nurses loved them because they didn't have to replace any ice or clean any wet areas. In fact, the infusion center is considering buying them for all their patients so the nurses don't have to deal with hauling ice and mopping up when ice melts. You will have to specify the "CryoMax" brand when you search on Amazon. Hope this helps. Oh, just wear a pair of regular socks while icing.
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meg101 - Thank you for the cryomax advice. Do you wear the socks under or over the packs?
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Thanks Meg 101. I ordered the packs from Amazon so I am ready to go. One question, do you use socks for your hands and feet? If not, what do you use for your hands
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hi everyone, I know cold is all the rage in new therapy for peripheral neuropathy but I have only seen that work for patients new to the symptom in my experience under 6 months to a year. I have heard many happy stories of using snow layer in hats and socks with one hat snow and second hat after bathing to try to avoid hair loss with limited success but great for hot flashes at least!
Didn't work nearly as well as I hoped either, once it started falling out fast it was gone in under a week no matter what I did so I got a free shave and new wig at a fabulous salon that donates everything to patients and survivors every month and it's such an amazing gift to be able to be a part of it all I had to share the latest tidbits we talk about in what we all call living with it!
I'm unique on a few levels more than previously joked about with family and friends, and having genetic proof of that now I hope it helps others to adapt and heal the way my body is right now during chemotherapy treatments that doctors can't explain. Not only do I have active hair regrowth on taxol now, it turned from white to brown last 2 months without any fallout at all, patches are changing color as they get longer and thicker it's freaky!
I've had peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet for over 12 years now and I am very blessed that it was rarely painful but gradual heat therapy always worked better for me than anything else I have ever tried. My skin does not burn only when it is cold but I cannot accurately determine temperature on my skin below my elbows so it is important to know personal limitations and risks to any type of therapy you plan to use during chemotherapy treatments that make symptoms flare on top of new ones!! My team was quick to address it and my results of therapy are amazing benifit to my quality of life I wanted to share with you all.
Bottom line is, I HATE being cold, even during hot flashes I want wind over cold because I was sensitive to it before but on chemo I feel like I need a plastic bubble with a temperature of 70 to cruise around in!
so it's more about what you find comfortable in your circumstances and practical and safe for your total care plan.i do enough damage with a scooter in a store I can't imagine how much fun a huge hampster ball would be!
Take care and best of luck to everyone
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thank you for detailed info! So helpful.
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TreysRib did you end up wearing socks over your hands and feet?
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Hi everyone
for those that used ice packs on the fingers and toes, were you able to tolerate it? no frostbit on fingers and toes?
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I hate being cold but I was still able to tolerate. I wanted to avoid neuropathy at all costs. I also used L-glutamine for the mild neuropathy that I did experience.
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2018 - I iced for 6 TCH with bags of frozen peas, my center did not assist with icing but didn't oppose it either, so we brought the peas in a cooler with ice packs, it was no problem. I did not do it to avoid neuropathy as much as nail loss. I put a small towel on the floor, wore thin socks and iced both feet, put a sweatshirt in my lap and used a large bag of peas on each hand. I also brought ice chips in a Tervis tumbler and held ice in my mouth to help with mouth sores. I iced through the Taxotere portion of the infusion, starting 10 minutes before during pre-meds, and continued for 10 minutes after. I also took 30g of powdered l-glutamine (three 10g servings dissolved in a cold, non-acidic drink) daily, along with a B6 capsule for neuropathy avoidance.
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hi, how did the icing help with nails and neuropathy? Th
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it worked really well for me. I also took l glutamine as well. I have no issues post chemo.
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Hi...just to clarify...I will start chemo TCH in a few weeks.
I have the cold booties and plan to wear anklet socks with them.
The cold mittens are on order and was planning on wearing those white cotton gloves with those.
So, you freeze these, pack in cooler day of treatment, put on when they are doing the taxotere (sp) chemo.
Is that correct?
Thank you!!
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rlmessy- I put my cold packs on my hands and feet about 15 minutes prior to the Taxol infusion. The pre meds will take some tim
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That is correct. Alternatively the cancer center can give you ice packs to use. Praying for your complete recovery.
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I did exactly what Special K did. Packs of frozen peas during Taxotere & 15 minutes before & after. I changed them out 1/2 way through. I also took L-Glutamine and B-6.
I did not avoid neuropathy. My feet are still mostly dead 5 years after treatment, but fingers have mostly come back to life. Luckily no pain - just no feeling. The lack of balance is the biggest problem.
I DID avoid losing my nails. Both big toe nails came loose but never totally detached.
Oh - and I was meticulous at following the routine.
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