After effects

[aries]

I recently completed 6 treatments with CAF.  After each treatment my fingers would be red and swollen for the first couple of days and then would return to normal.  After approximately 3 or 4 treatments my fingers stayed puffier longer and pretty much stayed that way.  I normally have very slim fingers and found this situation to be extremely annoying. I assumed the situation would clear up once the treatments stopped.  I'ts over 2 months since my last treatment and now in addition to heavier fingers I have numerous attacks of numbness, tingling in my right hand and fingers which wake me up out of a sound sleep. Upon awakening my fingers on both hands are extremely red, swollen and painful. More so on the right hand. It hurts to bend them. The swelling does goes down rather quickly, approx. 30 minutes. I've also noticed some discomfort in the left hand but not to the same degree.  I'm also having discomfort in both wrists.  My oncologist insists it has nothing to do with chemo and that it sounds like carpel tunnel syndrome.  I find this hard to believe because I had no symptoms before I started treatments and am not in a position of repetitive motions. I thought working out with 5lb hand weights was responsible but I stopped that 4 weeks ago. It seemed to be getting better this past week, but last night I woke up 3 times with that nagging numb, tingling sensation.  I started tamoxifen 10 days ago and I'm into my 5th week of radiation (total 7). Help- what's going on?? Will it ever go away??

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear aries, Your symptoms are puzzling as you would think that if these symptoms were completely related to the chemotherapy that the further you were from treatment the better you would feel.  Of the combination of chemotherapy the flurouracil (F in the CAF regimen) can cause a side effect called palmar-plantar dysesthesia, which is a redness,tenderness, possibly peeling of the skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but even in high doses this isn't that common of a side effect.  Your symptoms may be due to a combination of factors that was brought out by the chemotherapy.  I would think that over time this would be less and less of a problem the further you are from treatment.  Was your surgery on the right side?  Perhaps there is a little swelling occuring that is just enough to aggravate the nerves, and now with the radiation a bit of swelling is occurring again?  

See how things go as you complete radiation, at night try to make sure you are not sleeping on your arm and maybe use a couple of pillows to elevate if you can get comfortable that way.

[bizzylizzy]

hi aries
i have the same problem as yourself, i finished chemo 6 weeks ago and finished radiotherapy 1 week ago but the problem with my right hand sounds just like yours, it was so bad one night about 4 in the morning that i was going to go to the hospital
the pain is so bad it sometimes feels that there is no blood getting to my hand. i was on FEC for 4 treatments then Taxotere for 4 treaments i am now on tamoxifen being on them for 6 weeks
like yourself i told the doctor and he said it was nothing to do with the treatment i thought i was the only one with this problem  if you would like to e-mail me my address is
   ***@****
take care
  liz