Community Connection: Ovarian Cancer Canada is looking for volunteers! Could you help?

OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Community Champion. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis (mfallis@ovariancanada.org).
Ovarian Cancer Canada is thrilled to share that we have some exciting updates on the way for OVdialogue. These enhancements are designed to strengthen our community and make your experience even better.

Stay tuned for more details, and feel free to share your thoughts below. Let’s make this community even stronger!

neuropathy

13»

Comments

  • PatD
    PatD
    Managing the side effects of treatment is one of many talks available from Ovarian Cancer Canada -   https://ovariancanada.org/Living-with-Ovarian-Cancer/education-and-support-videos
  • kastoyles
    kastoyles
    @PatD - no possible treatments weren't discussed since my case was mild.
  • PatD
    PatD
    PatD said:
    Managing the side effects of treatment is one of many talks available from Ovarian Cancer Canada -   https://ovariancanada.org/Living-with-Ovarian-Cancer/education-and-support-videos
    The speaker recommends physiotherapy, acupuncture and acupressure to treat peripheral neuropathy but doesn't say if you do this after chemo ends. If you switch to PARP inhibitors, that might prolong neuropathy or even new side effects.
  • Fearless
    Fearless Legacy
    @PatD from my own experience and reading the stories of some of our members, any form of stimulation of the nerves and blood flow is helpful for neuropathy.  Looking back seven years ago when I had my first treatments and the neuropathy appeared, had I known this I would have started right away on some  kind of regimen to help stimulate the nerves in my lower legs and feet when the peripheral neuropathy plagues me the most.  Just walking regularly can be very helpful to keep it in check. 

    As for the PARPs, yes they can produce their own side effects. I was on Olaparib for almost two years during which time the gains I had managed to make in my neuropathy were lost. That said, it didn't come back any worse than it had been during and after primary treatment. Other side effects?  For me there was nothing from the PARP but we all respond differently to treatments so some might have experienced new side effects. 

    There has been a lot of discussion over time on the subject of neuropathy and many of our community have made recommendations on ways they've found to help mitigate the intensity.  If you type in 'neuropathy' into the search bar on the upper right of your screen it will pull up those discussions and you may find some useful information there.

  • PatD
    PatD
    Fearless - Vol Mod said:
    .. I was on Olaparib for almost two years during which time the gains I had managed to make in my neuropathy were lost. That said, it didn't come back any worse than it had been during and after primary treatment. Other side effects?  For me there was nothing from the PARP but we all respond differently to treatments so some might have experienced new side effects.
    Are you saying Olaparib caused neuropathy in your feet to return?  "..nothing from the PARP" implies you had no side effects from Olaparib. I didn't see PN on the lists of side effects in anything I've read about PARPi.

    An oncology nurse with 35 years experience recommended physiotherapy, accupuncture and accupressure but didn't provide details. I got a small portable TENS machine on amazon for about $50 cad for back pain a while ago - very difficult to place the pads on my hands and feet but seems workable.
    Oncologist reduced Taxol 20% for chemo 4 and 5, then skipped for 6.  So I'm 6 weeks off taxol doing yoga online 2x/week and walking when weather allows - already numbness is a little better. We're in another covid wave and I'll postpone in-person therapy until my immune system (WBC/RBC etc.) recovers from months of chemo.


  • Fearless
    Fearless Legacy
    @PatD there was nothing to say the neuropathy had any relationship to the Olaparib. It never disappeared totally and I could only assume, given the PARPs are also toxic drugs and the timing had some relationship to the returned increase in intensity. That said, my mother suffered from peripheral neuropathy in her legs and feet for many years and mine case could be hereditary and not related to cancer treatment at all.  

Categories