Hand and foot advice

[Lena]

I also had hand and foot syndrome. I used Gold Bond lotion during the day and Vitamin E at night. I had to stop working at 4 weeks because it was too painful to walk or to even stand on them. I stopped wearing socks except for at night. The friction only made it worse. I elevated my legs, so my heels would not touch the sheets. Hope you feel better soon!
Lena

[Angiemarie2000]

Thank you all so much for the help and support, I will defiantly try these things.


jeanette57 wrote:
I am going to not take the full dose for the first week, one pill twice a day, next build up to 2 pills, then the full 3 pills twice a day. my poor body needs some help if it treats me like the 5fu pump. I figure it has been 3 months since the surgery (first one) so no hurry with this.

I am so sorry to hear about al the complication your having, i hope it gets better soon. My HAF didn't start till after the 4 th treatment, it's no unbearable yet, just annoying. I would talk to you onc before changing meds and maybe taking the B6 prior would help too.

I'm putting that on my list of questions to my onc

Angie

[lauragb]

I have been on Xeloda twice. I found the best thing for me was to only wear my Teva flipflops. Wearing socks even with udder cream did not help the peeling. When I wore Tevas only, the peeling stopped. I figured this out by accident after a few warm days.

Goodluck.

[Badass]

Another vote for Udderly Smooth. Works wonders.

[Angiemarie2000]

After searching high and low and lots of money later. I found what works for my hand and foot issues. After one application it was like my feet were 95% better.

It's aquaphor healing ointment by eucerin

I'm one happy camper today, it's the small things in life

Angie

[TimT]

hi angie,
glad to see the aquafor is working. while on the xeloda i would goop aquafor on both my hands and feet, then put on socks and cotton gloves before going to bed every night. we had a greasy house for months!! During the day i would do the udder cream 4-5 times. my onc also had me soaking my feet/hands in ice-cold water for about an hour, one hour after taking the pills (very strange). I also learned that staying off the feet for about 2-3 hours after taking the meds helped. Also no hot showers or hand washing dishes, etc. The HFS was a little rough, but manageable.
hope it continues to get better
tim

[caro]

Chemo nurse told me to use Aqueous cream or similar - any basic cream that doesn't have much in it, the key being to give the skin moisture and gentle circulation from massaging it in. I used loads morning and night, massaged in about 5 mins per foot, I had no swelling and very little heat or redness, and hardly any neuropathy either. Nurse also said wear only cotton socks, no man made fibres and no wool because cotton gives the least friction and lets the skin breathe.

[Angiemarie2000]

I am using for my nose too, the avastin cause me slight nose bleeds and this helps to loosen the scapes and relief that tight feeling up there.

Angie

[elise]

I found the opposite of everyone else worked well:

- no socks when possible
- no creams
- no hot showers, quick lukewarm or sitting with my feet off the floor
- lose shoes, nothing tight
- also taking day 8 off takes all the pain away for the rest of the session.
- ice packs when I go to bed to cool off my feet

Good luck. HFS is my only real problem with chemo. I had to reduce after session 1 (due to toxicity) and again after session 2. My oncologist told me that a reduction doesn't make it any less effective.