The Colon Club

How long after Xeloda for chemo radiation did you have HFS ? Does it go away ever ?
I’m dealing with Xeloda side effects and trying to figure out how long they last.

MadMed wrote:How long after Xeloda for chemo radiation did you have HFS ? Does it go away ever ?
I’m dealing with Xeloda side effects and trying to figure out how long they last.

The pain-related symptoms of HFS go away eventually, but there are other effects that are permanent. For example, the loss of fingerprints and the appearance of smooth fingertips is permanent. You will always have more trouble now with tasks that require finger dexterity, like turning pages in a book or separating sheets of paper or separating sheets of plastic or picking up small items like small screws, small nails, etc. These tasks require rough fingertip surfaces with ridges which you may no longer have and which will not grow back over time.

There are things you can do (or stop doing) to make things a little better:
https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58447&p=469055#p469055

Thanks JJH, i already can't click on the ipad or unlock it with my finger! I hope the tingling and pins and needles will abate soon.

I didn't have it and still don't but will say I have no fingerprints now.

I’d be ok with that if it erased the cancer too.

The best preventative of HFS from xeloda that I've heard of, is IV vitamin C.

In a Riordan Clinic case study, a IVC + xeloda patient who didn't have HFS symptoms went on vacation. After some missed IV vitamin C infusions, they began to have HFS a week or so later. The HFS went away when the IV vitamin C was resumed. Riordan Clinic patients also do take a number of supplements. Other xeloda patients have had this IVC benefit for HFS.

For long estalished post chemo HFS, dunno. Other supplements? maybe.
Your mileage may vary.

IVC is what I give credit to for not ever having HFS. I also use burts bees hand salve mixed with vitamin E oil and sometimes I use coconut oil + vitamin E oil every day.

Thank you, I’ll try that.

I hope it helps.