Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy drugs,

which can cause damage to the peripheral nervous system.

Symptoms of CIPN generally affect both sides of the body in a similar way and can range from mild to severe.

Some of the more common symptoms include tingling or pins-and-needles sensation, sharp, stabbing pain, burning or shock-like sensations, loss of sensation or complete numbness, trouble with small motor skills such as writing, texting, and buttoning, gripping problems (dropping things), clumsiness, and weakness

Some of the chemotherapy drugs associated with CIPN are:

nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane),

bortezomib (Velcade)

cabazitaxel (Jevtana)

Carboplatin (Paraplatin)

carfilzomib (Kyprolis)

cisplatin (Platinol)

docetaxel (Taxotere)

eribulin (Halaven)

etoposide (VP-16)

ixabepilone (Ixempra)

lenalidomide (Revlimid)

oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)

paclitaxel (Taxol)

pomalidomide (Pomalyst)

0thalidomide (Thalomid)

vinblastine (Velban)

vincristine (Oncovin

Vincasar PFS)

vinorelbine (Navelbine)

There is no sure way to prevent CIPN, but there are things you can do to manage your symptoms.

During treatment, your cancer care team will ask you about your symptoms and watch you to see if the CIPN is getting worse.

Your team may need to delay your treatment, use smaller doses of the chemo drugs, or stop treatment with the drug that is causing the CIPN until your symptoms get better.

These actions must be started right away to prevent long-term damage that won’t get better.

Treatment can often help ease some of the symptoms of CIPN.

Sometimes these symptoms go away a short time after treatment is done.

But sometimes they last much longer and need long-term treatment.

Severe CIPN may never go away.

Treatment is mostly given to relieve the pain that can come with CIPN.

Some of the drugs used include steroids for a short time until a long-term treatment plan is in place, patches or creams of numbing medicine that can be put right on the painful area (for example, lidocaine patches or capsaicin cream), antidepressant medicines, often in smaller doses than are used to treat depression, anti-seizure medicines, which are used to help many types of nerve pain and opioids or narcotics for when pain is severe.

If you are experiencing CIPN symptoms, it’s important to talk to your doctor or nurse about the problems you are having in daily life.

They might be able to suggest ways to make you feel better or function better.

If you are taking pain medicines, use them as your doctor prescribes them.

Most pain medicines work best if they are taken before the pain gets bad.

Avoid things that seem to make your CIPN worse, such as hot or cold temperatures or snug clothes or shoes.

Give yourself extra time to do things. Ask friends for help with tasks you find hard to do.

Don’t drink alcohol as it can cause nerve damage on its own and might make CIPN worse.

If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar as high blood sugar levels can damage nerves.