Burning Sensation

When a physician treats neuropathy caused by cancer treatments, they treat the pain symptoms as well as prevention from worsening.

Pain relief options include:
- Over the counter - pain patches, topical creams, tylenol, etc.
- Prescription medications that might be effective are anti-seizure medications, lidocaine patch, and anti-depressants

Potential options to prevent the neuropathy from worsening are:
- If the medications are the cause, switching chemotherapy medications or dosage may be considered
- If a tumor is causing the problem, the tumor may be treated

Neuropathy can be caused by the following treatments for breast cancer:
- certain chemotherapy medications - toxins from the treatments damage the nerves
- radiation therapy - radiation damages the nerves

Neuropathy is damage to your peripheral nervous system, which may effect the skin, internal organs, or muscles.

For cancer patients, chemotherapy treatments may result in neuropathy. The symptoms, if they appear, usually increase gradually and may worsen as chemotherapy treatments continue. The symptoms may be the worst months after the treatments are completed. Neuropathy may be permanent, either the symptoms stay constant or diminish in severity, or eventually disappear. It may take months for the symptoms to resolve.

If the skin is affected, the symptoms are tingling, numbness, burning, sensitivity to touch, or freezing. People may notice these feelings in their fingertips and toes. The feelings gradually move to the hands and feet and the rest of the body.

If the internal organs are affected, the symptoms are constipation, bladder problems, dizzyness, or sexual dysfunction.

If the muscles are affected, the symptoms are weakness, cramping, spasms, and balance.