I was diagnosed with stage 3 high-grade serous carcinoma in early September 2022 and started chemotherapy later that month. My oncologist chose carboplatin and paclitaxel to shrink two very large lymph nodes near major blood vessels so she could perform surgery. Before I started chemo, my oncologist explained some of the possible side effects — and there were many.

I didn’t think too much about them. Other than some fatigue after my first day of treatment, I didn’t feel too poorly.

Tingling in Toes and Fingers

The second morning after my first chemo treatment, I woke with a start at about 5 a.m. My toes and fingers were tingling — not a mild, pleasant tingle but a burning, stinging numbness that kept me from going back to sleep. My toes felt like they weren’t part of my body.

Alas, the dreaded neuropathy had arrived early and in full force. My toes were worse than my fingers, but they both bothered me greatly. Neuropathy made me clumsy on my feet, made fine motor skills with my hands more difficult, and disrupted my sleep.

“My toes felt like they weren’t really part of my body.”

Neuropathy from chemo is often referred to as peripheral neuropathy, and it happens when chemo damages nerves. My oncologist said that paclitaxel is the usual culprit among the drugs I was receiving.

As is true with most treatments, not everyone experiences all the side effects, but I’ve seen numbers showing that 10 percent to 40 percent of people develop neuropathy with paclitaxel.

Relief for Chemo Side Effects

After I told my oncologist about my predicament, she prescribed gabapentin, an anti-seizure medication used off-label for neuropathy. In the meantime, I learned online that CBD with THC might help. CBD is the acronym for cannabidiol, which is derived from hemp or cannabis.

Cannabis, you say? Yes, that’s marijuana, but CBD doesn’t contain enough of the psychoactive component to give one a marijuana high. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, and this is the psychoactive component. CBD products are available in many states, though regulations vary.

I had already been using CBD oil to help with menopause symptoms, so I decided to try CBD with THC. I took it at bedtime. It knocked me out, and I had a good night’s sleep.

Before trying any supplements, it’s important to talk with your oncologist. They need to know what you’re taking to help avoid interactions with your cancer treatment or other medications. Also, be aware that products containing THC may show up on drug tests, which could matter for employment.

“I decided to try CBD with THC. I took it at bedtime. It knocked me out, and I had a good night’s sleep.”

Another approach I discovered was using ice on my extremities while getting chemo. I once heard that “the cold chases away the chemo.” More accurately, cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, which may reduce how much chemotherapy reaches those areas.

I used ice at home after treatment, which did help some, but it might have been more effective during the chemotherapy infusion.

When I asked for ice packs at the infusion center, I was given bags of ice, which were messy and unwieldy. Cold socks and gloves would be very helpful at infusion centers.

Changes in Hearing

Another side effect of chemo nerve damage can be loss of hearing. I was born with hereditary nerve-related deafness, and my hearing has degraded as I’ve gotten older, so this was a side effect I really didn’t want!

After my second treatment, I thought I wasn’t hearing as well, so my oncologist referred me to an audiologist. Thankfully, the audiologist determined that my hearing hadn’t changed much since starting chemotherapy.

“After my second treatment, I thought I wasn’t hearing as well, so my oncologist referred me to an audiologist.”

Another unexpected difficulty of being hearing impaired when going to multiple medical appointments is that many people in medical settings wear masks. If you rely on lip reading, as I do, this can make communication challenging.

No matter how well your hearing aids work, you always miss something. I haven’t yet mastered lipreading through a mask, so my husband comes to all my appointments with me to make sure I understand everything being said.

MyOvarianCancerTeam members discuss ovarian cancer from a specific point of view. Members’ articles don’t reflect the opinions of MyOvarianCancerTeam staff, medical experts, partners, advertisers, or sponsors. MyOvarianCancerTeam content isn’t intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.