Symptoms after chemotherapy

Polyneuropathy can also occur as an adverse effect after chemotherapy. It is characteristic that mainly the sensitive nerves are affected and only very rarely those responsible for motor functions. Typical symptoms of a polyneuropathy after chemotherapy are numbness in the feet or hands, which are often described as having the shape of a stocking or glove.

Changes in the perception of pain are also possible, which can be perceived as attenuated or intensified. Likewise, nerve damage after chemotherapy usually occurs symmetrically and increases in intensity. This means that the areas furthest away from the spine are affected first, such as the fingertips, although the symptoms can spread to neighboring areas, such as the arm.The so-called cranial nerves can also be affected, which can manifest itself in reduced sensory perceptions such as poorer hearing or even vision.

More rarely, so-called autonomous nerve fibers are affected by polyneuropathy after chemotherapy, which are actually responsible for the unconscious regulation of bodily functions such as digestion. Symptoms of damage to these nerves as a result of chemotherapy can therefore include constipation. In summary, any kind of sensation that can be perceived after chemotherapy should be an alarm signal for a possible polyneuropathy.

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