My personal goal during chemotherapy was to have effective treatment but to be left with as few long term side effects as possible. I was particularly concerned about peripheral neuropathy (changes to nerves which affects how your hands and feet feel and work).

During my chemotherapy with TC (docetaxel and cyclophosphamide) I iced my hands and feet to prevent painful docetaxel caused nail changes and hopefully to reduce the risk of peripheral neuropathy.

The research evidence for icing hands and feet is below.

Prevention of nail side effects on taxanes

There is good evidence that icing your hands and feet during your taxane chemotherapy infusion can prevent painful nail side effects.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5526115/

This article has photos of different types of taxane chemotherapy nail problems and has the following recommendations.

“Management of nail changes depends on the type of nail affliction and the impact on activities of daily living. Prophylactic measures include the use of emollients (following hydration of nail folds), protective varnish on the nail plate, and cotton gloves (water-resistant if exposure is excessive). All trauma must be avoided, especially manipulation of the cuticles and nail biting, overzealous salon manicures or use of fingernails as “tools”, prolonged soaking in water, exposure to solvents, and application of artificial (“fake”) nails [137]. The nails should be cut regularly until the nail plate grows reattached.

The importance of wearing frozen gloves/socks during chemotherapy cannot be overstressed. Scotte et al. have demonstrated a significant reduction in nail changes from 51% to 11% (p=0.0001) in fingernails, and from 21% to 0% in toenails, with a trend towards a prolongation (albeit non-significant) of the median time to development of these lesions [87, 142]. Importantly, the Grade 2 or greater nail AEs were reduced from 22% to 0% (p=0.0001). Alternatively, the use of ice packs (with interruptions) as a tolerable option may be a less expensive and effective strategy [131]. It is intriguing that despite the simplicity and effectiveness of this intervention, it is not universally employed”.

Here is a patient information link about icing hands and feet:

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/nail-cooling-during-treatment-taxane-based-chemotherapy

Prevention and treatment of peripheral neuropathy

The evidence for icing hands and feet to prevent peripheral neuropathy is mixed. The research review paper below found that 4 out of 6 good quality studies showed that icing reduced peripheral neuropathy. The overall conclusion is that icing hands and feet is cheap and low risk and MAY reduce peripheral neuropathy risk.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7810270/#__ffn_sectitle

Many different supplements and therapies have been tried to reduce peripheral neuropathy. Nothing has conclusively been proven to prevent peripheral neuropathy. Always consult with your oncologist before taking any supplement during chemotherapy.

The following therapies have been shown to offer some benefit but there haven’t been big enough studies for them to be recommended as standard care:

Acupuncture, icing, compression, exercise therapy, GM-1 (Ganglioside monosialic acid).

If you do develop peripheral neuropathy then the medication Duoloxetine has been shown to be an effective treatment.

Acupuncture, exercise and scrambler therapies have shown potential benefit but need bigger studies to prove benefit.

https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.20.01399

Loss of eyelashes and eyebrows

It is common to lose eyelashes and eyebrows along with hair during chemotherapy.

There have been some studies with bimatoprost eyedrops (normally used for glaucoma) which has shown that these allow eyelashes to grow back faster after chemotherapy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4456802/

Mouth Ulcers

It is common to develop mouth ulcers during chemotherapy. It has been suggested that sucking chips of ice might reduce the chance of this. Mouth ulcers can turn into serious problems such as mucositis which is painful and affects the ability to eat and drink.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18383657/#:~:text=(3)%20In%203%20randomised%20controlled,or%20poorly%20documented%20adverse%20effects.

Nausea

People are usually prescribed anti-nausea medications as part of their chemotherapy. The general rule with nausea is to keep ahead of it. It's very hard to catch up if nausea has taken hold. If in doubt, take your nausea medication rather than seeing if you can do without it.

People find different things help them with nausea. There is some evidence that ginger might help with nausea.

The general rule is to eat little and often, big meals or letting yourself get too hungry can both cause nausea. People often find that eating simple foods works best after chemotherapy.

Fatigue

People often find that light exercise like walking can actually increase their energy.

Eating little and often can also increase energy as it keeps your blood sugar stable.