Causes of peripheral neuropathy?

Some of the chemotherapy and other drugs used to treat cancer can damage peripheral nerves. When this happens it is called chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). This can be a disabling side effect of cancer treatment.

CIPN can cause severe pain and can affect your ability to do things like walk, write, button your shirt, or pick up coins. CIPN can last for weeks, months, or even years after treatment is done. If it gets very bad, it can cause more serious problems like changes in your heart rate and blood pressure, dangerous falls, trouble breathing, paralysis, or organ failure.

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by other things besides chemotherapy; such as:

• Other cancer treatments, like surgery or radiation
• Tumors pressing on nerves
• Infections that affect the nerves
• Spinal cord injuries
• Diabetes
• Alcohol abuse
• Shingles
• Low vitamin B levels
• Some autoimmune disorders
• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection
• Poor circulation (peripheral vascular disease)

It’s very important to know what’s causing peripheral neuropathy so that the right treatment can be given. Nutronco developed PowerNerve, a nutritional supplement based on clinical studies that have shown significant results that may help prevent the onset during chemotherapy treatment or to address the nerve pain from other symptoms.