Healing Nutrition

Cold sensitivity, called cold dysesthesia, is a common side effect of oxaliplatin (Eloxatin®), a chemotherapy commonly used to treat colorectal cancer, among other types of cancer (1). Cold sensitivity is caused by short-term damage to the nerves in the mouth and throat and may cause a burning sensation in contact with cold foods and cold beverages. 
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You may feel tingling, burning, numbness, or stiffness in your feet and hands when touching cold things and when you are exposed to cold temperatures, air conditioning, or colder weather. 
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Cold sensitivity can also be a significant burden, especially when eating and drinking cold beverages due to tightness in the throat or jaw and tingling feelings in the tongue and lips, making swallowing difficult (2).

 

Depending on how long you have been receiving chemotherapy and the dose of medication, cold sensitivity may last for a day to several days. Cold sensitivity may last longer for patients receiving this chemotherapy for a few months.

 

Unfortunately, unlike other cancer treatment side effects, there is no medication to help with this symptom. The good news is that cold sensitivity usually disappears once you stop receiving this medication.
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Talk to your health care provider if you have trouble doing tasks like doing up buttons, writing, moving, or if you have severe pain or numbness.

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Nutrition Strategies 

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• Avoid cold temperatures and cold or frozen foods and drinks.​

• Sip on tea, warm water with lemon, hot cocoa, or broth. ​​

• Use gloves when taking items out of the refrigerator or touching cold surfaces. ​​

• Bundle up and cover exposed skin when going outside in cold temperatures.

• Store shelf-stable beverages and nutrition supplement shakes on the counter or in the pantry to drink at room temperature.  ​​

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What Foods to Eat with Cold Sensitivity

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Many meal recipes are suitable that you can choose and prepare at home. Although choosing warm foods is a straightforward recommendation, you need to consider the content and amount of nutrients in your meals.

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Choose meals with foods high in protein such as eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, milk, fish, chicken, and turkey; high in healthy fats like avocado and olive oil; and complex carbohydrates like potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, quinoa, wild rice, and oats.  Soups with these foods will give you a boost in hydration. 

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The following suggestions will give you some ideas to have high-protein warm meals to help maintain lean muscle mass. Remember to eat throughout the day to get enough calories and nutrients.​

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• Bean soups

• Bean and chicken tortilla soup 

• Butternut squash soup with chickpeas and avocado 

• Chickpea and vegetable soup 

• Chicken and vegetable soup 

• Chicken and noodle soup 

• Creamy chicken ramen soup 

• Lentil and spinach soup 

• Lemon chicken orzo soup  

• Turkey and corn chowder soup 

• Udon noodle soup with tofu 

• Spinach and white bean soup 

• Split pea soup 

• Quinoa vegetable soup 

• Vegetable and tofu soup