Pain in the joints

[Rosemary Griggs]

Hello all
This is my first time writing in a forum though I've been reading and getting good advice through here for about a year. I've got two more treatments of herceptin (out of 30) and am looking forward to what we hope is the end of this wild ride I've been on for the last year and a half. I've had intense joint pain that I attribute to the herceptin. Mornings and evenings are rough and I feel rusty and gimpy. I take hydrocodone - 5 mg 3 times a day and am able to feel mostly normal. I can go to the gym again and work in my studio (I'm a potter) but by the end of the day I'm back limping around and am spent. My question is how long does it take for herceptin side effects - like joint pain - to wear off after the last treatment? Though the pain meds have helped me through all this, I know I can't continue on them indefinately. And, what about this weight gain? I'm about 17 pounds heavier though I'm working out 5 days a week and eat a mostly plant based diet. Is is menopause, chemo, herceptin? I'm hoping that I shed these extra pounds after treatment and there will be muscle underneath to go with my new, store bought bosoms. Health and happiness to you all, Rosemary

[PinkGirl]

Hi Rosemary

Sorry you're having all this pain while on herceptin. I had minimal joint pain during taxol and herceptin, but at some time I also started taking tamoxafin and then switched to arimidex. I was never positive about what was causing the pain. When I finished herceptin, I still had joint pain but it was from the tamoxafin and then the arimidex. Same goes for the weight gain.... I started gaining weight when I started taxol. The steroids (pre-meds) made me very hungry, but I also started herceptin with my first taxol, so maybe it was the herceptin, or maybe both! Then the treatments put me into full menopause which can also lead to weight gain. I've stopped gaining weight, but it has been very hard to lose it -- very stubborn weight. Don't know if this is helpful; basically I couldn't really tell what was causing what; there were too many different things going on. Good luck with everything.

[Jean]

Rosemary,
Don't dispair, those aches and pains will fade out after completion of herceptin. As far as those pounds, it took me 2 months after completion
of herceptin to drop 10 pds. The weight will come off, just exercise and
keep walking. Best of Luck!

Regards,
Jean

[tousled1]

Rosemary,

I was plagued with joint/bone pain while on Herceptin. I took pain meds and also I found that Glucosamine/Chondroitin Complex helped a lot. As for the weight gain it will eventually go away.