bruising easily-does herceptin or femara affect platelets?
 

I sat in one of my metal mesh garden chairs Sunday morning for a very short time and ended up with the imprint of the chair on my back. Red diamonds that are just now fading. The chair wasn't hot. This happened once before after my first treatment of TCH. The doctor's office was very busy today and basically suggested I could wait until next Monday at my regular visit to ask them about it when I called. It has been at least six weeks since I had TCH and other than being a little anemic my blood work looked good okay a couple of weeks ago. I just can't figure out what could have caused it. Any ideas?

Leslie

Do you take Fish oil (omega 3) or aspirin daily? This does cause bruising as it thins the blood. Also, Vitamin E thins the blood too!

I haven't taken anything that I can think of. I did take a couple of ibuprofen early last week but that is it.

Leslie

Hi Faux

I recently had two very ugly bruises that I couldn't account for. I showed them to my onc and she did some blood work (platlets) and everything was fine. My platlets went down during chemo but not dangerously. But, after having finished Herceptin in January 07, my blood is not completely back to normal. I am at the low end of normal on everything and below normal but close to normal on white cells. I think chemo and Herceptin can do just about anything to our blood. I haven't had any more bruises, so I guess I whacked myself and don't remember. Hope you get this figured out.

I have always been one to bruise and it has not changed. I am only on Herceptin now and continue to bruise very easily. I also get small triangle red spots on my skin that last just a few days and then disappear.

I am not complaining but my husband gets the third degree sometimes from the looks of my bruises. Poor guy, he has been my greatest supporter.

Donna

Call back
 

I always bruise easily during treatment. You just had major surgery. I would think that anytime your body is taxed in this way you can bruise easily. I'd definitely ask your doc about it - no matter how busy they are they can write down ONE question, ask him, and call you back. That is inexcusable in my opinion.

If he didn't want patients needing him 24/7, he should have been a proctologist!

Call back - it's only Wednesday. Tell them Flori said to call again:)

Duh- you are on treatment, still. Herceptin and Femara will affect platelets, that's why you have blood work to monitor things. I'm betting it's nothing BUT my prior advise still stands. Call and make them give you reassurance from the doc that you can wait one week. xo Flori
Wish you lived closer - I need my living room ragged:)

I can always tell when my platelets are low -- a few quarter size leg bruises appear and I feel sluggish. This happens about once per month.

I am on Lupron injections every three months, Arimidex 1mg daily and Herceptin IVs every three weeks.