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side effects
Thanks so much for doing this, Lani! I am so happy to read these posts and find I am not alone and not a hypochondriac! Are you going to try to synthesize the data and publish it somewhere?
I am Stage IIIb, finished chemo in July of 2006, and finished my year of Herceptin in April 2007. Received my herceptin every 3 weeks. My side effects started while still on chemo and my onc attributed them to Taxol, but they continued after I was well over with Taxol and they continue to a lesser degree still, a month after I've finished the herceptin.
Major complaint has been joint pain, particularly shoulders and knees. Some nights if I sleep on my side I can barely lift my arm in the a.m. for the pain in my shoulder. Legs cramp/hurt when I get up in a.m., or after have been sitting for awhile. Walk around like an old lady some mornings. Also alot of rib pain (so much that I insisted on a scan, thinking it was mets) that sort of comes and goes. Also it has turned my pre-existing acid reflux into a nightmare (constant heartburn/burping no matter what I eat). I know my vision has gotten much worse since this whole thing started, but that might just be age (I'm 44). Menopause brought on by the chemo in Feb. 06, have had hot flashes that I thought might be due to the herceptin. Have been very fuzzy-headed, too - attributed that to chemo brain. Slow growing hair and nails. Cracking skin on my finger tips. Mouth sores and bad taste in my mouth. Yeah, I do sound like a hypochondriac, don't I?! Really, the worst side effect for me has been the joint aches and pains. I know it's a small price to pay for this wonder drug!
Nora
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