HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Herceptin

Chelee · 08-10-2006, 02:52 PM

Rocky, I have had problems with anxiety since age 30...I am 49 now. I have been taking 0.5 mg four times a day. My anxiety since this bc journey started has gotten worse of course.

But from all the posts I have been reading on this board...seems to be an awful lot of us women with insomnia. I don't know if its the herceptin, or the plain fact they put us in chemopause. (I know lots of women can/will have problems sleeping in the menopausal years...so I wonder it that isn't some of our problem?)

I do know I play heck sleeping. I am ALWAYS so TIRED. I fall asleep fast at night, but WAKE up about every 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hours on the dot. This goes on from the time I go to bed till I get out of bed. Its annoying and exhausting. I have tried ambien and it does NOT work! Useless for me. The xanax helps me get to sleep...but I don't stay asleep for long.

I just recently got a script of Ativan and was told to break it in half and try that. Well I did...but it seems like it took forever to work? I am going to ask my onc if I can take a whole one...maybe that will help?

Years ago I tried Restoril when I had a bout of insomnia...that worked great. I might ask to try that again.

Rocky, you might want to ask your doctor if that Prozac is causing some of your sleeping problems? I know for sure Prozac can cause anxiety in some people, and sleeping problems. It would not hurt to ask your doctor in case that is some of the problem? I know a couple people that take prozac and they both said it gave them alot of energy which they enjoyed during the day...but caused them trouble sleeping. Do a search on google and check it out. (Just a thought.)

All I know is there is nothing worse then falling asleep and waking up 100 times a night like it seems many of us are having to deal with. Ugh!

Chelee

08-10-2006, 02:52 PM	#7
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Rocky, I have had problems with anxiety since age 30...I am 49 now. I have been taking 0.5 mg four times a day. My anxiety since this bc journey started has gotten worse of course. But from all the posts I have been reading on this board...seems to be an awful lot of us women with insomnia. I don't know if its the herceptin, or the plain fact they put us in chemopause. (I know lots of women can/will have problems sleeping in the menopausal years...so I wonder it that isn't some of our problem?) I do know I play heck sleeping. I am ALWAYS so TIRED. I fall asleep fast at night, but WAKE up about every 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hours on the dot. This goes on from the time I go to bed till I get out of bed. Its annoying and exhausting. I have tried ambien and it does NOT work! Useless for me. The xanax helps me get to sleep...but I don't stay asleep for long. I just recently got a script of Ativan and was told to break it in half and try that. Well I did...but it seems like it took forever to work? I am going to ask my onc if I can take a whole one...maybe that will help? Years ago I tried Restoril when I had a bout of insomnia...that worked great. I might ask to try that again. Rocky, you might want to ask your doctor if that Prozac is causing some of your sleeping problems? I know for sure Prozac can cause anxiety in some people, and sleeping problems. It would not hurt to ask your doctor in case that is some of the problem? I know a couple people that take prozac and they both said it gave them alot of energy which they enjoyed during the day...but caused them trouble sleeping. Do a search on google and check it out. (Just a thought.) All I know is there is nothing worse then falling asleep and waking up 100 times a night like it seems many of us are having to deal with. Ugh! Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.