HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Please post your two cents on Herceptin "side effects" real or perceived!

Cathya · 09-21-2006, 06:39 AM

I have noticed the soft fingernails and likely have other symptoms as well as I do get arthritic pains in my hands particularly. I don't really pay much attention to these as I don't know if they're from the herceptin, arimidex or actonel. However, I was taken off herceptin for four months and have just been back on it for the past three weeks....getting my fourth weekly treatment today. I was fine during week one (following the loading dose) but after my second treatment I started having dizzy spells. These would be getting up from bed or even as I lay there and I would almost fall over. I've never had them before and had about 5 or 6 of them over a weeks period. Naturally I was concerned about brain mets and so I mentioned them to the nurse during my last treatment and she sent over the on call doctor. We decided to monitor them going forward and if they weren't resolved within more weeks I would get a brain scan. My last CT scan (taken about 4 months ago) was clear except of an old brain injury I didn't know I had. In any case I have not been dizzy this week at all and so am assuming that it was caused by the herceptin. I had a muga done last Friday but no word yet from it so it must be ok I'm thinking. Hope this helps.

Cathy

09-21-2006, 06:39 AM	#73
Cathya Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 752	I have noticed the soft fingernails and likely have other symptoms as well as I do get arthritic pains in my hands particularly. I don't really pay much attention to these as I don't know if they're from the herceptin, arimidex or actonel. However, I was taken off herceptin for four months and have just been back on it for the past three weeks....getting my fourth weekly treatment today. I was fine during week one (following the loading dose) but after my second treatment I started having dizzy spells. These would be getting up from bed or even as I lay there and I would almost fall over. I've never had them before and had about 5 or 6 of them over a weeks period. Naturally I was concerned about brain mets and so I mentioned them to the nurse during my last treatment and she sent over the on call doctor. We decided to monitor them going forward and if they weren't resolved within more weeks I would get a brain scan. My last CT scan (taken about 4 months ago) was clear except of an old brain injury I didn't know I had. In any case I have not been dizzy this week at all and so am assuming that it was caused by the herceptin. I had a muga done last Friday but no word yet from it so it must be ok I'm thinking. Hope this helps. Cathy __________________ Cathy Diagnosed Oct. 2004 3 cm ductal, lumpectomy Nov. 2004 Diagnosed Jan. 2005 tumor in supraclavicular node Stage 3c, Grade 3, ER/PR+, Her2++ 4 AC, 4 Taxol, Radiation, Arimidex, Actonel Herceptin for 9 months until Muga dropped and heart enlarged Restarting herceptin weekly after 4 months off Stopped herceptin after four weekly treatments....score dropped to 41 Finished 6 years Arimidex May 2015 diagnosed with ovarian cancer Stage 1C started 6 treatments of carboplatin/taxol Genetic testing show BRCA1 VUS Nice! My hair came back really curly. Hope it lasts lol. Well it didn't but I liked it so I'm now a perm lady 29 March 2018 Lung biopsy following chest CT showing tumours in pleura of left lung, waiting for results to the question bc or ovarian April 20, 2018 BC mets confirmed, ER/PR+ now Her2- Questions about the possibility of ovarian spread and mets to bones so will be tested and monitored for these. To begin new drug Palbociclib (Ibrance) along with Letrozole May, 2018. Genetic testing of ovarian tumour and this new lung met will take months. To see geneticist to be retested for BRCA this week....still BRCA VUS CA125 has declined from 359 to 12 as of Aug.23/18