View Single Post
Old 04-10-2012, 10:33 AM   #613
oregon
Member
 
oregon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 11
Re: Please post your two cents on Herceptin "side effects" real or perceived!

Hi everyone!

I just completed Herceptin last week . . . hurray! And I'm beginning to feel some relief already. So I encourage anyone that is still on this drug that is does get better!

I'm 53, was postmenopausal and had great health at the time of diagnosis 12/21/10. Stage 1B, I had neoadjuvant therapy (abraxene, carboplatin, and herceptin) from 2/3/11-5/31/11. Bilateral in June '11 (no node involvement) and in July '11 continued on Herceptin. My oncologist said the clinical trials all involved adjuvant therapy, so he wanted me on the drug 52 weeks "post" surgery. I did last 9 months post surgery plus the 3.5 months prior to surgery.

In July, my Herceptin treatments started out every three weeks and in November '11, I moved to weekly treatments due to side effects. I experienced increased neuropathy in my feet (numbness), much more so than during chemo, and this continued until I completed the herceptin. I was tripping, had very little small muscle control in my feet and I'm already seeing improvement in just one week off the drug! I have weakness in my legs and joints. Getting to/from a sitting to standing position, I felt like I was 90. Thin nails, and at the tops of my fingers around the nail - I had severe cracking. Any little cut on my hand(s) it seemed at though the pain was amplified. When I think of this along with the increased neuropathy, I believe this drug somehow affects the nerves.

Thank you for collecting this information.
oregon is offline   Reply With Quote