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Lien · 08-22-2012, 05:34 AM

What a jerk! Ofcourse there's a lot of crap going around the internet, but that doesn't mean that everything we get from the internet is crap. And he could at least investigate, couldn't he?

Anyway, I'm allergic to benzyl alcohol. Perhaps you could get that confirmed by doing a simple allergy test. If that is positive, you have proof that you shouldn't be getting it in your IV's. The test involves getting a small scratch on your skin, usually on your back, adding a tiny bit of the offensive substance and waiting for 48 hours to see if a reaction shows up.

If you notice improvement with your next Herceptin infusion, you have double proof. However, not all reactions show up on an allergy test so you might face more problems if that happens. Just leaving the benzyl alcohol out of the mix would be the best way of testing for sensitivity.

Are the symptoms worse at first and do they subside after a while? Could there be other sources of benzyl alcohol, eg. in dental fillings, cosmetics etc that might increase your problems? That would be worth looking into as well.
Hugs

Jacqueline

08-22-2012, 05:34 AM	#3
Lien Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Haarlem, the Netherlands Posts: 835	Re: I couldn't make this up if I tried What a jerk! Ofcourse there's a lot of crap going around the internet, but that doesn't mean that everything we get from the internet is crap. And he could at least investigate, couldn't he? Anyway, I'm allergic to benzyl alcohol. Perhaps you could get that confirmed by doing a simple allergy test. If that is positive, you have proof that you shouldn't be getting it in your IV's. The test involves getting a small scratch on your skin, usually on your back, adding a tiny bit of the offensive substance and waiting for 48 hours to see if a reaction shows up. If you notice improvement with your next Herceptin infusion, you have double proof. However, not all reactions show up on an allergy test so you might face more problems if that happens. Just leaving the benzyl alcohol out of the mix would be the best way of testing for sensitivity. Are the symptoms worse at first and do they subside after a while? Could there be other sources of benzyl alcohol, eg. in dental fillings, cosmetics etc that might increase your problems? That would be worth looking into as well. Hugs Jacqueline __________________ Diagnosed age 44, January 2004, 0.7 cm IDC & DCIS. Stage 1, grade 3, ER/PR pos. HER2 pos. clear margins, no nodes. SNB. 35 rads. On Zoladex and Armidex since Dec. 2004. Stopped Zoladex/Arimidex sept 2009 Still taking mistletoe shots (CAM therapy) Doing fine.