Please post your two cents on Herceptin "side effects" real or perceived!

[kat in the delta]

I read on the package insert of Herceptin recently
that your Onc should be testing your heart at least every
3 month,,,not 6 months.....or MORE often if you have any
symtoms....short of breath.,pain.etc..ANY Symptoms??
Still when you go to your NEXT APT...ask the Secretary
for copies of all of your Echo's or Muga's or Rested-gaited
Heart scans/tests.... YOU YOURSELF needs to LOOK at the
Numbers...... Only 3 tests in 18 months ?? I'd want to see
them if I were you..and I DID GET MINE>>I WAS SHOCKED !!
I never mentioned it to my Onc after that.... I showed him the
brown spots ..told him about my pain and shortness or breath
and NOT being ABLE to Clean a room..much less the HOUSE !!
-------------you need to look at your scores.........MINE READ
ME A PREVIOUS SCORE OF 50%..when it was really 47, which
is too LOW to be giving ME --full strength doses of HERCEPTIN
and never ending...until the end of 1 and 1/2 YRS, like you..
OH,....your ONC should also TEST your Heart at the END of treatments
as well....and GET THAT NUMBER TOO...or you will feel..as BAD,
or worse than ME !!! NOW, don't say a word to onc..and GET THOSE
TEST NUMBERS...asap !!!! Kat
kat