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09-05-2006, 08:40 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 46
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Herceptin & Insomnia?
Is anyone else out there on Herceptin having trouble sleeping? I think I've read this here before. It's hard for me to fall asleep and I wake up at the crack of dawn and drag around all day. Usually I still manage to accomplish a lot of hard work but I feel kind of "wired'.
I'm not on steroids. I have been dieting and sometimes I think a big meal helps me sleep well. I've not had many big meals lately. I'm trying to lose weight and eat only healthy foods which rules out a lot!
Is this a common side effect from Herceptin, or is this just a menopausal thing?
Mary
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09-05-2006, 09:01 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 823
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Mary , I know with me I had a horrible time sleeping. I hope now that I have finished with Herceptin that I will sleep easier. So, far in a week since I have been off I have still had problems. So maybe down road it will get easier for me.
__________________
Vicki
Texas
Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 Age 48
MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5cm, and 6 cm (right side)
IDC (poorly differentiated infiltrating ductual carcinoma)
5+/16 nodes
Stage III A
Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++
Ki67 78%
Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense , 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)
28 Rad's ended October 13 2005
Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year
Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed incresed micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006.
Brain MRI Feb.2006--All Clear
August 28, 2006 Last Weekly Herceptin.
October 2006--Colonoscopy, 6 Polyp's removed--all B9
PET Scan July 2007
Abdominal MRI Oct. 2007---2 Right Kidney Cysts
Core Biopsy-- Lump on Scar Line 1-10-08---B9
Brain MRI 6-2008--All Clear
PET/CT Scan 6-2008
Sept. 8 2008, 4CM area removed from mastectomy scar line. Proved to be B9.
PET/CT Scan-- July 2009 --All clear
August 17,2009 ---Had Port Removed
6 Years NED -- April 5,2011
DX'd with Melanoma left arm 10-10-2011
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09-06-2006, 06:23 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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Not sure about Herceptin but menopause causes this (loss of sleep).
Becky
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09-06-2006, 07:16 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Mary,
I know I had some difficulty sleeping - fall asleep but awake in about 2 hours. I talked to my doctor about it and I now take Ambien which lets me get a good nights sleep without feeling drowsy in the morning.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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09-06-2006, 08:48 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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I had suffered from insomnia for years (took trazadone). Was off the sleeping meds for 2 years...then cancer. My insomnia reappeared-don't know whether or not it is from the anxiety, chemo, or herceptin. I am back on trazadone!
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09-06-2006, 11:49 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
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I was having trouble sleeping before I started Herceptin and and it became worse, so my doctor prescribed Ambien. I also take Requip for restless leg syndrome. Requip initially helped me to sleep before I started taking Ambien, but the effects wore off. I also noticed that making sure I have take a Vitamin B complex and iron makes my restless leg syndrome better. I have also noticed that I am pretty jittery on some days and I think it is due to the Herceptin.
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09-08-2006, 05:40 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 84
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I have been on Ambien forever...since I was first dx'd anyway. 
__________________
3/2003-Dx'd Stage 4 Her 2+++
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Dum spiro spero (Latin: while I breathe I hope)
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09-08-2006, 07:50 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 492
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I have battled insomnia since my ooph (menopause) and starting Arimidex. Was taking an ativan at night. Swithed to 9 mg of melatonin, which is natural, non-addicting and may have benefits for cancer survivors. The melatonin takes about 2 weeks to work. I had to go off melatonin for awhile (surgery coming up) so now I am taking 2 benadryl tablets at bed-time and that is working fine.
Have been taking Herceptin since January, but only noticed the insomnia after starting the Arimidex.
__________________
Are we there yet?
Dx 10/05 IDC, multi-focal, triple +, 5 nodes+
MRM, 4 DD A/C, 12 weekly taxol + herceptin
rads concurrent with taxol/herceptin
finished herceptin 01/08
ooph, Arimidex, bilateral DIEP reconstruction
NED
Univ. of WA, Seattle vaccine trial '07
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09-09-2006, 04:33 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: indianapolis, indiana
Posts: 1,544
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So far the insomnia has not gone away and my last treatment of herceptin was in June. Ambien helps, but there are still nights it doesn't.
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