Herceptine and runny nose..did it stop just before you recurred..?

fullofbeans · 09-30-2010, 10:31 AM

Hi guys,

I hope that you are all well considering. I am still in process with my treatments (will know more in three weeks after scan and special markers I have kind of instigated myself (long story) more if it works..) but I had noticed something about my nose stopping to be runny a couple of months before I could palpate the recurrence

Herceptine always used to give a runny nose for 3.5 years always except....until just before I recurred.

I interpret that as the usurpation of the immune system by tumors, perhaps a Th1/Th2 imbalance

have any of you have noticed that?

Delaney · 09-30-2010, 12:03 PM

Thats interesting, I have the runny nose, such a nuisance, am on Herceptin.

Ellie F · 09-30-2010, 12:21 PM

Welcome back FOB. Please let us know what treatment options you went for in the end. I know you had many suggestions from the board and it would be really useful for others facing similar issues.

The herceptin symptoms you mention are very interesting. I checked back in my diary and found that I had snuffles, runny nose and joint pain up till about 2 months before my recurrence.I am now on just herceptin and again have a runny nose etc plus I seem to get more colds and also mouth ulcers and cold sores than before which take longer to clear up. I try to view this positively as my immune system fighting back! After all some of the documented cases of spontaneous remission follow a bacterial/viral infection where the immune system 'wakes' up and recognises the bc cells.
Ellie

fullofbeans · 09-30-2010, 04:09 PM

Truth is I cannot wait to have a runny nose back..

Elly yep funny that you have noticed that too.. well if that is a sign it might be a early detection sign for all of us who reacts with herceptin with runny nose..

Has anyone who is not on chemo and has mets has runny nose would be the next question.

The runny nose is to me a sign of your immnune system reacting (well) to antibodies.. Thelpers (Th2) cell are found in greater number in cancer patients and these are used to dampen the immune response or tell it to stop so one doesn't over react to say allergen..but cancer produces (via cytokines) some more so it does not get attacked..

anna4969 · 09-30-2010, 05:29 PM

Thank you for this interesting thread. I know this is not quite what you were asking, but if I may? Had anyone noticed bloody discharge when on Herceptin and then have it subside and then start again several months later? I have been on Herceptin since April and had the bloody discharge and then it stopped for several months and just started up again. I have always had the drippy nose but the discharge thing existing and the stopping and then starting up again has me a bit stumped. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Be well and God Bless.

Jackie07 · 09-30-2010, 05:35 PM

I only had 4 weekly Herceptin after 18 weeks of TCH, so I don't know if it was caused by the chemo combo (TCH) or Herceptin. But I did have extremely dry nose and had blood (dried?) in my nose during chemo. My oncologist suggested for me to rub vaseline inside of my nostrils.

There's thread discussing the nose bleed issue:

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...ght=blood+nose

Lauriesh · 10-01-2010, 09:59 AM

I did a year of herceptin in 2005, when diagnosed stage 2. I had a runny nose the whole time I took herceptin.

I have mets to my liver, that was diagnosed in July, 2010. I have been on Herceptin weekly, and have not had a runny nose, at all. I thought it was strange , and I kept thinking that it would start again, as it did in 2005.

I have my first scan on Mon, to see if the liver tumor has shrank. So, I guess I will also be hoping for my nose to start running?

Laurie

schoolteacher · 10-01-2010, 12:42 PM

Glad to hear from you. Keep us posted on how things are going. I was diagnosed with mets to my lungs in August. My nose continued to drip. Maybe my allergies caused the running nose.

I am now doing the TMD 1 trial taking Xeloda and Tykerb.

Amelia

fullofbeans · 10-02-2010, 04:54 PM

Schoolteacher you seem the exception so far. But as you mention you have allergies, I know that it is not your case but I remember reading somewhere that people with strong/many allergic reactions have less cancer, which is logical.

Jackie personally I am always in favour of natural option first product for example, but since it is going in your nose it need to be a bit 'waterproof' like vaselin, maybe bee wax based product..

Anna no I never noticed a bloody discharged when on herceptin, just the dripping nose.

Jackie07 · 10-02-2010, 07:44 PM

About allergy - hate to say this - but all three members of my family that has been treated for cancer so far are allergy sufferers. [None of the other 5 members has the allergy problem.]

My Mother used to use nasal spray for her running/stuffed nose and at the age of 87, she's a 12 year survivor of Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma. I suffered allergy all my life especially when I was having symptoms for brain tumor/breast cancer. The other one is my 2nd Brother who always sneezes in the morning when he gets up. He's the healthiest person in the world and ended up having surgery and optional chemo for colon cancer two years ago.

I found a link about 'HNPCC' that seems to explain the genetic connection of the cancers involved in my family.

fullofbeans · 10-03-2010, 01:15 AM

Jackie sorry to hear about your family 's cancers.. and this heriditary component obviously seem to be overriding potentially strong immune response..

I just checked again but yep meta analysis have definitely associated allergies with significant cancer decrease (just google allergy and cancer), sometime with higher decrease chances of up to 60% in certain cancers.

Biology is never straight forward..unfortunately

Ellie F · 10-03-2010, 06:30 AM

Interesting the whole issue about allergies! When I was younger (20's) I had a number of allergies that came out of nowhere as I hadn't had them as a child. I guess they wore off and I kind off forgot about them. Now any little thing seems to set me off, like perfume, hairspray to name but a few. This has only been post chemo and on vit h.

Ellie

schoolteacher · 10-04-2010, 12:46 PM

FOB,

It is strange, but right before I found my BC my allergies were not that bad that fall, and I thought that was really strange.

Amelia

fullofbeans · 10-04-2010, 01:37 PM

Amelia, although I am not an immunologist and even if I was the answer would not be straight forwards, but nonetheless personally I am not surprised and I am pretty sure that many people with your allergy type based system may find the same. Also, sore throat may be a sign of dampen immune system, I am pretty sure many of us would have experience that symptom too..

StephN · 10-04-2010, 02:07 PM

Dear FOB -

Hope your scans will bear good news.
Remind us what you are doing for treatment - Tykerb?

Interesting you should mention the sore throat symptom - I recall that I had a scratchy throat for about a month (basically from Thanksgiving to New Year's) before mets diagnosis. I thought it was just a winter bug that was low grade.

jhandley · 10-04-2010, 11:54 PM

no my nose runs on!

harrie · 10-05-2010, 12:03 AM

I had the slightly drippy nose while on herceptin.