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

[BubblesMom]

I am on herceptin every three weeks for one year ending in November and finished chemo 6/05. My symptoms are:

* swelling in hands and feet
* elbow/knee/shoulder pain. Shoulder pain so severe began physical therapy to regain mobility
* thinning hair (began after herceptin;hair growth after chemo was definitely thicker)
* feeling weak and unwell (after start of herceptin but has improved since acupuncture treatments)
* hot flashes and vaginal dryness (after start of herceptin but no longer an issue since acupuncture treatments)
* loss of words; general cloudiness of thought
* low white blood count
* vision change
* general bloating in midsection;not much weight gain but increase in body fat everywhere (arms, thighs, around waist) that seemed to happen in matter of months
* degradation of gum health. Prior to chemo always had 2 gum pockets that were borderline deep. Went to dentist in January (after starting herceptin in November) now deep pockets all over and recommending gum surgery! Additionally, gums bled every time I flossed or brushed (didn't happen during chemo). This subsided once I began taking COQ10.
* minor acne
* early on sometimes felt as if I couldn't get enough air (haven't experienced in awhile)
* runny nose, crusty in the morning (initially experienced quite regularly..no longer an issue)