Cough on herceptin

Does anyone else out there have a constant cough since starting on herceptin? It's five months now and getting worse not better. And has anyone had a cough on herceptin and when she stopped found the cough went away? Would appreciate information on this. Thanks.

[tousled1]

Grace,

I have had a constant cough since starting Herceptin and I'm been on it for eight months now. I'm having a PET/CT scan Friday to see if there is anything going on. Hopefully, all will be clear.

[Andi]

I always had a runny nose when I was on herceptin the first time, but no cough. My cough began about 2 1/2 months after I completed my year.

[Lani]

on the airway/respiratory system(previously posted if it sounds familiar)

This paper deals with a woman who was biopsied while she was on herceptin due to a chronic cough, who was also(I believe) biopsied after finishing herceptin. I will have to reread it to refresh my memory:

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2006 Aug;291(2):L175-80. Epub 2006 Feb 17.



Differentiation of human airway epithelia is dependent on erbB2.

Vermeer PD, Panko L, Karp P, Lee JH, Zabner J.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, 52242, USA.
A clinical case documented a reversible change in airway epithelial differentiation that coincided with the initiation and discontinuation of trastuzumab, an anti-erbB2 antibody. This prompted the investigation into whether blocking the erbB2 receptor alters differentiation of the airway epithelium. To test this hypothesis, we treated an in vitro model of well-differentiated human airway epithelia with trastuzumab or heregulin-alpha, an erbB ligand. In addition, coculturing with human lung fibroblasts tested whether in vivo subepithelial fibroblasts function as an endogenous source of ligands able to activate erbB receptors expressed by the overlying epithelial cells. Epithelia were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and used for morphometric analysis. Trastuzumab treatment decreased the ciliated cell number by 49% and increased the metaplastic, flat cell number by 640%. Heregulin-alpha treatment increased epithelial height and decreased the number of metaplastic and nonciliated columnar cells, whereas it increased the goblet cell number. We found that normal human lung fibroblasts express transforming growth factor-alpha, heparin-binding epidermal-like growth factor, epiregulin, heregulin-alpha, and amphiregulin, all of which are erbB ligands. Cocultures of airway epithelia with primary fibroblasts increased epithelial height comparable to that achieved following heregulin-alpha treatment. These data show that erbB2 stimulation is required for maintaining epithelial differentiation. Furthermore, the mesenchyme underlying the airway epithelium secretes a variety of erbB ligands that may direct various pathways of epithelial differentiation.
PMID: 16489114 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I started a thread on side effects of herceptin real or imagined and Rhonda H started one on what side effects improved in those who finished herceptin
so you might want to check those...

Hope this helps!

[Annlyn]

Hi Grace
Before I started on Herceptin in December 2001 I had about 30 spots on my lungs and coughed all the time however, over the next 12 months or so the cough decreased and disappeared. Now 5 years later I'm still on Herceptin and only get a slight cough for about a couple of hours from the start of each treatment.
Over the years I've had many "side effects" but as time goes on and I seek a fitness/diet/supplementation solution for each the "effects" mininise or disappear all togethor. Herceptin does seem to stir up whatever is weak in my immune system at the time of treatment.

Good luck
Annlyn

[Linda]

Hi Grace
I had a mild, slight cough on herceptin, that went along with the constant runny nose. It was like the cough you get from a mild allergy, post nasal drip. It made me nervous, but totally went away after I stopped the herceptin and I'm sure was related to the other allergy type symptoms.
I doubt there's any reason to worry.
Best
Linda