Herceptin Increasing Appetite?

Erin · 10-08-2007, 07:13 PM

Hmmmm... this is interesting. I switched three weeks ago from the 3-week herceptin to weekly to try to cut down on the joint pain. That seems to have worked, and I am able to exercise much more comfortably, and yet I have put on 4 pounds in 3 weeks! I had gained around 6 while on chemo and it all came off after I finished. So I had been back to my pre-bc weight until the change in the herceptin routine.... makes me wonder.

Barbara2 · 10-08-2007, 07:59 PM

I gained around 15-20 pounds while taking herceptin. I, too, have wondered why it hasn't been yet listed as a side effect. It seems on this site, there are many who have reported a weight gain with herceptin.

What convinces me that herceptin may cause weight gain, is when I read about the ladies who report a gain, and say they have "always been thin"..."never have had any issues with weight gain"...etc. and yet they gain weight on herceptin.

Not complaining, of course, because we know what a blessing the drug has been to many, but it would be beneficial to know this side effect; I kept telling my onc I was gaining weight, but yet eating the same as I had before; being real careful, etc. He sent me to an endrocrinologist to check out the thyroid as the numbers were a little high; he didn't want to give me meds; fine with me. My weight kept creeping up, up, up. After completing herceptin, the increases stopped.

Esther · 10-10-2007, 07:53 PM

Thanks for all your responses, my weight had stayed the same since I graduated from college. I had always been fairly slender. Vitamin H seems to have changed that.

I went off Herceptin to switch to Tykerb, since it crosses the BBB and may have some impact on brain mets.

Once off Herceptin I lost 10 pounds in the first few months. I am back on Herceptin after 5 months off of it due to an increase in liver enzymes, and CA 27-29. A pet/ct scan showed no real measurable liver increased activity, but I think there may have been some minor progession that is too small for the pet/ct to pick up on. I am so sensitive to any changes, and I felt liver pain, nausea and lack of appetite, which for me are signs of liver mets.

I've had 2 weekly infusions of Herceptin so far, and feel 100% better.

Bev · 10-10-2007, 08:28 PM

For the record, lost 5 # on Dx, lost a couple on AC, gained 7# on T & H. Held steady on H alone. Still holding steady. I think for me it was decadron that made my stomach growl continuously. It was actually funny, while eating a meal, my stomach would growl and growl, and I was hungry. BB