Femara & Herceptin side effects

[sarah]

seems to be having a lot of annoying little side effects but can't tell who's the culprit - R or H.
1. extremely dry eyes to the point it feels like sandpaper and vision is blurry. optalmologist gave me vitamin A drops and cream and I use artificial tears as well but still hurts.
2.skin rash that has spread all over my body and itches like crazy - calamine lotion and anti-bacterial soap help keep it in check most of the time but skin looks like it's been scratched all over.
3. very dry nose.
4.arthritic feeling generally
5. year and half out from chemo and still struggling with fatigue
6 constant "cold"
7. finger nails break often below the quick.
Anyway, anyone else had problems with Femara? or are these Herceptin side effects? Wondering if i should ask to change from Femara or not. Any data or which AI is better or worse?
thanks
Sarah

[sassy]

Sarah,


I've had both eye and nose problems which I attribute to Herceptin. Have not had prescription eyeglasses updated because of the changes that are ongoing with herceptin. The general arthritic feeling may be partially due to herceptin, but is more likely from AI. I have been taking Arimidex and have much the same feeling, however, I have had improvement since dropping fosamex. May look into another "bone saver".

Did you become post menopausal during all this process? I did, and I think that has contributed to a lot of the overall fatigue and general achiness. Hopefully all will continue to improve. Exercise and walking especially seem to help.

Good Luck!

Sassy
________
Hurt from depakote

I have posted before on the benifits of fish oil on dry eyes, and generally on the often suggested importance of balancing the omega three and six intake.

Arthritis is also reported in trials as benifiting from fish oil ( which is not the same as cod liver oil which has its own benifits, and does not have much taste or repeat.) Comments on side effects some blood thinning at higher doses can be found on the Linus Pauling site.

If you have the tiem search on the NCBI site using the search engine "omega three and whatever you are interested in"..

There are also wider reported benifits, mental health, skin excema etc, cancer risk reduction etc.

From my non expert but increasingly wide reading another factor is to cut down and balance the omega sixes and the threes.

At a common sense level it is waht fish use to lubricate at low temperatures and high pressures.

Omega three derivates are fundamental to eye developement and maintenance (I learned today reading a book on eye health as part of trying to understand the role of fats).

Whilst I try and represent what I read my view points are strictly amateur - check it out for yourself on the web / NCBI, and a number of posts on this site.

RB

[Cheryl E]

I have been on femara without herceptin for 2 1/2 years. Only symptom is some joint pain if I don't at least walk daily.

During taxotere, I did have dry eyes (blocked tear ducts) and dry, brittle nails. Onc. said was common with taxotere.

[snoopy]

I've got these (and some) - Fingers and toes affected - they flake/break and look just awful.

Just coming to the end of a years herceptin ( also on tamoxifen until I've had an oophorectomy when I'm changing to anastrazole)

At present I'm blaming chemo (finished Taxol June 2005) but as time goes on I'm not so sure.

Thank goodness for nail polish!

[sarah]

thanks for the suggestions and comments. I eat a lot of fish and do have fish oil which I'll start to take more often.
Sarah