Chime in please! Has herceptin (or tykerb)affected your eyebrows/lashes,fingers/toes/

[DiDi70]

Began Herceptin in conjunction with first Taxotere last February. Hair had already fallen out 3 months prior due to Adriamycin/Cyclophosphamide therapy.

Finished Taxotere in May. Remain on Herceptin every 3 weeks until Feb. 22nd, 2011.

These are the issues/symptoms I have at present:

Hair is growing back very slowly. It is now very fine, like baby hair. Prior to chemo and Herceptin it was very thick and very coarse i.e. each strand was very thick and strong. It used to grow very, very quickly.

Hair at my "widow's peak" or bang area is the slowest to grow and is still very sparse and very fine.

My eyebrows are growing back in the original shape, but are thinner. They thin further in the week following each Herceptin treatment, grow in a bit in week 2 and 3 after treatment and then thin out again with next treatment.

My eyelashes are finer and sparser than prior to treatment.

My finger tips are dry and wrinkled looking. One fingertip split open in the cold air the other day. This has never happened to me before and didn't happen last winter while on Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide.

My heels are very dry and develop several layers of dry skin over a period of a few days if I don't keep up with the heel file and thick moisturizer.

My eyes are dry - I wake up with the sensation that my eyelids are stuck to my eyeballs. I use drops each day and night to help with this.

My nose drips a lot, but also, in the week post-Herceptin treatment, my nostril near the tip of my nose splits. It actually looks like I have a cut at the tip of my nose. This has happened every single time I have had a Herceptin infusion and I just had Herceptin # 15 on Tuesday. Nostril has split.

My fingernails are very soft, pliable for the most part, but break off with any kind of slight impact. I keep my nails very short and wear rubber gloves when doing housework. Nails were super-stong prior to treatment. My toenails are fine.

Here's what may seem to be a very odd side-effect, one that my Physiotherapist and I note in the week post-Herceptin infusion: My affected arm (mastectomy and 30 nodes removed) becomes very, very stiff and I develop adhesions which are actually painful. My Physiotherapist works on stretching out my arm and improvement is gained, then I have Herceptin and we are back at square one again. Very odd and very frustrating.

Weight gain. Could be from menopause.

Gums: Seeing some gum receding since May despite good oral hygiene and dental care.

Joints: All very stiff, especially in the morning. Some pain. Notice that my knuckles "crack"easily as does my wrists, knees and ankles. Can actually hear my knees crackle and pop when going up stairs.

Hoping that all of these issues resolve when Herceptin is finished.

[Mary L]

Hi Didi, I read your post and I had to respond. I was on Herceptin for almost 5 years. I had the dry, red eyes, brittle nails, neuropathy in feet and hands [feet worse]. my hair is now baby fine and I can't do anything with it. It was thick and had alot of body. I am trying to get ready to go to 2 Christmas Eve parties and my hair is a mess. I am just about ready to start wearing a wig. Now that makes me mad!!! I am 3 years off of Herceptin and the side effects I still have are, my hair, my neuropathy, my face turning red on and off during the day,[I have no idea why but it happens] and I have a severe problem with chemo fog. Chemo is made of all kinds of chemicals and we have to except the fact that there will be side effects. I wouldn't be here today 7 years after being diagnosed with IBC stage IIIB. I am happy to be here to celebrate Christmas and I will deal with the side effects I have. Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas. Mary L