Headaches - Worried about brain mets

[emmasmom]

Hi. I just finished my 12 weekly doses of taxol/herceptin. I started radiation on the 15th followed by a year of herceptin. For the last two weeks I have had frequent headaches. Tylenol seems to help for a short time. I talked to my dr. and she told me it is probably from all the drugs in my system. I was wondering if anyone has had headaches while being on Taxol/Herceptin. Should I be requesting a MRI? Thanks!

[MCS]

I am no expert on this one. but I will tell you that i experience a sort of migraine under herceptin. sometime a week later after infusion. it feels dizzy as if I was spining dancing. it reminds me of headaches i used to get at work because of multitasking.

do you get dizzy also? I sometime take ibuprofen and it helps and also trusty ativan can relax and it helps

scary I know. every symptom is another worry.

XO

MCS ( maria)

[tricia keegan]

HI I've noticed I wake up with a really bad head ache about 2 days after my herceptin.It usually only lasta a little while though.I also have had bad back ache and like you worry about everything but have decided if the pain persists for more than 2 weeks I will have it checked or if painkillers have no effect.Otherwise I think I'll be spending every day having scans and tests!
Tricia

[newgg]

Yes......a day or two after the herceptin infusion there are headaches....not severe but migraine like headaches that nothing seems to relieve. They are around for a few days and then gone until the next time. So thankful to have the herceptin and consider this just another of those little irritating things we learn to tolerate to beat the beast!!

So very glad that we have this very informative message board and all the information we share. Thank you one and all !!!! Thank you !!!!

[Sherryg683]

Yep, headaches seem to be a normal thing for me now. Mine seem to be sinus type and dull pains in my temples. I think it's the Herceptin although, I've always had allergy headaches...My first thought was brain mets but I've had 2 brain scans in the last 5 months which were clean...sherryg683

[Lisa]

I hope you don't need it, but have you had a brain MRI? Several of us with NO symptoms had this test and discovered we had brain mets.


If you haven't had one, please encourage your doc to give you one ASAP.

Love and light,

Lisa

[al from Canada]

Why chance it??

Get that MRI!
Al

[R.B.]

I have posted this before but it I think it is worth repeating, and it that old topic of balancing the omega threes and sixes.

In a book called Smart Fats - Michael A Schmidt there is reference to trials that noted brain tumours had higher omega six and lower omega three than healthy brain tissue.

In a child with ADHD the brain had 50% higher levels of arachnidonic acid AA - a derivate of the omega sixes.

There are so many pointers that fats are big players in so many of the bodies functions I sincerly suggest spending some time checking the subject out.

If I could give you categoric results of trials that put the matter beyond doubt I would, but as I keep wittering they have not been done, and nobody except governments have a financial or wider interest and the muscle to get them done. In the interim I can only say that the more I read the more I am convinced that those who are trying to raise awareness of this issue are right.

I purchased a copy second hand of Smart Fats on the net, and maybe the local library might have a copy. There are other books but this readable punchy and look pretty serious from my inital dip and limited knowledge.

I have just had time to start reading it. The first 30 pages where I am at so far are very thought provoking.

It is the first time I have seen details of testing for fat levels. How much how effective etc. I have not yet had time to check, but possibly a worthwhile test for those with access, time and funds, and even if things are out of balance and it is not too expensive worth regular checks to monitor the impact of dietary change.

I still cannot cut and paste but will post some of the links when I have time and can risk reloading bits of windows etc.

Happy reading

RB

[Maggie C]

I finished my second round of Taxotere and Herceptin in January and have been on just Herceptin since then. Four weeks ago one cancer marker went up, had a not-good CT scan April 17th and yesterday asked my oncologist for an MRI to rule out brain mets. Got the MRI today and the news is not good. Two "inoperable" tumors; one near the basal ganglion (largest) and one near brain stem. I had been dizzy during treatment and since and had noted a dull headache upon arising. Get this, my oncologist didn't want to order the MRI because "you have no symptoms". Consult with radiology oncologist next...

Get the MRI no matter what!

Maggie

[Tracy]

I started getting headaches around #8/12 Taxol/Herceptin, I told my onc they were daily, he ordered brain mri, I was lucky that it came back fine, now I know that the headaches are from the chemo so I am not worried as much....seems they lessened a bit too after I got my results. Stress and not knowing can make it so much worse.