Gemzar with Herceptin

[GemmaG]

Hello to all the beautiful people in this heavenly site,
My onc have had me started on Gemzar in April (or may?)with my lifetime bff Herceptin. I din't have any problem with Herceptin at all since I get it weekly. I did have a problem when I was getting it every three weeks. With GEMZAR, I'm getting all th s/e like nausea, vomitting, dizziness, blurry vision, chills! mouth sores/blisters. MY left face got swollen on Monday and Tuesday. The NP saw it and she said that I have shingles?! I did not think so. They're gone anyway, goodness! But these s/e i get from GEMZAR is too much for me to handle. I get Aloxi for anti-nausea thru IV, DEcadron thru IV for premeds and Emend the three day pills
After Tacol/Herceptin didn't do much, then TYKERB/XELODA didn't do the trick, Navalbine/Herceptin stopped working after six months.
Now it's the Gem! I have an early chemo tomorrow Gemzar/Hercp. I get it 2 wks on and 1 wk off. I so hope that it will not make me very sick this time.

BTW, for the get together-- Vegas or Reno sounds fun! I lived in Reno for 6 six yrs. my children were born in Reno.

[SoCalGal]

I was on Carbo with Gemzar along with Tykerb. When I did the Gemzar alone (I think it was every other week) it was not as disgusting as with the Carboplatin. In general I did not feel good from the side effects - but think I did better than what you describe. Maybe from my diet. The "no gluten and no dairy". I did not have pre-meds. I took Zofran for the nausea but it just took time each cycle to recover.

What are you taking to address the er/pr+? It seems like you can take something to turn off estrogen. And what about adding Tykerb back in? Just some thoughts. This disease is tough but we are tougher (sometimes). Hugs back...

-Flori