Allergic Reaction to AVASTIN ???

[Sheila]

Just wondering if anyone here has had this, today when I was getting my chemo in Chicago, the girl next to me was getting Avastin and Taxol...she had premeds of 50 IV Benedryl, 8mg of Dexamethasone IV, 10mg IV Pepcid, 1mg IV Ativan...she was over halfway through the Avastin (and this was not her first time) and she had a horendous reaction...hot, diaphoretic, B/P bottomed out, hard time breathing....the nurses acted quickly with another 50 of Benedryl and more Dex and 1000cc IV fluids wide open...they had never seen a reaction like this....
As we all know, anyone can react to anything...they were on the phone with Genentech immediately...I am anxious to see what they found out.

[Mary Anne in TX]

Sheila, I did the same thing with Taxol the 3rd or 4th time. Scared me silly. They just changed the infusion time to lots longer and I never had it again. ma

[Sheila]

M A
That is what I couldn't believe...they hadn't given her the Taxol yet...i would expect a reaction to that...it is very common, although i have been lucky...I had my 40th Taxol today and never a problem....it may be my last, i will find out in 2 weeks where I go next...and to which drug.

[Becky]

The "nabs" are all monoclonal antibodies and they have to start with something to bind the "human" portion so it tends to be rabbits, chicken, mice, or :) Chinese hamsters :) As we all know, Herceptin is a nab (Traztuzanab - I know I spelled this wrong) and Avastin is a nab too.

The nibs (Tykerb - lapatinib) are small molecule inhibitors (usually protein inhibitors) and are molecularly synthesized whereas the nabs (above) are made by a fermentation process (reproduction - real time).

It would not surprise me if any nab caused someone out there a reaction or really any drug in general but nabs have some underlying animal source and people are allergic to animals.

Love to you

[Sheila]

Thanks Becky....I knew you would steer my mind in the right direction...that makes sense!!

[Mary Anne in TX]

Sheila, keep us up on what your scans indicate and what you and they decide about the Taxol to end or not. I'll sure be thinking about you and sending up prayers for wise decisions and splendid outcomes for you. Much love, ma

[StephN]

Hi Becky -
That would be MABS - as in Monoclonal AntiBodies.

Tras-tu-zu-mab. I have heard it spoken so many times now when they double check my drug at the cancer center that I hear it in my sleep!

When I was on a multi-drug treatment I had my Herceptin last, after the Taxol and Navelbine. The order was very precise and always the same.

Wonder which animal AVASTIN comes from???

[SoCalGal]

Just reading this thread is giving me anxiety...scariest moment ever was during my 4th taxatere and I started to black out - couldn't breathe - felt like I was dying and luckily yelled out a "help me" and they shut my drip and all rushed in. As soon as the drip stopped I started to white in (or whatever the opposite of black out is) and luckily for me I recovered without intervention. Second scariest moment was giving the okay to start it up again - at my onc's urging - to finish my treatment that day. I think it took me about 3 hours to get a one hour infusion.

Having an allergic reaction is always one of my biggest fears. Once I pass the 20 min mark I am always relieved. Next week is my avastin & herceptin. Hopefully it will be uneventful as my daughter has offered to go with me for the very first time.

Keep us posted Sheila - praying for good news as always.
xo Flori

[MJo]

Having an allergic reaction was my biggest fear, too, before I started chemo. I was expecially afraid of Taxol. I was so afraid that the nurses didn't tell me when they started my firstTaxol drip. What a horrible coincidence that the woman in the chair in front of me had a bad allergic reaction to the taxol-carboplatin combo and they had to call a Code Blue. She did fine after they worked on her and even gave a thumbs up as they wheeled her out of the treatment room. As for me, I had no problem with taxol.

[pattyz]

Shame on me for this less than informative reply, since I don't know where I saw this:

There have been deaths reported from Avastin. Few and 'acceptable' in the big pic.... as with most of our ca tx's.

pattyz