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Please, please don't take the benadryl. Just insist on no pre-meds. If you have been taking the Herceptin all along, you are not allergic to it. See my more detailed post about how it was actually an oncologist who added the Benadryl to the herceptin after-the-fact. It was never meant to be taken after the first loading infusion. Because of the way Herceptin may work, dampening the immune system may not be the best way to get the most bang for your Herceptin buck...especially considering that drip is costing you or your insurance company probably close to $3,000 to $7,000 a bag..sigh... Just my two cents, but taking Benadryl with Herceptin is like pouring a wet blanket on the charcoal at the same time you are trying to light the grill. I have taken herceptin alone many ways without premeds for years now only to reap many positive benefits--not the least of which is the capacity to take myself back and forth to treatments--though I usually walk rather than drive and am so lucky to live only 2 miles from the onc's office-yes, that is sheer GOOD FORTUNE that is..smile. Of course, it is up to you. For some of my more colorful her-2 friends...I even suggest spitting the Benadryl out in the onc's face, if no amount of reasoning works on the onc...sounds like you might have one like that...tease....also, you can quietly spit it AND THE TYLENOL out in the restroom...smile...if you don't want to "make waves" smile. Good luck to you...I think you will really enjoy the freedom the 3-week dosing can provide and by NOT taking the Benadryl, you will even be awake to enjoy it!!! Same goes for Ativan (they are a similar class of immuno-suppressing drugs)...just say NO...Godspeed to us all, sorry that I feel so strongly about this issue, but I actually have empirical reasons to back it up. Empirical yes..logical???? smile..well, until next time. Take care, Gina
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