Driving after Herceptin treatment??

[Faye]

Will I be able to drive myself home after a Herceptin treatment?
I start on Monday. I heard that many also receive Benadryl and Tylenol.
Are they necessary. Please advise. Many thanks, Faye

[mamacze]

Dear Faye,
You may want to have someone drive you home from the first treatment; but thereafter you can probably drive yourself! I only get Herceptin (no benedryl, etc which I got only with the first herceptin treatment)...so after your first treatment, you should be good to go!
Love Kim from CT

[janet/FL]

Hi Faye
It is my understanding that for the first treatment with Herceptin, Benadryl and Tylenol are given. If you have no reaction from the drug, an allergic reaction, you then do not have to take the premeds for the following infusions. It certainly seems adviseable to take the premeds though few seem to have reactions.
Since I take Benadry at night to help with sleep, my body is pretty well used to it and if I take it during the day, I really do not get sleepy. If you are not used to taking Benadryl, then perhaps you will get sleepy and should not drive. I had problems years ago, taking a strong antihistamine and almost falling asleep driving. After the first time, you should be fine to drive on your own.
Good luck with the infusion. It should be easy.
Janet

[MCS]

Faye,


I received benadryl and tylenol in the fist dose, which takes a little longer because you get a loading dose. the remaining ones ( if weekly) don't take much and you can drive yourself. Take a few minutes before and eat like a yogurt or crackers

MCS ( maria)

[jsattaw]

I agree with the others -- you will probably want to have someone with you for your first dose. However, after that, you will be able to drive yourself without any problems.

I had a treatment today -- sandwiched in between work and other various appointments. I enjoy the 90 minutes - 2 hours (depending upon the lab) to catch up on some reading and talk with the nursing staff or other patients.

It's not quite the same as reading a magazine while having your hair done or other spa services, but I try to think of it as a "pampering" treatment just so I can relax a bit more.

I'm sure you'll do great!

Jill

[Barbara]

Faye:

I had no pre meds when I had my first dose. They just hung a bag of saline with the Herceptin in case they needed to add meds and I did fine without. I can drive home with no problems (we live 70 miles away in the Mountains). On the first treatment I would take someone with me though, just in case you do have a reaction.

Barbara

[Ginagce]

I always drive myself to herceptin, but then I drove to chemo alone too. I am only 20 minutes from my hospital though.

If you are getting the benedryl before treatment, it may make you tired. So perhaps for the first time, you might want to have someone with you.
After the first 2 treatments I asked not to take the benedryl because of the sleepiness after. Once I gave that up, I had no initial reaction at all.

Good Luck to you.

Ginagce