Please post your two cents on Herceptin "side effects" real or perceived!

[pennyvphoto]

After starting herceptin I noticed very severe joint pain around my left hip,it was so painful I found it hard to sit or sleep..has anyone got any recommendations for pain ,can it be cured by exercise,or by exercising whilst on pain relief will I be making it a lot worse.Penny

[tousled1]

Penny,

I'm still on Herceptin and since I started Herceptin I have been plaqued with severe joint/bone pain - especially in the hip area. My last three treatments I had them reconstitute the Herceptin with saline water. What a difference - no more pain! I get my Herceptin every three weeks. You may want to ask your oncologist about this.

[pennyvphoto]

Kate

thanks for your reply,as far as I can gather they already use saline to reconstitute the herceptin - it would be great to find out what is happening with the joint/muscles,the ligaments seem to be slipping and unable to support the sacro iliac joint,causing instability and thus pain-will attend the osteopath clinic tomorrow for acupuncture which gives temporary relief.

[tousled1]

Penny,

Here is how Herceptin is usually reconstituted.

HERCEPTIN is a sterile, white to pale yellow, preservative-free lyophilized powder for intravenous (IV) administration. The nominal content of each HERCEPTIN vial is 440 mg Trastuzumab, 400 mg ,-trehalose dihydrate, 9.9 mg L-histidine HCl, 6.4 mg L-histidine, and 1.8 mg polysorbate 20, USP. Reconstitution with 20 mL of the supplied Bacteriostatic Water for Injection (BWFI), USP, containing 1.1% benzyl alcohol as a preservative, yields a multi-dose solution containing 21 mg/mL Trastuzumab, at a pH of approximately 6.

I don't know what it is, but I can tell you that since I'm having them reconstitute it with saline water only my bone/joint pain has diminished.

[tousled1]

With so many new members, I thought I'd bring this discussion up to the front again. Perhaps it can help the newcomers