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Hermiracles,
Oh, I know how scary a bad reaction can be! My first two Taxol/Herceptin infusions went just fine, but I had a week off my chemo due to low blood counts, and when I went for my third Taxol/herceptin, I had a terrible allergic reaction. I know it was the Herceptin because I had not yet been given the Taxol. My throat closed up, I couldn't breathe or swallow, and then started to cough and vomit uncontrollably, and my heart was racing. They quickly took me off the infusion and it took about 30 minutes of just being on saline for my breathing and heart rate to return to normal.
We weren't sure if I could get the Herceptin again, but I went to a specialist at Mayo Clinic who helped me to figure out what went wrong. According to all the the studies they did, the main thing that helps prevent reactions is having the right premeds, allowing enough time for them to get into your system, and slowing the infusion down.
Here's what we did for me, and I have now been able to get it twice in a row without trouble. First, I get an infusion of Decadron (a steroid), Benadryl, Pepcid, and Ativan. I also get two Tylenol tablets. We then wait a full 30 minutes after they have dripped in before starting the Herceptin to allow enough time for the premeds to take effect. The Herceptin is pumped in very slowly. I find that if it is speeded up a little, I can tell a difference and I start to feel agitated. It takes me 90 minutes to get an infusion that normally would be 30 minutes.
Maybe these things will help for you too. I hope that everything will improve for you!
DeAnn
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