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

[juanita]

i have another sinus infection and i never got them like this till after i did herceptin. that is the one thing that has not gone away. well, that and a little neuropathy but that ain't as bad as these sinus infections.

[DianneS]

Hi all - again,

I posted a thread about Herceptin related side effects not realizing that this thread was so long! I thought the last responses were in '06. Duh. Good that I found the rest of the thread...chemo brain....

I have the nice leg and feet cramps. My family doc gave me a prescription for compression hose, which helps and also helps with the possibility of getting varicose veins. Apparently chemo damages the valves in esp. the legs, causing legs/feet to swell and veins to burst....chemo, the gift that keeps on giving, eh? I'm hoping this is temporary.

Diarrhea almost daily, slowed down somewhat with aloe vera juice mixed with any other kind of juices. 2 ozs a day. Seems to help with acid reflux as well.

I seem to have an all-over achiness in the early morning hours. It disrupts my sleep. But once I"m up and walking around I'm ok. I'm on Herceptin only after finishing 5.5 sessions of Taxotere and Carboplatin March 12. My most recent Herceptin was April 23. I get them every 3 weeks.

Besides the side effects mentioned above, I get a rash in different spots, mostly on my legs.
Dry eyes alternating with runny eyes and nose, fatigue. Some days I feel almost normal but then it feels like someone took my batteries out - my energy just goes!

Is there any evidence to show that doing 9 months or a year of Herceptin makes any difference? I think I read that in Europe, they are finding that 9 months does as much good as a year? I'd like to get off of this stuff.

I think my diagnosis will show up at the bottom....if not, it is:

DCIS 50%, IDC, right breast, 2.1 cm tumor, no vascular invasion or lymphatic invasion found, bilateral mastectomies done 9/08, Stage 1 or 2A (because of tumor size) Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin begun Nov/08, completed March 12, still doing Herceptin x 3 weeks....yuck.....

Thanks all,
Diannes

[Terri B]

Ladies and Gents:

I recently started having puffy eyes when I wake up that lasts for hours. The kind of eyes you get if you cry yourself to sleep the night before! It is very alarming! Also, i noticed that my lymph nodes on my clavicle on the breast cancer side puff up sometimes too!

The sinuses, the sinueses ugh. and the crunch, burnt, peely feet! whaaa

[DianneS]

Hi Terri,

Try a rich, creamy foot cream for your feet just before bed, then put some socks on (I know, not very sexy) and leave them on all night. I did this all through chemo and it really helped....afterwards as well.

For sinuses, try "Ocean" nasal spray to keep the membranes hydrated. There are other brands with similiar ingreds. and at least there are no chemicals in this stuff, just natural.

Hope it works for ya,
Diannes

[DianneS]

Hi Terri,

So your eyes sound like mine. I look sometimes like I've been on a crying jag, esp. when I wake up in the a.m. Everyone in the medical world says they don't see anything about Herceptin causing it. Yeah right.

Have you found anything to help?

I sent you a reply that might help your feet and sinuses. This stuff sucks...my doc/onc calls it 'baby chemo'. Is she crazy?

Diannes

[Terri B]

Dianne, Steph,

Yeah, I'll be seeing my onc on Monday. I will tell her all about my issues. I'm almost done with my year. I think I have 2 treatments left. Muga keeps dropping slowly. Last one was 53.

I just feel UGH. slow, sluggy and worthless.

Steph, if i have a clot, will my port work? because my port has been working okay.

It's like I have allergies, and I never had allergies before. I have really bad nights where my nose is so clogged that I snore (at least that's what my daughter told me ) It's those nights that I wake up with the puffy eyes.

but i have hair!!

[Terri B]

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention...

My lymph nodes seem to be puffy too. On the clavicle (right side). I don't feel them, like rocks, it is a soft, puffy area. When i look in the mirror, you can tell that the right side is puffed up. I saw my breast surgeon last week, and she said that she wasn't concerned because they weren't "hard". But she told me to point it out to my onc when I see her.

I'm just one big puffy mess.

[ElaineM]

Sorry Flori. Some men just can't handle a strong woman like you. There are alot more fish in the sea. Smile.