Herceptin & Urinary Tract Issues?

[CarolineC]

Hi Terri,

I was also diagnosed with I.C. almost 4 years ago and was on Elmiron for 6 months. I did not have any issues while on Herceptin but I think that was because I had made alot of dietary changes, specifically eliminating coffee, tea and citrus juices because they were thought to irritate the bladder lining. If you weren't given a list of things to avoid you could google interstitial cystitis and there is alot of information about it.

Another juice I eliminated was cranberry juice because although it can help people with UTIs, it is not good for people with I.C.

Hope this helps.

Caroline

[Becky]

Another culprit in all of this is the fact that even if you aren't hormone positive, chemo does put you into chemopause or outright menopause. This sudden drop in estrogen levels (compounded by aromatase inhibitors or even Tamoxifen) not only thins the vaginal wall but also thins the bladder. Until the bladder gets used to this, one can experience bladder infections.