Benedryl ? - Page 2

Diana1993 · 10-13-2008, 06:55 AM

I was on herceptin for almost two years and the only pre med I received was Tylenol. Like Caya, I had a drip of 60 minutes. Se were and are drippy eyes and nose. I have learned to live with it. I wish you all the success with this round.
Hugs,
Diana.

hutchibk · 10-13-2008, 09:14 AM

Sheila- that's how it affects me when they drip it, I don't give a S**t about anything, which was kinda nice, but still just debilitating enough that it started to bother me. For one thing, I couldn't drive myself home from treatment, which pissed me off, so we tried the pill form and it was the perfect dose...

Sheila · 10-13-2008, 11:32 AM

Brenda
I hate the fact that i can't drive home too....so I always have to have someone go with....they won't let me take the oral....I am taking it for the Taxol....mabe thats why....they want the big dose right before infusion...I know i must be drooling on myself after they give it to me !!!

dlaxague · 10-13-2008, 12:49 PM

Like Brenda, I negotiated the bendadryl during Taxol. First, I refused 50mg outright, as I knew how I hated that slow-mo feeling, plus I get migraines when benadryl wears off (lots of experience with benadryl when I was night nurse trying to sleep during the day). The first time they agreed to lower it to 25mg, but it was IV, not a pill. WAY too much sedation to suit me. I wanted to be able to drive (70 miles one-way for treatment - silly to make someone else come and waste a day).

The last three were 12.5 IV, at my insistence. I think my chemo nurse thought I was nuts but she humored me. I tried for none but she said since it was part of a clinical trial protocol she just couldn't delete it altogether.

I think I enjoyed wresting some smidgeon of control for myself as much as I enjoyed not being semi-conscious, as I would have been on 50mg.

Debbie Laxague

Sheila · 10-13-2008, 03:52 PM

Debbie
I have had so much Benedryl in the last 16 mos of Taxol that now when I take the Tylenol or Advil PM, it doesn't even phase me....used to be that 25mg of Benedryl PO would knock me out when I worked nights (also as a nurse)and had a hard time sleeping during the day.

10-17-2008, 08:27 AM

I'm so glad these posts were made. I've been hating the Benedryl I've been getting with my weekly Herceptin tx. I get it on Fridays and I'm lethargic for the whole weekend...I've got a 5 year old boy, I need some energy for my weekends! I called my oncologist's nurse this week and asked if we could do it without benedryl this week. When I get there today I'll be demanding it, especially now that I've read these other accounts just like mine.

That's why this group is so valuable. Patients need to communicate with each other and research their own treatments, because there are things we can learn that our doctors and nurses won't tell us...or don't even have any idea about. They can learn from us as much as we learn from them. I've been in chemo and herceptin treatment for about 9 weeks now, and I'm learning how to speak up on any little thing I think or feel, because it could be a not so little thing, and there is probably something that can be done. You don't know til you ask.

Thank you all

freyja · 10-17-2008, 08:28 AM

Sorry I wasn't logged in when I responded...it's me "freyja"

caya · 10-17-2008, 08:39 AM

Freyja,

You are so right about this invaluable group, sharing information and advice- I started to get the Herceptin drip over 60 minutes instead of 30 because someone mentioned that issue here. Otherwise I doubt I ever would have known about that.

Lots of luck to you.

all the best
caya

10-17-2008, 08:58 AM

I can say that I had a reaction to Herceptin. I had Herceptin from the start w/Chemo and all the pre-meds, including Benedryl with no reactions. Following that, I had Herceptin alone for a few months with no reactions. Then on my second to last treatment w/just Herceptin, I experienced a tightness in my chest, coughing and shakes. All within minutes!
The drip was stopped immediately and Benedryl was administered and continued with Herceptin w/no further reactions.

Sorry, I can't identify myself, I registered quite awhile back and forgot my password, and for some reason the site won't forward it to me because they doesn't recognize my e-mail address. ???

madubois63 · 10-17-2008, 09:05 AM

I've always thought myself to be a little weird - I LOVE Benadryl. When in the hospital, I always make sure I have a Benadryl push ordered as part of my med's list. I get a great high from it and then fall asleep. It works better for me than any sleeping pill, especially when they wake you up in the middle of the night for vitals. One push, and I am back to sleep with a smile on my face. I currently receive a benadryl drip prior to getting Herceptin but have taken Herceptin without any premeds before. I get a little silly, tell stupid jokes and then fall asleep. I always carry Benadryl pills on my person - just in case. The pills don't make me tired or silly.

Anyway, several weeks ago I landed in the ER after receiving Herceptin with Benadryl. I started breathing very heavy and felt like I was having a heart attack. They did every test under the sun and didn't find anything wrong with me. Herceptin??? Benadryl?? Who knows....

StillHere · 10-20-2008, 07:11 PM

Juanita, you are the first person I have come across that has the jerky leg syndrome thingy. I can take a lot of Benadryl during the day, but cannot take after supper. If I do, I can't keep my legs still enough to sleep. Sometimes I forget to check cold medicines to see if they include bendaryl or generic form. If I take them just before bed I am up for hours tossing and turning. I know when I worked in CICU, there were some people who got very restless from Valium. I figure this is somewhat the same for me. Most people get drowsy/sleepy from Benadryl. I am tired, but very restless. Just nice to know there is someone else out there with the same symptoms. Peace Karen

juanita · 10-21-2008, 04:06 PM

i can't even take tylenol pm because it keeps me up. and i've learned the hard way, like you, to read labels.

hutchibk · 10-21-2008, 04:20 PM

If I take too much Benadryl, I get restless legs. It also used to happen to me when I took too much of another allergy med, I think it was an Eckerd store brand of cold/allergy combo years ago, and for the longest time we couldn't figure out what was causing it. Then I kept a log and it happened only during allergy season when I took that particular otc med... the doctor couldn't explain it as it didn't show up in potential side effects of any of the ingredients on the box... but then I also experienced it on the doses of Benadryl that hit my blood stream too fast. It doesn't happen on the pill, but it does with the drip or push...

I also got horrible RLS from the anti-depressant Effexor.