anyone else?

eric · 10-08-2005, 06:44 AM

I was wondering if anyone else has trouble breathing at the tail end of their herceptin treatment. My wife and I spent last night in the emergency room (about 36 hours after receiving herceptin and zometa) while they checked out her heart and lungs (for clots) and thankfully all clear. She gets this reaction often but it ususally subsides and this one didn't. The dr's just write it off and I don't like not having an answer.

Thanks in advance, Eric

mamacze · 10-08-2005, 07:03 AM

Hi Eric,
Wow, that must be scary! You didn't say what kind of mets she has? Has she been scanned for mets to the lungs?
Love Kim from CT

10-08-2005, 11:06 AM

Eric:

I just received my Herceptin infusion on Wednesday. After the infusion I could not take a deep breath without coughing. I forced my self to continue to breath deeply and in about 8 hours the problem passed. The coughing bothered my husband as we normally shop after my treatment. It felt like I had congestion on my lungs. This seems to be a pattern for me. I am stage IIB and my chest CTs do show mucus plugs in the broncho tubes and lungs that have existed since I started Herceptin over 15 months ago. I wonder if the additional mucus and the annoying plugs might be a common side affect that just was not identifed in the trials. I am gald that you wife's lung problem appears not to be serious and I hope that continues.

Barbara

Barbara H. · 10-08-2005, 05:41 PM

Hi,
I also had the problem that couldn't breathe deeply after my first infusion of Herceptin. I also had a fever and chills which started about an hour later. The fever was over the next day, but I felt tight in my chest for a few days. I have been receiving Herceptin every three weeks since July 04 and haven't had a problem since. I do not take any meds when I receive it, not even Advil. I just leave and do what I would normally do. So far my markers have stabalized. I'll be getting my next MRI in November and hope that it's OK. I no longer mind getting them, but I hate waiting for the results.
Best wishes,
Barbara H.

eric · 10-08-2005, 08:26 PM

Thanks all, it sounds like it more common a reaction than the docs seem to think.

Kim, she was originally diagnosed with mets to lungs and liver in 7/04 and thankfully has been NED since January after about 6 months on gemzar and herceptin. Since January she's been on weekly herceptin and monthly zometa.

Lolly · 10-08-2005, 08:59 PM

Hi Eric; I too have this reaction after my Herceptin, although it isn't very severe. Just a general tightness in my chest, and can't take a full breath for an hour or so after.

<3,
Lolly

Cathya · 10-08-2005, 09:22 PM

Hi; I hadn't particularly thought about it until I read your post but following my treatment I had a runny nose for a day and for a couple of days I cough. The coughing has bothered me as I am fearful of mets to the lungs but perhaps it is only a reaction to the herceptin. I find it a dry, uncontrollable cough and it goes on for a few days intermittedly.

Cathy

Esther · 10-09-2005, 08:20 AM

I often get a tightness in my chest after my herceptin infusion. It just feels as if I have to work and force myself to breathe deeply. I've been on herceptin for almost 2 years now, and my lungs have always scanned clean, which was the only thing I worried about.

Becky · 10-09-2005, 01:24 PM

I get like I am getting choked. Sometimes like I couldn't take a deep breath. My CT chest scan is clean and my muga only went down 5 points (from 70 to 65) so I think its something that just happens (and I'm "glad" to see others experience something like it).

Becky

10-09-2005, 04:38 PM

I get coughing and post nasal drip from herceptin. It seems to come and go. God Bless- Cathy

michele u · 10-09-2005, 09:37 PM

Now that you bring that shortness of breath thing up, i went to alot of dr's while on Herceptin telling them i thought i had heart trouble because i had alot of breathing trouble going on. I would get very short of breath doing anything strenuous. It must be a side effect