Navilbene Side Effects Please

[doh2pa]

Hi Everyone,

I will be starting on Navilbene weekly with Herceptin on Wednesday and am looking for some guidance on what to expect with side effects. I like to be prepared.

Have you been on Navilbene? Would you please share your side effects with me?

Thanks

[Sheila]

Donna
I have not been on it but my friend has been for 6 months...other than a couple times when her counts were down, she has done amazingly well with very few side effects....and it has worked well on her nodes....may it be easy and kick butt for you too!

[Colleen007]

I have been on Navelbine for awhile (Oct. 06 - Mar. 07 and started again July 07 through the present). The biggest problem for me is my low counts. I end up getting Neupogen and Neulasta injections to keep the counts in check (and have sometimes had to get a reduced dose). My tastebuds are off and I need to take a sleeping pill the night of treatment to counteract the steroid they give as a pre-med. I haven't really had problems with nausea (but they give me an anti-nausea called Aloxi before each treatment). The Aloxi then "backs up my system", so I also have to take Miralax after treatment. I also have some problems (slight) with neuropathy in my fingertips...nothing that has interfered with day to day life.

My last scan in October was clear...but I am continuing the Navelbine to keep the cancer away, since when I went off it in March, it only took 3 months before I "lit up" on the PET scan again.

I have learned to live with these side effects...life really is tolerable going through this treatment. I am sure you'll do fine! Best of luck to you.

[TriciaK]

Donna, I was on navelbine and herceptin for 6 months and then just herceptin for another year. I had almost no side effects with navelbine, didn't lose my hair or have nausea. Just very tired, but that may have been the herceptin. After the year of herceptin I did lose my eyebrows, which have never come back. I just draw them on now! I believe navelbine is probably the mildest of chemos and well tolerated. It also seems to do the job. You should do very well. Good luck and hugs, tricia

[Julie2]

I was on Navelbine for 3 months along with Herceptin. The major side affect I had was ferver for 3 days starting 2nd day after the infusion. Other minor affects are borderline low counts and some body ache. Overall it was manageble, I was able to manage the house work and my two small children. I also took Leukine to support the counts in the last month of Navelbine.

Julie

[Lolly]

Donna, I've had Navelbine 3 seperate times in the past and side effects are very manageable. Low counts are the biggie, and for me that meant sometimes getting a half-dose if I was close to borderline, or having to skip the N and just get Herceptin if I was below the cutoff for white counts. My red counts also suffered, and eventually I had to start Aranesp injections every other week to keep them decent.
Stomach issues were a minor problem, I got Zofran IV the day of treatment, then just doubled up on my Prilosec for a few days until things settled down. I never really had naseau, just very acidic stomach.
I didn't lose my hair, it got thinner along with eyelashes and eyebrows but not really noticeable by anyone but me.
Constipation was an issue, you can try Metamucil or a similar product. That usually worked well for me.

Good luck with this combo, I had excellent quality of life while on the combo.

<3 Lolly

[doh2pa]

Thank you all for your responses. I get my treatment today and didn't get much sleep last night worrying about it (you think I'd be used to this by now). But you have calmed my fears some so thank you, thank you!

Gratefully,