herceptin side-effects

gilli
gilli Member Posts: 18
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Is anybody else having side-effects from herceptin? Mine aren't too serious but am curious to connect with others who are also on the treatment because the oncology centre said most people don't have any side-effects and it makes me feel "spacey" a few hours after getting it and I also feel more tired from it.

Comments

  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #2
    herceptin
    I also get spacey and tired the day of infusion. Along with herceptin I'm getting benedryl to ward off an allergic reaction. That's what makes me spacey. I don't work that day or do much of anything but I'm fine the following day and able to work.

    Sher
  • Katz77
    Katz77 Member Posts: 598
    #3
    side effects
    I have the same. I think it's the benadryl. They had me on 50mg and onc doc lowered it to 25mg. That seemed to help. Still will rest and take a little nap though. It helps ward of the " fuzzies". Hope this helps you.
  • lafera12
    lafera12 Member Posts: 63
    #4
    Katz77 said:

    side effects
    I have the same. I think it's the benadryl. They had me on 50mg and onc doc lowered it to 25mg. That seemed to help. Still will rest and take a little nap though. It helps ward of the " fuzzies". Hope this helps you.

    side effects
    It is the benadryl that is making you fuzzy..
    I was getting that along with other pre-drugs when I was getting Taxol/Herceptin.
    Actually I ended sleeping through most of the treatment and would wake up in time
    for the Herceptin (which was only 1/2 hour.
    With Herceptin alone, I passed on the benadryl and I was fine, just had the other
    pre-drugs.

    Good luck
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #5
    I have never had it gilli,
    I have never had it gilli, but, I wanted to welcome you and to wish you good luck. Hope you feel better.
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537 Member
    #6
    Hi gilli
    Im on herceptin every 3 wks. I actually had an allergic reaction to the benadryl so I get pepcid instead along with tylenol as a premed and feel fine after the herceptin. Maybe your oncologist could give you something other than benadryl so you wont feel so spacey afterwards.

    Hang in there
    Linda T
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #7
    mlmjt1 said:

    Hi gilli
    Im on herceptin every 3 wks. I actually had an allergic reaction to the benadryl so I get pepcid instead along with tylenol as a premed and feel fine after the herceptin. Maybe your oncologist could give you something other than benadryl so you wont feel so spacey afterwards.

    Hang in there
    Linda T

    Hi Gilli! Be sure and talk
    Hi Gilli! Be sure and talk to your oncologist about this. Hopefully he can give you something to make you feel better. Best of luck!

    Angie
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #8
    Angie2U said:

    Hi Gilli! Be sure and talk
    Hi Gilli! Be sure and talk to your oncologist about this. Hopefully he can give you something to make you feel better. Best of luck!

    Angie

    Herceptin side efforts ... I've had chemo drips of
    Herceptin for 12 weeks straight .. no breaks in action to speak of ... fatigued, bone aches and blurry vision are my side efforts .. I have also chosen to check out ...

    chemocare.com and get additional information .. a website the majority of our oncologist and health care providers wish we breast cancer patients did not have access too.

    Talk to onc .. and bring printed out info, as I have done ... you may get a dirty look from your doctor and staff, oh well!!!


    HERCEPTIN .. has all the same side efforts of any other chemo drug, EXCEPTION: Hair loss.


    VickiSam
  • jennN
    jennN Member Posts: 40
    #9
    Herceptin
    I'm on Herceptin too. I'm not sure what's a side effect from the chemo vs. Herceptin because I get them all in the same day right now. I do have blurred vision...and my eyes pulse for weeks after treatment...very irritating.
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #10
    lafera12 said:

    side effects
    It is the benadryl that is making you fuzzy..
    I was getting that along with other pre-drugs when I was getting Taxol/Herceptin.
    Actually I ended sleeping through most of the treatment and would wake up in time
    for the Herceptin (which was only 1/2 hour.
    With Herceptin alone, I passed on the benadryl and I was fine, just had the other
    pre-drugs.

    Good luck

    benadryl
    I do not know what benadryl is but I am not on it. I also get funny, short-term headaches from the herceptin. Really momentary ones. But mostly I am fine. Scheduled to have it again on Monday.
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #11
    I had my 2nd of 17 herceptin
    I had my 2nd of 17 herceptin treatments last week and started with the itchy skin. It's not as bad this week as last as long as I don't touch my neck. I was told to put aloe on it or soak in aveeno oatmeal bath. I also started rads last week so I wasn't sure which was the cause. Rad tech and nurse say it's the herceptin.
  • jolenew
    jolenew Member Posts: 38
    #12
    Herceptin side effects
    Hi gilli
    I was on Herceptin for almost one year and the only real side effect I had was that it made me feel tired and run down. They stopped the Herceptin because it had caused my heart to enlarge, which is now almost back to normal.
    Good luck to you
  • ladybug22
    ladybug22 Member Posts: 646
    #13
    her
    i had no side effects with hereptin i was on it for over a year
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #14
    VickiSam said:

    Herceptin side efforts ... I've had chemo drips of
    Herceptin for 12 weeks straight .. no breaks in action to speak of ... fatigued, bone aches and blurry vision are my side efforts .. I have also chosen to check out ...

    chemocare.com and get additional information .. a website the majority of our oncologist and health care providers wish we breast cancer patients did not have access too.

    Talk to onc .. and bring printed out info, as I have done ... you may get a dirty look from your doctor and staff, oh well!!!


    HERCEPTIN .. has all the same side efforts of any other chemo drug, EXCEPTION: Hair loss.


    VickiSam

    herceptin without breaks
    I ma intrigued that you have had herceptin for 12 weeks straight rather than every three weeks. I am finding all these comments fascinating as I do not know anyone else who is on herceptin.
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #15
    jolenew said:

    Herceptin side effects
    Hi gilli
    I was on Herceptin for almost one year and the only real side effect I had was that it made me feel tired and run down. They stopped the Herceptin because it had caused my heart to enlarge, which is now almost back to normal.
    Good luck to you

    herceptin and heart
    Glad things are looking up for you again.
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #16
    ladybug22 said:

    her
    i had no side effects with hereptin i was on it for over a year

    no herceptin side effects
    You are very lucky! Although mostly I am ok.
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #17
    Sher43009 said:

    I had my 2nd of 17 herceptin
    I had my 2nd of 17 herceptin treatments last week and started with the itchy skin. It's not as bad this week as last as long as I don't touch my neck. I was told to put aloe on it or soak in aveeno oatmeal bath. I also started rads last week so I wasn't sure which was the cause. Rad tech and nurse say it's the herceptin.

    herceptin and itchy skin
    Fascinated to hear about the itchy skin. My neck has been itchy but I thought it was from the radiation, even though I finished that about four months ago.
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #18
    gilli said:

    no herceptin side effects
    You are very lucky! Although mostly I am ok.

    now feeling bad on herceptin
    How ironic. I posted this query re herceptin side-effects out of curiousity. Now, am feeling so yucky today following yesterday's treatment, my 7th, that I had to leave work early. Am fine, just headachy, if I don't move around.
  • gilli
    gilli Member Posts: 18
    #19
    gilli said:

    no herceptin side effects
    You are very lucky! Although mostly I am ok.

    now feeling bad on herceptin
    How ironic. I posted this query re herceptin side-effects out of curiousity. Now, am feeling so yucky today following yesterday's treatment, my 7th, that I had to leave work early. Am fine, just headachy, if I don't move around. But when I do, feel awful. Kinda dizzy.
  • Ladyp214
    Ladyp214 Member Posts: 2
    #20
    Side effects of herceptin

    My symptoms with herceptin are flu like symptoms...shortness of breath, tight chest, fever chills, coughing, sore throat and ears hurting, muscle aches, severe hives. Although the flu like symptoms dissipate slowly, although not completely...I always feel like I have chest congestion and a cough,  and sore throat. It's very irritating because for 3 days after the herceptin I feel like crap and the rest of the time I'm dealing with disappearing and reappearing yukky, itching, stinging hives. This happens in intervals of every three weeks, which is my herceptin schedule. Do any of you think benadryl as a pre med would help this situation? Has anyone had these symptoms after herceptin?

  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    #21
    Me too

    Ladyp214, I do the same thing,  minus the hives.  I feel like crap too.  Very very exhausted.  Mine also comes with muscle and bone and joint pain too.  So the 3 day through the 10 day I am usually taking some pain med (Hydrocodine) and then it eases up and I go to aleeve.  Benadryl for the muscle pain made mine worse.  Over time,  I have learned to treat the symptoms in many ways. Epson salts baths, heating pads, slow and easy leg and arm stretches, small walks, because of my neuropothy, I take Neurotin and that makes me a little unsteady with walking so I have to be careful.  I push a lot of fluids and watermelon.  I take many naps.  I cant work.  I am too worn out.  The doc is hoping half of this joint pain will decrease after I am done with the herceptin.  He has upped my calcium and vit. D meds and also because I started the 5 yr. drug anti homone which also causes the bone pain. 

    I hope any of these things can help.

    Hugs,

    Annie

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