Herceptin side effects
The last time I spoke about Herceptin and it's side effects I proudly said I didn't seem to be experiencing anything other than a running nose. Spoke too soon!!I had my tenth Herceptin last week and just after the nurse left I wondered why I felt so tired? That fatigued feeling got a whole lot worse and by evening it felt like chemo all over again. Thankfully it had mostly worn off the next day but it did give me a bit of a surprise. I had been told this could happen but was pretty sure I'd managed to avoid it after ten treatments. I have seven more treatments to go so it will be little me off to bed after the nurse leaves 'til well into the next day. Actually when put like that it sounds quite nice!
The other alarming thing that has happened is that my eyelashes have started to fall out again. The air was blue when i noticed. Now, what I want to know and nobody seems to have the answer, is this a side effect of herceptin or a side effect of chemo? My eyelashes did grow back in much longer and thicker than before and I thought aaah a nice reward for months of feeling crap. Again, spoke too soon!! Joking aside I am more than a little concerned that I'll wake up to find them all gone. I found it distressing the first time ( shallow I know when you're receiving life saving treatment) and if it happens again I don't suppose I'll be over the moon. I just love putting on mascara and seeing LASHES. If anyone out there has experienced this let me know. I also want exact timescale of regrowth. Only joking....
As a note at the bottom( Ha Ha) I also seem to have diarrhoea rather a lot and I know this can be a side effect with Herceptin. God, serves me right for being so confident!! Ah well it could be worse, I might have the aching joints or a frozen shoulder as well. Now that I think of it......
Marjory
Labels: a-lump-in-the-breast, breast-cancer-symptoms, cancer-support, chemotherapy, herceptin, living-with-cancer, mammogram, symptoms-of-breast-cancer, what-is-a-mammogram
posted by Marjory @ 3:23 PM
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8 Comments:
hey marjorie!
Long time no blog/comment etc. glad you're doing well.
Just wanted to tell you that I have definitely experienced the eyelash/eyebrow phenomena you noticed. Several times in fact! I have 3 more herceptins to go so I think I'm a bit ahead of you and my eyelashes have grown in and fallen out about 3 times since I started herceptin. And grown in exactly 3.147 weeks later (haha). Anyway, it is weird. Eyebrows too. Since I'm really into my eyebrows, I mind losing them a lot more than my eyelashes, and just hope that once herceptin is done they'll grow back again, uh, permanently please!
later
lor/abigail
I am not a blogger and so this is new to me. I too am on Herceptin and have been for 6 months. Mostly I find it very tolerable. But the "weird" side effects are the ocassional runny nose, thin hair and change in hair texture, thin nails and thin skin. No lose so far of eyelashes or eyebrow. I only rarely have the tiredness after a treatment. I did not associate the side effects with the Herceptin until I read some blogs of others on the treatment and low and behold...there they were!
I too am a nurse. Hope you are doing well.
My email is bevjohnertl@yahoo.com
I have a friend that is having a mastectomy today, as I type. I feel so useless. She found a lump over a year ago, when we were in Colorado together, but only went to the doctors last week!
Godbless you, and long may you blog xx hope you enjoy the coffee and Gordon enjoys his cake!
I am so glad to read that others are experiencing fatigue as well. I started last October (every 3 weeks) and will be done Oct 07. I am having a heck of a time staying awake during the day and concentrating during the day. I also am experiencing what I suppose is neuropathy of the feet/ankles. I can barely walk when I first get up but once I get going I am fine. Any one else?
I have been on Herceptin for almost one year. I will have my last treatment in one week. I haven't had any of the eyelash/eyebrow problems, but two weeks into my last treatment I am feeling very weak and I am also having trouble with concentration and memory. I feel almost like I have taken a sleeping pill. The memory/concentration thing could be menopausal, who knows.
I have tolerated Herceptin very well, until recently. However, I do have occasional diarrhea, a small amount of neuropathy and I sometimes get this wierd sensation in my chest and throat, shallow breathing sort of thing. I sometimes think this is caused by the Benadryl and not the Herceptin?? My echocardiograms are showing my heart is in great shape and no weakness. But, all in all, I am very pleased with the Herceptin, and that I haven't had the fatique until the end. Good luck to everyone!!
hI ALL,
i MAY JUST HAVE 2 MORE TO GO...i THOUGHT THAT I WAS HAVING AND INCREASE OF 'SENIOR MOMENTS', AND WAS VERY FATIGUED THE FIRST WEEK OUT OF TREATMENT. THANKS FOR THE INPUT...NOW I KNOW WHY. MY ECHOS HAVE SHOWN A DECREASE IN FUNCTION...HENCE THE TIREDNESS AND OCCASIONAL SHORTNESS OF BREATH. i HAVE A RUNNY NOSE AND A LITTLE NEUROPATHY. THIS WILL SOON BE PAST SO I AM GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THE DRUG IS DOING. jpfcudvxk
Just read blogs as a newcomer and found it reassuring to hear that m ost of what i have been feeling so far is not unusual. I have been getting quite a lot of breast discomfort /pain, have others felt this ? Only into my 2nd treatment.
I am also a nurse.
Hi Marjorie,
I am at exactly the same point as you, with exactly the same things happening to me! It is a relief that it is not me "being funny" and asking for attention as some people said, "Herceptin does not give you side effects" one nurse told me. Oh well only seven more and then this will be done too, from then on only Femara ( that has its own little tricks too!)
Annemarie
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