Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
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Thank You CGSEQ! You'll be surprised how fast it goes. It's just those nasty days with weird SEs that last forever. The best advice I got was to get "hydration". I drank a lot in the beginning and flew through 1,2, and 3, then I couldn't drink as much and 4 was terrible. I found out it was a terrible migraine that floored me. After that, they gave me a liter or more of IV water for 2 days after the chemo. It takes 3 hours a time just for water, but it's worth it. The SEs weren't so bad. I took Imetrex also for the migraines. You can get SEs that aren't wholely connected to the chemo, but stuff you had in the past or something new. The nurse at the cancer center said the symptoms sounded like a migraine. I had them for 10 years, but nothing this bad. I'm still having a hard time drinking enough, and went to the bathroom over 20x today.
How did your flaps go? You're lucky that's done. Hang in there. XO
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I read about a new kind of water product that is specifically for people who have the 'metallic taste' in their mouth. It was an ad (maybe even on this site) but I forget the name of it. Looked interesting though. I didn't have any taste changes when I went through TCH, but I know it is very difficult for those who do. So maybe this would help.
OH - I just googled it - it is called Aqua Delight. This isn't an ad or anything, just thought it might be helpful to someone out there. (And am curious if it works).
Hope all are doing well.
Amy
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Hi Amy!0
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I'm finally done with chemo (6 total, tuesday was the last day, 5 days ago) and I got a new weird SE. The muscles in my cheek and calf quiver randomly.
Has anyone else had this, and does it go away?
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I just searched in here and found out the muscle twitches could be stress, a SE of taxotere, or low calcium and potasium. I think it's the later because I've had the big D for 3 days.
Stay strong ladies and get your electrolytes!
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Congrats not on finishing!!!0
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Congrats on finishing not! And I vote on potassium and magnesium could very well be the culprit. I had eye twitches from it.
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Random question.....has anyone gotten extremely fatigued after an herceptin only infusion? Last week, during one of my herceptin only infusions, I came home and could barely keep my eyes open. I wound up napping for over 2 hours, and then when my son checked on me, I could barely lift my head off the pillow. This is completely out of character for me. I had not been fatigued from either one of the TCH treatments I had gotten, nor had I gotten fatiigued from the other 2 herceptin only infusions. The next day, I was fine, but that entire afternoon, I was pretty out of it.
When I mentioned this to my MO's nurse practitioner, she seemed pretty concerned, and wanted to know immediately if this happened again. Now I'm slighly worried. Did anybody else experience this and what does it mean??
Thanks,
Cheryl
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I DID!!!! What I figured out was that she ran it in too fast!!! It was the one time that my DH came for a Herceptin treatment, usually he doesn't come...but so glad he did!! I was OUT cold in the car on the way home...and I felt sick afterwards, too. She ran it in over 45 minutes instead of 1 hour and that 15 minutes was all it took!!!!
Another question that maybe I missed...for those that had 18 Herceptin treatments, do the 6 with the TC count towards your 18 or is it 18 Herceptin only treatments?? I was under the impression that it was 18 total, which would have me ending in December, but the nurse said I end in April, which would be 18 Herceptin onlys....I'm sooo confused!!!!
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Lori,
I am also getting 18 herceptin treatments, once a week for 18 weeks, including the 6 weeks that I also get the TC.
I'm also going to be on in for a year, but after the 18 weeks, it changes to once every three weeks, instead of every week.
There is a recent study which shows that a year of herceptin in the ideal amount. You can access this article from the home page of breastcancer.org. I don't know how to paste in the link, or I would link it.
Thank you for your response to my question about the extreme fatigue after herceptin. Did you have that kind of fatigue more than once? How did you figure out that it was the length of time of the infusion that caused you to feel so tired? I haven't really been paying attention to the infusion times, but now I will, and I will ask that the herceptin be done on a slow drip!!
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I've NEVER had fatigue like I did with that one. It was funny, my DH got a phone call from work when I went back. He had to call them back when we left or something...but anyway, long story (that I can't remember, thanks chemo brain) short is...we had phone calls going in and out that marked start and end times. My nurse that day had to be out of there at a certain time because she was out the door before we were...and it was right at 4pm...so I just figured she ran it in a little fast so that she could get out of there. She is the one nurse that I believe would TOTALLY do something like that, too!!! I told my Dr. about it and he called down there to make sure it was run in slow and I haven't had a problem since!!!
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dougieswife - I had 18 total. They want to reach a certain dose I think.0
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dougieswife - Hi! Good to "see" you! The 18 includes the ones that you got with chemo - yay for that!
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Omaz..that's what I thought. I think I am finished in December and something is just not right in my chart. I'm trying to get everything finished this year (port removal/nips) for insurance purposes. Dragging this out until April was NOT in my plans, LOL!!!
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Dougies wife, I got TCH with Herceptin weekly while on the TC. Then switched to three weeks .my understanding is that three weeks of weekly H is equal to one tx every three weeks. So if you count the H as six for the TC tx, then the rest of the year count the every three weeks it equals 18. So no matter how they figure it, everyone gets the same amount, f they complete the whole routine. Some are forced to stop early due to problems. Like me, I had to stop at nine tx, due to a lowered EF. So I got half, but it was with chemo so that makes me feel better, at least I was able to get that much. Much love.
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Thanks for the cheers! XO
I had that falling asleep and then coundn't lift my arms, complete exaustion too! But it was after TCH. I ignored 90% of my SEs as just me, but I mentioned this to the nurse when I went in the next day for IV hydration and it didn't happen again. I bet it was speed of the IV because there are some careless lazy nurses at this clinic. One lady said they tried to give her someone elses drugs, and they treat her like poop. I saw it too. There's not much we can do when we're this sick. So sad.
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Not and Dougieswife,
I will make sure that they do the drip s l o w l y!!!!!!
As for mistakes....believe it or not, last year, my mom (who passed away from leukemia) was in the ICU at Memorial Sloane Kettering, one of the premier cancer centers in the US, and was almost given the wrong chemo!!!! The nurse was about to hook up the IV, and laid the infusion bags on my Mom's bed. I looked over at the bags and one of them had sombody elses name on it!!! I immediately pointed out to the nurse that that drug was not for my Mom. She apologized profusely and kept saying how she didn't know how that happened!! Thank goodness I was there to check.
Since that episode, I check all my infusion bags and make sure they are meant for me.
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Yes everyone, ALWAYS check your medications!
People are human, they make mistakes.
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I have been having the tiredness after my Herceptin only infusion the last two times but attributed it to the Benadryl that they give me before the Herceptin. She said since it was IV form it was stronger than otc Benadryl. Usually Benadryl does not knock me out but like you guys I have to come home and sleep. Never thought it might be the Herceptin!
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I declined the benadryl when i was on Herceptin-only. I didn't like feeling so spacy and tired the entire day. They knew I didn't have an allergy problem with it, so it was ok to decline. I would just go for my infusion and then go about my day. Totally different deal than chemo. Maybe something to try and see if it makes a difference.
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Did not know I had the option to decline Benadryl but I may try tomorrow!!
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I am getting my Herceptin with my chemos, and I don't know if this will help or not..........on my first tx, they gave me a couple of Tylenol and a Benadryl before they started the herceptin. Being my first one, it was 90 minutes and the loading dose. On my 2nd chemo, they DID NOT give me the Tylenol and Benadryl. I asked why that was and was told that since I didn't have any kind of adverse reaction to the first one, I would not need them, since the dose was lower. I have learned that my onc does things differently than some of yours, the Neulasta being an example. I have never gotten it, and she won't give it, unless she feels it's absolutely necessary. So far, my WBC has been perfect, after my first three.
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I didn't have any premeds with herceptin only. Did a longer infusion of about 2 hours.
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Same as omaz - I had the pre-meds only when I was also receiving chemo.
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Had my herceptin only infusion today and had them run it over an hour. I got a little tired as it was running, but thankfully, I was fine afterwards...no extreme fatigue this time. Last time, they ran it much faster (half an hour) and I was beyond zonked!!
I usually request and get additional hydration with the herceptin. Since I'm not a huge drinker by nature, it helps my body flush it out. I've never been offered benadryl with herceptin.
Glad to see the solution was so simple. I wish all side effects could be as easliy rectified!!!!
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"Like!"
(I wish there was a "Like" button.)
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Re your disussion of extreme fatique after a herceptin only infusion. Thanks...you answered something I had been questionning. On my 16 th infusion the nurse said since I'd never had prior issues with herceptin she would run the iv over half an hour. I was kind of in a hurry so it seemed like a good idea. Well ...it wasn't. I was like a space cadet and I had a 1 hour ride home. It's a good thing I had a cup of coffee after the infusion because I was so tired. And it lasted for days. Felt very weepy as well.
I also only had premeds during the TCH treatments...not herceptin only.
My advice...don't rush your infusions...0 -
Well I had my herceptin only infusion today and asked them to not give me Benadryl and yeah I did not have to take it! So I was not as tired as I had been before!! They give me mine over 30 minutes!
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Wow, I have been gone for way too long. Sorry. Didn't do much during my STDisability. How is every one doing? I am PFC; just have the rest of my herceptin, but I did start the tamoxifen. Lucky me. Relda, you out there?
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Here I am Vicki! Been going through a really annoying, frustrating maddening summer and have been laying low. A quick review - I stopped my chemo tx's after 4, ended up with neutropenia at the end of May after tx #4 went awry and spent 3 days in the hospital. Good times
Got out of the hospital and a week later found out we had to move! Eeeeeek! Spent all of June, July and August finding a place, packing, moving and unpacking. All after just finishing chemo and a hospital stay. In the hottest summer on record here in SoCal. Which btw isn't over yet - its going to be 93 degrees TODAY!! Holy crap its been a horrible summer. On top of ALL that, I have developed some seriously nasty scar tissue from the radiation clinical trial I did back in February. My radiation oncologist says he has never seen it quite this bad. Just the sort of comforting words you want to hear from your doctor right? Started as a small area on the side of my boob and slowly spread to literally my entire boob and a good part of my axilla. I call it my frankenboob. Hard as a rock. Painful. Swollen. It is unreal. PT has helped, my surgeon is a little wary of doing a bi-lat as he is worried about healing issues because of the amount of scar tissue and skin damage. My insurance only covers 16 PT tx a year and I reached that the beginning of the month so I have been fighting with them for a few weeks to try and get them to extend the coverage. And fighting with the hospital to make them provide gratis PT as this issue is a result of the clinical trial I DID FOR THEM. So far I have met with little to no help on all fronts. It has been, needless to say, a freaking nightmare. Still doing Herceptin every three weeks until the middle of December, then I will be done and out of infusion land! Wooohooo!Besides that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln? LOL. Gotta keep laughing cause otherwise I am afraid I would never stop crying. Oy 2012 cannot END soon enough!! And if Romney gets elected I might have to move to Canada
Aren't you glad you asked?
How's by you???
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