Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Maureen--my bone pain hit like fire on days 4-8. I had shooting pains down my arm and legs and my right arm and leg went completely numb for several hours for 2 days. I wish I could tell you it's not bad, but honestly that was worse than the nausea and vomiting. Take the Claritin or Zyrtec that your MO suggests and take it for those days every morning. Today is my treatment #2 so I don't know how it will be, but I will let you know in a couple of day. Good luck and keep your head up!
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Ok here it goes---has anyone taken Marinol/Dronabinol (generic) for their SE? My MO has mentioned it but I'm a little hesitant. Did it help?
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Sue thank you for all your advice and tips, much appreciated. I have foot neuropathy as well, sucks but what can you do.
I also am a member of the "big tumor gals club"- a dubious distinction that none of us wanted. Mine had grown to 9 cms- hiding for years in dense breast tissue. I wondered if the herceptin is working for you? If not, had they mentioned the Kycerba? It is the next-line therapy for us, herceptin linked directly to taxol, just got FDA approval this year in the USA.
Sending ((((hugs)))) to all.0 -
Hi kids.... just got back from the hospital, apparently my blood counts are way way too low.... my Neut Abs is .009 any good advice of boosting my blood???? Apparently the Neupogen shots are not working like the Neulasta did....
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ChickaD I ended up in the hospital for 10 days after my first Chemo. It was about 11 days after my first treatment. My white counts were very low. Thank god for the Neulasta shot! Only had pain for the first 3 shots,but rather that then be in the Hospital for 10 days! Good luck.......
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I don't know a lot about marinol I thought it was used to stimulate appetite. I don't know if it helps with nausea but it seems like there are so many other options. I only have given marinol a handful of times years ago when I worked on the oncology unit.
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Thank you for the input Michelle. They said it helps with the nausea but I'm just scared to try it. I think I will hold off and only use it as a last resort if needed!
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profmagic - have you tried the anti-nausea Sancuso patch? Supposed to work well for intractable nausea.
chickad - unfortunately, colony stumulating factors like Neulasta and Neupogen do not work for everyone. There is not a lot you can do to boost white cells naturally - that is why they routinely use the drugs - it never hurts to eat more protein, but that generally works better on red blood cells and hemoglobin.
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chickad, mushrooms have been shown to increase white cells, lymphocytes, and in the case of Turkey tail mushrooms increases killer T cells. I don't recommend supplements during treatment but increasing mushrooms in your diet may help. White button mushrooms are plentiful and economical and can boost the immune system. Here's an interesting article and a clinical study done on turkey tail mushrooms.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-stamets/mushrooms-cancer_b_1560691.html
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Just a note for rickeysgirl, I had the vertigo, dizxyness, in fact I still get it every now and again. Two other reasons, low magnesium, or high blood pressure. Both of which I have, but during tx, mostly the carboplatin..I have low magnesium more often then not, so I think that's why.I still have that se. Much love to all.
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No I've never heard of it. I will ask my MO tomorrow. Thank you for the info!
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When i went through this "cocktail" I had every side effect in the book and some that were not in the book. I belong to the breast cancer Coalition and they have a wonderful lunch support group. i have picked up many useful tips here and there. i had neuropathy in my hands and feet, someone told me to add Vitamin B to my daily pill popping and my hands are good and my feet are almost cleared up. its a slow process but it worked for me.
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Now that I am done with chemo I asked my Mo if there was anything I could eat to bring my levels back up. She just suggested a good vitamin and to eat lots of fruits and veggies. I also was a freak about going out in public without my and sanitizer knowing my counts were low and I could get sick easy and delay chemo. When my hubby had a cold I even wore a mask around him and made him sleep on the couch.
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ProfMagic: Check w/your doc about Emend for nausea if you haven't tried it. I got the first pack for free as samples. Not all pharmacies had it, but the Walgreens at Scurlock Tower in the med Center carries it. Expensive, but seems to work. I had a friend who took Marinol when she was in second round treatment for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer & she said it was good.
Science Gal: When I google "kycerba" the only response is your post. Is there another name? I just read a short blurb about a study at Baylor College of Med for HER 2+ patients that combines Tykerb (lapatinib) and Hercepetin. I'll have to do more research & talk to my MO, but this targets HER2+ in a different ways and supposedly physicians were able to eliminate all clinical evidence of the disease in 36% of ER/PR negative patients and 21% of ER /PR+ patients. Clinical Trial (TBCRC 006).
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I had my first dose of herceptin Wednesday and I'm not feeling so great. I have a terrible taste in my mouth. How long does that take to go away?
Last night i was really scared when I started coughing. Later I felt my heart racing. I laid there wondering if it was just anxiety or something else. I was so tired I didn't feel like going to the ER and I fell asleep. My eyes were the redest I've ever seen.
Tonight I feel feverish.
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Hi Marsha - sorry you're feeling lousy. When I had my first dose of Herceptin I had a bad reaction as well - I had a very high fever the first night (102.5), chills, aches etc. I had another day like it the next day but at about 50% the severity. I was feeling fine after another day. They call the first dose the "loading" dose and sometimes people have a reaction to it. I'd call your onc tomorrow and let them know what's going on. I just took tylenol for a few days and was fine but they should know about your reaction......
Feel better!!
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http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/80/topic/806184?page=1#idx_1
Minustwo I am so sorry, i remembered the name of that new drug incorrectly when posting (sounded good haha), it is Kadcyla. I posted the link above with the Roche press release.
Chemo brain! Thanks for your patience!0 -
Marsha, I think most people don't have a reaction to Herceptin only, so I would definitely call your MO and see what they have to say.
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I have been having Herceptin since Feb 1st along with C & T but last Monday was my first Herceptin only. I dont think I had any reactions at all. The reason I say I dont think is my muscles and joints are KILLING me but I dont think it is from herceptin. I think it is a delayed reaction from the last Chemo I had 4 wks ago either that or the fact I am not laying around so much anymore. I guess time will tell.......My MO said very few people have side effects from herception.
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Thanks sciencegal. I like to have new possibilities in the arsenal just in case.
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tangles - how fast did they run your Herceptin only infusion? I ask this because a number of us had new muscle and joint pain on the first H only because they ran it fast - like 30 minutes. I really did not have this problem from either Taxotere during chemo or Neulasta - this was new and intense hip and leg pain. I asked to slow it down to 90 minutes per advice from this thread, which was how long they infused during chemo, and I did not have the problem after that.
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My Herciptin was 30 min and that is what it has always been even when I was having Carbo & Taxo with it. I sure hope this is not the issue as I can NOT deal with this until Feb 2014. I will ask the MO and see what she thinks. I am also doing a cancer workout program. I have a hard time believing its that as I have been doing it for awhile now so its not something new, and I do so little its almost silly. 2 lb weights and ride a bike for 5 min its like a workout for 90 yr old!! I kid you not evey muscle in my body hurts like I have lifted 20 lb weights for hours on end......
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I had my first Herceptin only infusion yesterday and today I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Woke up at 5 am with lots of significant aches and pains and some mild nausea. Now I can add a slight headache to that. Even though I don't feel great, I feel WAY better than I ever did after a full TCH treatment. As long as this doesn't last for days (like chemo side effects), I can live with it. I think, like the chemo, the first one is the worst and will get better as my body figures out how to handle it. They ran my infusion at 45 minutes with the plan to drop to 30 min. the next but I'll stick with 45 (or slow it down a little more) until I figure out these side effects.
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Heidi sometimes with the Herceptin only I feel a bit like I have the flu- body aches and pains and chills. It is the immune system going crazy in response to it, and hopefully killing any remaining cancer cells as well. There is something called a "cytokine storm" - lots of growth factors and immune mediators that get released when the immune cells go into overdrive.
For me herceptin is liquid gold because I could feel it shrinking my tumor week by week, so I am welcoming those aches and pains and actually treasure them as letting me know it is working!
I just plan to go home and curl up after the infusions, and sleep or watch a movie. I hope you can do it too.
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I agree w/Special K - don't let them push the infusions too fast. My first herceptin was 90 min &they cut it to 60. I won't let them go below that. They snuck the Perjeta in at 30 min this time & I'll be going back to 60 for the last two. And I won't let them cut the taxotere below 90 or the carbo below 60. Yes it's a long day, but it seems to make a difference for the next several days.
Expecting Neulasta bone pain tonight since it's day 3. At least it's the weekend.
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tangles, I wish my PS would do the exchange before my rads, but he has already told me no. Gosh, I hope I don't have to wait a yr. from rads to have the exchange surgery. I did very well with the neulasta shot. I had it Wed. I've had very little bone pain, mostly aches. As far as the chemo on Tues. did not have any SE until Thurs. and Fri. I probably should have taken the nausa meds earlier. I will do that the next time.
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sharon1953- don't rush the exchange. I know a few women that did rads and implants, and the implant failed. They had to go back into the expander. One had to get a lat flap. The other, so far is still in her TE. We have the same PS. He is taking very slowly because he wants to avoid having to do the lat flap.
From what I have read the longer you are out from rads, the complication stats get lower. It's worth the extra months. No guarantee but odds are better with the wait.
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To you gals having Herceptin problems, I wish I could give some good advice. I never had any trouble with it. I started it along with the chemo. I have been on Herceptin only since December, and, thanks to this thread, I have asked them to run mine at 45 minutes. They tried to do 30, but from the get go I said no thanks. THe only thing I am aware of, as far as side effects, is that I'm a little tired the next day or tow, and I need to stay close to a bathroom after meals the next day. Other than that.....nothing. I only have 2 more to go, by my clculations, but the onc said she believes it's just one. She didn't have my chart to check. Either way, it's almost over. All I can say is listen to the advice of these ladies, and somehwere you will find something workable for you.
Can anyone tell me about port removal? How does that go? I cannot wait to get it out !!!!
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rickysgirl, port removal was so easy. They deaden the area so you don't feel anything and it's over before you know it.
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Thanks GrandmaV. I have been anxious about it for quite some time. It's nice to know SOMETHING about this is easy !!!
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