TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
-
For some reason I didn't get a power port. I would have come in handy when I got the liver scan (another one coming up in February). I had to fight to get them to access my foot. One arm has LE. The other has 4 nodes and occassionally feels heavy so I know it's at risk. No one is sticking my arms!
0 -
The port was placed successfully. Just waiting for MO's office to call with first appt. I was home from the hospital at 1030 this morning and other than some site tenderness and mild aching everything seems ok. Didn't sleep much last pm so I'm going to bed. Three days til Christmas. Wow. Goodnight.
0 -
Good luck with chemo Judy and d-too! Drink lots.0
-
Question for triple positives. Please forgive me for not reading this entire thread, which probably has the answer I'm looking for. Quicker to just quickly ask: Can you be on herceptin and Tamoxifen or an AI at the same time?
I do not want to put off hormonals for 36 weeks. Can I be on both at the same time?
0 -
I am On Herceptin and tamoxifen both
0 -
Thanks, Kay!
And does Herceptin mean you have to put off rads?
0 -
No I took herceptin with taxol then through surgery, rads and now tamoxifen. You seem to be able to take it with anything.
0 -
I did Herceptin with rads and later also with Tamoxifen. However, my onc had me wait to start Tamoxifen until after I finished rads. Something about not wanting to mess with the cells while radiating.
0 -
I was treated neoadjuvent and started Herceptin one week after surgery so I did the rads at the same time as the Herceptin. I'm still on it and just had my 12th treatment. I'm thinking of keeping my port in after I finish. I have a friend who had the arm port installed because she was young enough to wear low cup tops and didn't want a scar on her chest so opted for the arm. I'm happy with my chest port and because I have buried veins it's been a God-send for me.
0 -
Posy: I have been on herceptin all through my treatment...first combined with my chemo, also took it during radiation and now I am on a AI every day and herceptin every 3 weeks until march.
Had an infusion today-bloodwork showed all my counts are dropping again...been done with chemo since aug 1 so I am guessing it is the herceptin. oh cant wait to feel "normal" again
0 -
Yep, Herceptin and Als go together too.
0 -
Thanks, everyone who replied to my questions. I really appreciate. I will pursue the clinical trial.
0 -
I found out something today I didn't know....you all may know this but I didn't.
Women on tamoxifen shouldn't take anti-depressants. Anti-depressants cause a reaction in the liver which inhibits tamoxifen uptake. My chemo buddie was taking prozac (sp?) all during chemo and rads, but the Onc said she had to stop before starting Tamox.
She called to ask me about it...and since I've never taken them .. I was clueless!
So I just googled it real fast while on the phone with her and whoa! I learned something new.
Anyone else hear of this??
Here's a quick link...
0 -
I too started AIs 6 weeks PFC. I was still on Herceptin for 6 more months after I started the AI
0 -
tonlee - I think the only one that can be taken with Tamoxifen is Effexor. It apparently does not interfere with the effectiveness of Tamoxifen. Don't ask me why I know this, I am not on either! I seem to gather tidbits of info along the way.
0 -
Tonlee-I was on a low dose Cymbalta, initially for a panic disorder. I was having alwful hot flashes through chemo which continued on tamoxifen. My onc made me quit cymbalta and switch to Pristiq, which is also ok. I think it is the upgraded effexor, or it is in the same family, not because I still needed it, but because it is supposed to help hot flashes. I truly don't think it does much and plan to go through stopping it and withdrawal after the holidays.
0 -
Wow TonLee: Very interesting. I'm not on anything but do take on rare occasion half a Xanax when I get to thinking about all this too much and get all antsy. Guess I need to check on that one. I can see why you'd need antidepressants though because the Arimidex makes me teary a lot.
0 -
Xanax and Tamoxifen are fine together.
I take Xanax before appts. I still have such bad pre-appt anxiety. The Xanax makes it a little better. You can bet that I'll be taking Xanax before my mammo next week. *sigh*0 -
I take Ativan before appointments. Glad to know I'm not the only one. I'm sure Ativan is okay since my onc prescribed both the tamoxifen and Ativan. I wonder if Xanax would be better. Pre appointments is the only time I take it any more.
0 -
Pej: My annual mammo is next week too. I'm more worried about it hurting because my breast is still so sensitive.
Thanks for the information on the Xanax and Als.
0 -
Kay - I find Xanax less powerful than Ativan. And I only take it before appts, as well. You would think that I would be used to appts by now but I'm not. I tense up just seeing the doctor's office or hospital's number on my Caller ID!
Arlene - I think this mammo is going to hurt. My breast is sensitive and pretty hard from rads. Sometimes the compression from my (very good) sports bra is uncomfortable. I'm taking Aleve before the mammo...just in case.
0 -
Less powerful? Thanks for the reply. I will stick with Ativan. My heart races and I get a lump in my throat when the area code from the hospital appears in caller ID. They are the only ones from that area code that call me. Guess we're both a little leary of docs.
0 -
My onc does not give Tamoxifen with Chemo so I will have to wait until after my tx's, but he does give it with Herceptin (I think). I'll double check this at next appt. He said there were studies indicating not good to take Tamoxifen same time as chemo. Not sure if this is my particular chemo which is Taxotere/Carboplatin, or all chemo.
0 -
Arlene thinking of you next week. Happy Holidays to all & what a difference a year makes. Last year Christmas was trumped by cancer and BMX. This year it's almost normal ?
)0 -
nmoss I hear you. Last year I was bald, had TEs, diagnosed with LE and one more TX to go. I just have to get inked on the 20th then I'm done! I feel normal too (nails, hair texture, minor fluid retention not too bad). I also look pretty hot with my larger than expected boobie prizes
Best Wishes to all of you. It does get better. Remember being a survivor means living your life. Go ahead and enjoy.
0 -
Merry Christmas everybody. Life is a little better right now. On a little bit of a break from doctors for a week or two. The arm port was very sensitive Thursday and Friday ( inserted Wednesday ) but all of the sudden this morning I hardly know it's there!!! Hopefully this time next year this whole thing will be a memory for me too. Thanks for the encouragement...
0 -
Ditto what Lago said - It definitely does get better. I was just thinking about Christmas last year - I was 4 months past chemo, had just finished radiation, and was in the middle of Herceptin. One year ago today, I went topless without my wig for the very first time since I was only going to be with family. Now I have this massive thick hair (still short but getting longer), I don't think about cancer every day (okay maybe a little everyday!) and I feel like my old self. I really mean it. You will feel like your old self again - or maybe even a better version of yourself!
Happy Holidays to all!
0 -
Hi everyone, I have been reading this triple positive thread all day & found a lot of info about many of the concerns I have, but can't stop worrying about the chance of +++ bc recurring or spreading. Im in the middle of taxol/herceptin now & had bmx in august then 4 AC. There are so many scary stories on line & so many seem to involve her2+. Does anyone know what the actual percentage chance of mets is when her2+ is involved with stage 1? I was node negative but "LVI present" was noted in path reports so I don't know if that makes things even worse.
0 -
Judy, I didn't take tamoxifen with chemo either, it was herceptin that I took at the same time. I think you always wait until chemo is done to take tamoxifen. It is okay to take with herceptin though.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Happy New Year to all!0 -
I pretty sure part of the reason they don't want you to take Tamox/AIs during chemo is because chemo is so hard on our bodies. The oncs want to be sure that the SE we are getting are from teh chemo. If you are doing both at the same time how are they to know what's a SE from chemo and what's an SE from Tamox/AI? I'm not sure if there is a drug interaction with taking them together either. Also how much can a body take at one time?
There may be other reasons too. This is just my gut feeling bases on what I've seen.
0
