I was diagnosed HER2 positive in August 2014. Had FEC then Docetactel and Herceptin. Mascectomy January 2015. Herceptin treatment finished 30 November 2015. For the past few days I have experienced leg weakness in both legs along with joint pain. If anyone else has experienced this how long does it last?
Hi
I completed 4 rounds of Docetaxel in September 2014 and 6 months of Herceptin in April 2015, I still find that my legs feel weak and irritable.
I have a friend who is 8 years post treatment with chemo and Herceptin and she still has weakness in her legs!! but it is a small price to pay for being alive I always say 
x
I have had weakness in my legs since the 2nd round of doxatacel and Herceptin in March 2015. This got worse after I had 6 weeks of strong steroids to treat colitis caused by the chemo. I now struggle to walk and use a stick. I used to get painful muscle cramps in my legs following chemo and Herceptin. My oncologist was concerned the Herceptin was culpable and took me off it while I had my radiotherapy. I am now back on it though and my legs have not got worse. I am now having hydrotherapy to get my strength back. My physiotherapist says the weakness is part neurological and part muscular and it is my knees and hips. I also had some weakness in my hands too (doxatacel caused) but that has improved. Just a bit numb in my right hand. The general consend is amongst the medical people is that it is a combination of doxatacel and steroids that has caused the leg problems, but they don’t really know. Hope you get some improvement in your legs -physio does help because it strengthens the muscles.
Love Amero xxx
I finished my Herceptin approx August 2014 after HER2+ and the same chemo regime as you. I experience severe aching/pain from my hips down to my knees. It is worse after sitting or lying down for periods. It eases when I bear weight on my legs, but is always there to some degree and worse when I get up in the morning. Oncologist thinks it is more a legacy of the actual chemo. I assumed it was probably due to the Herceptin injections in my thighs. It’s surprising what you just get used to. If this is all I am left with I consider myself fortunate. Hope things are improving for you.
Hello,
Just seen your response. I am still struggling with leg weakness and I am still on crutches. I am making some progress but very slow. My oncologist has referred me to a neurologist, but he thinks it’s nerve damage from the doxatacel that is to blame rather than the Herceptin. I am still having Herceptin and am due to finish it in June. I still get pain mainly in my hips and thighs and the numbness in my right hand is still there, in my left hand it comes and goes.
Hope you see some improvement soon.
Love Amero xxx
Hello Murphy,
I can’t say I have had any definitive answers, which is why in February my oncologist referred me to see a neurologist ( my appointment is not until June!). My story is as follows: Feb 2015 I had 3 rounds of FEC, followed by 3 rounds of doxatacel and Herceptin. As soon as I went onto the Doxatacel and Herceptin I started getting severe pain in my hips, thighs and knees to the extent I was admitted and given morphine. I also developed a fever. While having my chemo I was on the oral steroid dexamethasone. The dosage of the Doxatacel was reduced in the subsequent rounds, but I started having problems with leg weakness and continued to have pain. As this continued after I finished the Doxatacel and with each 3 weekly dose of Herceptin, my oncologist suspected the latter and took me off the Herceptin. Throughout I had problems with my stomach and when I had my surgery in June I reacted badly to the anaesthetic and was very ill subsequently with bleeding from the bowel. As I had been having problems previously this was put down to the affects of the chemo and I was put on strong doses of dexamethasone throughout July and August, during which I became moon faced (side effect of strong steroids) and my leg weakness got much worse. My oncologist then decided that the leg weakness must be steroid induced myopathy ( a known condition which usually improves quite quickly once steroids are with drawn) but things did not improve quickly as it should have once I finished the steroids. He has now come to the conclusion that I must have nerve damage from the Doxatacel. Things are improving slowly with the physio, which is apparently what should happen with nerve damage. It is also in keeping with the numbness and weakness I have in my hands. Incidentally I went back onto Herceptin in the November 15 and am still on it and things are gradually improving so I suspect it is probably not responsible. My physiotherapist and oncology physiotherapist have told me that they have seen symptoms like this from Doxatacel before.
Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Amero xxx