herceptin are there any side effects

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hi i am going to have herceptin for a year are there any side effects with this. i will have it every three weeks. how long does treatment take. i will also be on tamoxifen as well any help as what to expect thanks
julie

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Hi Julie,

I will be having my fourth herceptin tomorrow. I have found that I feel a bit stiff at times for a few days after, which I think is down to the herceptin, but otherwise no side-effects.

for me the infusion takes 90 minutes. The first time I had to sit in the treatment area by the nurses in case I had a reaction to it (rare - the nurse treating me said she hadn’t seen a bad reaction in months), but since then I sit back in the waiting room while it drips through. I believe in some hospitals they like you to stay for a while after the first one in case of reaction, but not in Leicester where I am treated.

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Hi Julie

RoadRunner is quite right. I am having my 8th herceptin of 17 on Thursday. Personally I have had no side effects whatsoever. They do keep a check on your heart throughout just in case. But it is NOTHING like chemo so no worries there. It tends to take exactly 90 minutes so you can time it better than chemo too. They actually didn’t keep me for 6 hours the first time but I was having taxotere at the same time then and had been there for quite a while showing no signs of distress! The bad reaction is apparently very uncommon.

I am also on Arimidex which seems just fine so far too.

Good luck with it.

Love

Dilys
xxxx

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Hi Julie
I am having my 4th herceptin on Thursday. For my first they kept me there 6 hours but now I have to be there for 2 hours from the time they start the infusion but as it takes 90 minutes to infuse and there is usually a little bit left in the tubes that they then flush through with saline, it takes that length of time too.

I don’t get any major side effects. I have felt a bit headachey about 24 hours later but a couple of paracetomol and that goes. I am a bit stiff but not sure if that is the aftermath of 8 months of chemo/surgery/radiotherapy or maybe the Arimidex. But hey, apart from that I’m fine

Good luck
Sharon x

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I am also due my 4th Herceptin tomorrow. I had the first as an in patient so they could keep an eye on me but I was fine. The 2nd was in the day unit and now I have it at home. As the others have said it takes 90 minutes. My only problem is that it is sometimes really difficult to find a vein. I am on Arimidex and have dreadfully sore knees but I can put up with that.
All the best
Anne

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hi all thanks again for the reassuring replies it helps. Anne how do you manage to have it at home where do you live… everyone seems to mention arimidex what is this. sorry to be ignorant. no one has replied that is on herceptin and tamoxifen. like i would be. got to cook t now and get ready for tv night i love mistresses. so change of subject
take care
juliexx

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Julie

In simple terms, Arimidex is the Tamoxifen for post-menopausal women. It prevents oestrogen production. It has some different side effects like aching joints and bone thinning but does the same job

Sharon x

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I live in the Bristol area and the NHS has contracted out the provision of Herceptin to an organisation called Healthcare at Home. This is because the chemo unit at the oncology centre would otherwise be overwhelmed with the additional work as Herceptin has only been available for primary BC for 18 months or so. I think this happens in some other areas as well.

Good luck
Anne

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Hi Julie,
I’m on Herceptin and Tamoxifen. I’ve had Herceptin since the summer, with Taxol (chemo), so have only had 3 sessions of herceptin only. I felt v tired and achey after the first dose, and terribly fluey and feverish after the second. Have just had the third yesterday, so waiting to see if it was just a virus or to do with the herceptin! I started the tamoxifen at the beginning of Jan. My eczema has all flared up again, and my face is very sensitive and sore, and I’m putting on weight already which is really depressing. I felt a bit nauseous the first couple of weeks too, but that has passed. I’m hoping Imy body will get used to it as I’m on these drugs indefinitely.
All the best
Jacquie

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hi Sharon
thanks for info i am 50 and premenopausal so that’s y i will have tamoxifen then. but my mum is 80 had hysterectomy when i was about 13 so i don’t know why just giving her tamoxifen then she was diagnosed in oct last year…
thanks again
Julie

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Hi Julie

I had my 14th dose on Monday. Nearly there! Ive not had any symptoms onla a runny nose and I don’t know whether or not that is Herceptin. My heart function has gone down slightly but not enough to worry about.

I am surprised that most others are given over 90mins. Mine is given over 30. I nip out at lunchtime and take an extended lunch. The worst bit is the cannula due to bad veins.

Good luck

Marilyn x

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Hi Julie

I have had 12 out of 18 Herceptins up to now and due my next soon. Initially, I had a 90 min infusion and stayed in hospital for 6 hours. I had the first Herceptin alongside the first of 4 Taxoteres, so was quite nervous not knowing what side effect may be caused by what. However, everything went very smoothly, there were no problems and the staff were very dilligent and helpful. I was also told that bad reactions are rare. I am now given the infusion over 60 mins. So far I’ve had no problems apart from a runny nose - but I’ve had that all the way through chemo. My heart function has dropped a little but no one sees this a problem at the moment. I am also taking Femara daily and Alendronic Acid tablets weekly as I am post menopausal. Overall, I feel fine.

Good luck.

Love
Jibby X

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I too have a runny nose, didn’t realise this was a side effect of herceptin.

Julie - I am on herceptin & tamoxifen. I started tamoxifen in October & herceptin in November

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hi all Ive had 3 weekly herceptin since sept 06 my hair grows fast and thick just like it did before some one I know is on to her 95th {we have secondaries] she is well and has thick hair no noticable side effect eccept tiredness jan

15

Hi

I have just finished my year of Heceptin 18 in all. I have had side effects but difficult to tell if it was the tail end of the chemo FEC and Taxotare. These are the side effects I have had: runny nose, sore nose(lining), nose bleeds, aching finger joints and hips/knees, indigestion and constipation after each Heceptin and headaches. All of these have got better and pretty much gone now. My infusion took 90 minutes each time and I worked throughtout the treatment so tireness after a treatment was evident.

Good luck I can’t believe I have finished the time really has gone quickly.

Geraldine45

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Well I do have side effects.

  • runny nose
  • nasal congestion
  • joint aches
    -muscle cramps
  • insomnia
  • split finger ends (skin)
    -nasal sores/ bleeding
    -depression/anxiety
    Of course they may or may not be attributable to herceptin
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I forgot to say the most obvious one-tiredness

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Hi Julie - i did a year of Herceptin and finished nearly 2 years ago, i got no side effects at all, it was so much better than i thought it would be. I had MUGA scans (heart scans) before in the middle and after which were all fine.
I was on zoladex, arimidex and changed back to tamoxifen during it and got the usual menopausal side effects but nothing else.
It was a breeze compared to FEC.
It will be over before you know it - good luck with it all
LOL
xxxxxx