Herceptin, paclitaxel and perjeta side effects.

Hi all

 

I am currently receiving weekly paclitaxel and every 3 weeks perjeta and herceptin for early stage breast cancer. This is for 12 weeks and I only have 4 to go! I’ve already endured EC chemotherapy.

At first I was finding the weekly treatments a lots easier, as I really suffered during EC. However, the last couple of weeks I feel like I’ve aged 100 years. I ache all over, and have lots of niggling pain in my back and chest. I have terrible acid indigestion and diarrhoea all the time. 

Is anyone else suffering like this? Is there anything you can suggest that has helped you?

Many thanks,

Xxx

Hi LunaMuna

 

Firstly, big hug - and sorry you find yourself here!

 

I was in the same place as you 2 years ago.  And that sentence almost says it all - those days were hard - dark days of horridness.   I’m really sorry but there is no easy solution - it’s just a case of getting through - you will get good days - make the most of them - you get a lot of bad days.  

 

All I can say is stay positive - smile whenever you can.  

 

I too suffered with acid indegestion (I got some great pills from the oncologist which I used to take for the first few days of each cycle and then stopped) - I’m sure the steriods caused this particular problem for me.  Diarahea was also a great problem - I did again have some great tablets but I tried not to rely on them.  What I found helped was to cut out all fruit and veg (really difficult) and I ate stodgy almost unhealthy food - white bread, rice, mash potato, custard, noodles and ice lollies to help my mouth and tongue problems.

 

Today I find it hard to remember how awful it was.  

 

I guess what I mean is although for you at the moment it’s all awful (and I really do know it is) - there is light at the end of the tunnel - you’re very nearly there - keep going…  the targetted therapies are amazing - they actually do work.  The percentages of ladies with HER2+ cancers survival rates are excellent - whereas only a few years ago, it was one of the worse breast cancers to suffer from).

 

I still get aches and pains from all the treatment but I get a lot of really good days now for which I’m truly thankful and this will be you in only a few months time… xx