Herceptin - stiff muscles and joints

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Herceptin - stiff muscles and joints

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Herceptin - stiff muscles and joints I started my Herceptin last Tuesday (spent 8 hours altogether in the hospital) . Quite a long day.

I had some pain in my legs the first evening after the Herceptin and now I’m really stiff whenever I get up from a sitting position with both muscle and joint pain.

I’m wondering if this is going to last for the whole 12 months. Does anyone else have experience of this ?

Anthi

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Hi

I have done 7 heceptins now and I am still suffering from aching joints/muscles. The worse is my hips and pelvic area however I did have Taxatore which also affects the same areas so difficult to know if its the Heceptin or the after effects of chemo which finished 3 months ago. I was talking to a friend the other day and she has had 11 heceptins and is also suffering from joint/muscle ache. We both said we felt like an 80 year old in the mornings. I also get a runny nose after each dose and also my sinus are a bit blocked. Good fun all this!!!

Geraldine45

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stiff joints etc Hi I was wondering when your stiffness started? As mine started 2 weeks after chemo finished. My hands are the worst, although my whole body feels stiff when I have rested for a while. Initially I put this down to getting older. (46)However, my hands are swollen and painful whenever i relax for a while. I too am having herceptin but I haven’t attributed my stiffness to that because it had already started so I thought it was another side effect of chemo. However, it seems to be getting worse and my nose is often runny and I have lots of spots on my face but my consultant doesn’t know what is causing any of it. I have done some research and believe that the stiffness is caused by fluid retention in my case.

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Hello Geraldine and Debby and thank you for your replies.

I also had Taxotere but had very few muscle and joint problems with that but this could be an after effect of Taxotere as I finished it only 4 weeks ago. This pain and stiffness started a few days after the first Herceptin. I’ve got the runny nose too but no spots yet.

Best wishes
Anthi

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Yes, it can cause these things I had some stiffness and achiness on herceptin and also a bit of water retention (it has been called ‘herceptin belly’).

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joint pain I’m having my 16th herceptin today, my joint pains are definitely better than they were.
I attribute most of mine to the epi, cmf, and allowing time for it to leave my system.
I’m also on Arimidex.
First thing in the morning I’ma bit stiff and achy but overall I feel much easier. At one stage when I stooped down, to stand back up again was agony , I nearly cried and needed support.

Hope things get better for you.
Hang in there.

Julie

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Hello Christine and Julie and thank you for your replies.

Take care
Anthi