Breast Cancer Care Forum

Hello Marie,   I have a relation that has locally advanced breast cancer. However, hers was 13 years before it put in an appearance. She is now on Ibrance and letrozole and is doing OK.   It actually appeared on her skin, she had a mastectomy and then a reconstruction. Plus she went to the GP and he just thought it was a rash. Well the rash did not go so she asked to see a dermatologist and he told her right away that it was a local recurrence.   She has been scanned and it isn't anywhere else.   ... View more

Yes it does. I used a cold cap and kept lots of hair but it thinned. It was back to normal very quickly after chemo. ... View more

Yes it is common. I used to take claritin hay fever tablets and they also help if you get aches and pains with Herceptin (so do some don't). ... View more

The reason the don't do surgery close to chemo is because chemo slows your healing Herceptin will not. I had surgery first (not a mastectomy) but had to wait for my surgeon to say she was happy for the chemo to go ahead.   If the Herceptin is giving you aches take claritin hay fever tablets and if it lowers your heart ejection fraction take Pycnogenol & CoQ10. I copied this from a post I made a while ago when someone asked about the heart:   The supplements you want are pycnogenol and CoQ 10. http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/heart-health-articles/the-heart-strengthening-tag-team   The combined one they mention is hard to get but you can get them separately from Amazon. I get the Ubiquinol 100mg because that is supposed to be absorbed better.   My first echo scan was 55% and my second was 60% I took the supplements a week after the first one because they said if mine dropped to 50% they would not give me Herceptin. They already stopped my chemo because my blood counts got too low!       ... View more

I had great result with the coldcap. I did a cut and paste from when someone asked why I got such good results, here it is:   Wash once about a week after chemo with cool water and NOT under a shower. Pat dry DO NOT RUB. Give about 4 squirts of a leave in conditioner. Comb with a wide tooth comb THEN LEAVE IT ALONE until the next week and repeat.   The more you fiddle with it the more it sheds. Do that routine even after your last chemo and only go "back to normal" as in under a shower, more than one wash, wash out conditioner, hair dryer, straighteners or whatever a good month after your last treatment - but I left it 6 weeks.   If you can fast before your chemo the side effects are less there is a thread on here about it and lots of us have fasted. The best results are had if you fast for 48 hours before and 12 after. However the before is far more important if you struggle. Lots of us have had chemo and we were all afraid of it but once you crack on with it things get better xxx ... View more

I did a cut and paste from when someone asked why I got such good results, here it is:   Wash once about a week after chemo with cool water and NOT under a shower. Pat dry DO NOT RUB. Give about 4 squirts of a leave in conditioner. Comb with a wide tooth comb THEN LEAVE IT ALONE until the next week and repeat.   The more you fiddle with it the more it sheds. Do that routine even after your last chemo and only go "back to normal" as in under a shower, more than one wash, wash out conditioner, hair dryer, straighteners or whatever a good month after your last treatment - but I left it 6 weeks.   Reply 1   Hug   Report Inappropriate Content           ... View more

YES! Mine thinned a bit but if you did not know me you would never know. This is me after my last treatment. BUT I was ultra careful read below for my routine.   I had my hair cut to just past chin length and layered before I started. I also had my eyebrows tattooed.   You will need a stretchy headband A wide tooth comb Shampoo (any sort you don't need anything special) Conditioner (ordinary and a leave in) Painkillers A flask of hot tea/coffee A towel A hat/cap    Take a pain killer 30 mins before your appointment. When you get to the hospital damp your hair and apply a about a teaspoon or a little more of conditioner and comb it through. Let them put the cap on and start the treatment. It will feel bad for the first few seconds but then it eases off.   When it is over they take the cap off and your head is  covered in ice.  Put your hat on and go home. Do not wash your hair for at least 3 days and not under a shower. Wash once in cool water, pat dry with a towel don't rub. Then spray with ha few spurts of leave in conditioner, comb with  wide tooth comb THEN LEAVE IT ALONE.   The roots are very weak and they more you fus with it the more comes out.   ... View more

You do get blood tests but just not every 3 weeks as you do on chemo. I think they do it around the time of your heart scan. Mine was always OK on the Herceptin but I had to stop the chemp early due to low blood count of something. ... View more

Hello,   I only had Herceptin by injection but I can answer some of your questions. Your hair is not affected but you may suffer with aches and pains and if so take claritin hayfever tablets. Here's why: http://myangrycancer.blogspot.com/2013/02/claritin-is-worth-its-weight-in-gold.html   You will be there longer with the IV obviously. Also I gained weight due to water retention but it comes off when the treatment is over. ... View more

Hello and welcome,   You will find a great deal of support on here and it is confusing in the early days. Once you know what you are dealing with life gets much easier. When I first came here I was nervous and worried about the journey ahead - we all are. You will be getting a treatment plan and come back with it so we can point you in the right direction. I had to have the whole works as in surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and a drug called Herceptin.     ... View more

Lots of us have fasted for chemo and had greatly reduced side effects. My routine was nothing but water or black tea/coffee for 48 hours before, the day of chemo and 24 hours after.    If you don't think you can do that long the fast before is the most important because the cells lining your gut reduce their activity and  you don't get the upset stomach. Have a Google but the most important work has be done by Valter Longo. ... View more

Get some Claritin hay fever tablets, this is why: http://myangrycancer.blogspot.com/2013/02/claritin-is-worth-its-weight-in-gold.html   ... View more

Ok I had the same chemo as you it is cumulative in that you feel weaker the more you have. That is because your blood count goes lower and never fully recovers before you get another dose. I would be wary of infection if I was surrounded by lots of people at a wedding so bear that in mind.   If you can fast before chemo then your side effects are greatly reduced - have a Google and check out the work by Valter Longo on the topic. ... View more

Did you see where I posted my routine? It was a few days ago to someone else that was asking.   I had my hair cut and layered before so there was nothing to twirl with my fingers! You must leave it alone because the roots are extremely fragile and it will shed if you fiddle with it.  ... View more

No problem with fitting on the day. You go in with dry hair and go the the ladies with a comb and spray bottle of water to damp your hair. Then comb a large blob of conditioner through and you are all set. You will need an elasticated hair band to protect your forehead and ears.   Take a flask of hot tea/coffee with you because they do come around with a trolley but if you have just missed it a hot drink makes it more comfortable. Also have a couple a pain killers about 30 mins before they put it on. It only hurts for a few minutes then your head is numb and you are fine.   I had wonderful results with the cold cap - just a bit of thinning and this was my routine:   Wash once about a week after chemo with cool water and NOT under a shower. No special shampoo. Pat dry DO NOT RUB. Give about 4 squirts of a leave in conditioner. Comb with a wide tooth comb THEN LEAVE IT ALONE until the next week and repeat.   The more you fiddle with it the more it sheds. Do that routine even after your last chemo and only go "back to normal" as in under a shower, more than one wash, wash out conditioner, hair dryer, straighteners or whatever a good month after your last treatment - but I left it 6 weeks.   Also check out fasting before chemo and you will lessen the side effects enormously. Lots of us have done it. ... View more

Yes I had that plus Herceptin. It makes you very tired and you don't feel better even when you rest. On the plus side is does not make you feel sick. I fasted before all of my chemos and had fewer side effects than other people.   I only had 4 not 6 because my blood counts went too low. ... View more

  I had wonderful results with the cold cap - just a bit of thinning and this was my routine:   Wash once about a week after chemo with cool water and NOT under a shower. No special shampoo. Pat dry DO NOT RUB. Give about 4 squirts of a leave in conditioner. Comb with a wide tooth comb THEN LEAVE IT ALONE until the next week and repeat.   The more you fiddle with it the more it sheds. Do that routine even after your last chemo and only go "back to normal" as in under a shower, more than one wash, wash out conditioner, hair dryer, straighteners or whatever a good month after your last treatment - but I left it 6 weeks. ... View more

A relation of mine is in this exact situation. Her scans showed no spread to anywhere else and the have put her on Palbociclib and letrozole. ... View more

Yes I only had 4 lots of chemo rather than 6 because of low blood counts. I think it is common. ... View more

Hello,   I fasted before every chemo and my side effects were a lot less than the women on my chemo thread or in my unit. I followed the work of Valter Longo and I did get tired but I had no stomach problems, no sickness, no thrush, I never had a high temperature. All in all I did pretty well and these days I eat once a day and put in a 3 day water only fast about every 2 or 3 months. I do it to keep my blood chemistry in check. This is a link to the fasting thread on here: https://forum.breastcancercare.org.uk/t5/Chemotherapy/Anyone-else-fasting-while-on-chemo/m-p/1282078#M136678   All in all in is quite easy when you get used to it. Read/watch Valter Longo. ... View more