Herceptin & LACK of side effects

It's a targeted drug, so many people have no side effects. And those who do, often have very minor ones, like a runny nose or fatigue the day after. It was a piece of cake for me.

I have been doing herceptin since last March and really no SE's but a little achy the day after.  I do think when I was doing it with chemo it did make healing a little slower.  I had neuropathy in my hands and feet and when I missed one herceptin I saw a noticeable improvement in both.  When I had the next herceptin things did not get worse,  I think they just needed a little more time to heal and once they were everything was fine.  I will be on herceptin until next March.  I finished rads last week and all the tests caused by my CT scan came back great, so except for another CT 90 days from last one and my every 3 month echocardiogram I am about done.  They are going to biopsy a nodule on my thyroid but radiologist is sure it will be b9.  Since it is borderline on the size they usually remove doc wants to biopsy and watch rather then have me go thru another surgery now.  I also have to do a pulmonary test every 6 weeks till done with herceptin.  Lining of lungs have changed a little and pulmonary doc thinks could be hercptin, could have been chemo.  Did  not have a baseline pulmonary test before.  We did one this week and as long as it stays the same till herceptin is over we are good.  Only takes about 15 minutes to breath in a pattern they give you.  Compared to some of the things we have been thru, that is nothing.  I am feeling pretty good.  Still have a burn about the size of a quarter that needs to heal from rads along my incision line from the boosts.  PA in oncs office said give it one more week and it would be healing up.  I have to say it would be nice to wear a bra again, but am not risking tearing up the new skin until I a sure it is healed enough.  I have been on Femara for a week now and no SE's so far.  My knees are bad all the time, so I can't blame that on the femara.  In another week or so, I am going to do a series of 5 injections into my knee.  One a week for 5 weeks.  They put a natural lubricant into your knee joint where the cartiledge has worn away and it lubricates where bones rub together.  They say you can get a years pain relief from this when it works.  If my knee did not hurt I would be practically pain free.  At 61 we all a a few aches and pains here and there, but most are minor and don't interfere with daily living.  My knee has been so bad that I have no been able to walk any kind of long distance in quite a while.  I would like getting out to walk for exercise.  Even other exercise has been hard with a bad knee.  I guess I got carried away from the original topic, but I am glad to be doing the hercepptin and will do it quite willingly until March.  Annette

One more Herceptin and I'll be done with it. It doesn't give me any symptoms. At first I thought it was giving me a drippy nose, but that went away and I think that may have been due to lack of nose hair from chemo rather than a Herceptin side effect.

Most people do not have the side effects of flu-like symptoms if they are given Tylenol and Benadryl prior to Herceptin infusion.

I have been on Herceptin for 17 months now.   Only side effects I hare are drippy nose and thin fingernails.    It is an easy drug.  Good thing .. because I will be on it for life.

Jennifer