After Herceptin- Did Side Effects Go Away?

Shadow,

I had a year of Herceptin with a different chemo regime from you, and had few Herceptin side effects.  I had the runny nose, but it went away as soon as I finished.

I had Taxotere, Cytoxan, and Herceptin.  Could you side effects be from Carboplatin?  You have long ago finished it, so maybe that isn't the source.

Best wishes, Boo

No sure if anyone still gets on this but am wondering if anyone else has experienced back problems.  I've been on Herceptin about 3 months and it keeps getting progressively worse as time goes on.  The pain is in the middle of my back.  I have mets on my spine but it didn't hurt before.  Any comments?

Caroljl, the brittle, splitting nails is very common on Herceptin and should go away once you finish your Herceptin protocol. 

I am a year out of herceptin and I still have the hip pain but the muscle pain went away after about 6 months.  My nail issues didn't start until 18 months AFTER chemo, apparently my body is a little slow.  The muscle issues slowly dissolved so I would notice that my thighs were not as weak and then my arms and it just continued to get better. 

Weety, flakey, chipping nail layers is exactly how I would describe it. My toenails are little better than my fingernails, but not by much.  Definitely chemo/herceptin! 

My toenails have holes in them that was down at the cuticle but is slowly growing out and is discolored.  My oncologist says that he has never seen it, neiter has the podiatrist.   I guess there always has to be one. 

The hip pain is very slow to go away but it is the same hip that I was in the orthopedic doctor before being dx with BC so I just think it is me. 

Hi there, Jenna. Yes, my nails look very similar. Also, I've been feeling that fatigue too. I wasn't sure if it was due to pushing myself (single mom of two, full-time student also working full time), but I've noticed that it's worse after treatments. And I've also encountered that hangover look/feel. Can't wait 'til summer. I work in education, so get the summers off. Just a few months to go.

I can not overtire myself any more and sleeping has become very important after this whole ordeal

For me too. Used to only need 5-6 hours a sleep a night, without a problem. Now require a minimum of 7, and even then I'm sluggish! I don't feel like I have had a good night's sleep since chemo began a year ago. Hoping that once enough time has lapsed since my last H treatment I'll be able get a solid night's sleep. Aaaahhhh. . . sleep. What a blessing.

Ah-ha!

the nail picture - exactly what I am dealing with!! Ridges, spliting into the quick! Got all of that. 

Does it eventually go away - I mean do the nails get better.

right now - my thumbs are the worst! 

I began Herceptin along with Taxotere and Carbo then disabling upper back pain and spasms set in that pretty much stopped me in my tracks and have not gone away. The oncologist figured it was from the Taxotere so he gave me a couple weeks off, then we proceeded with Herceptin only.  Now it looks like the Herceptin was the culprit after all.  The Herceptin only treatment worsened the situation even furhter, and I now can't cope at all without narcotics.  This after only 2 TCH rounds (6 weeks worth of Herceptin).  We are taking another break at this point to sort things out a little more and let the pain abate.  My oncologist is unfamiliar with this as a side effect so we are taking things slow.  With very early (2a) stage and agressive surgery (bilateral mast. with clean lymph nodes) he figures it's not worth risking permanent damage (and I agree!)  Time will tell at this point.  No one seems to have a lot of info. on this particular side effect.   Do any of you gals have experience with this going away?  It's a burning muscle pain that esculates to the point of spasm.  Thanks!

Ladies, thanks for the info on the Herceptin SEs and for letting me know that I'm not alone in this. My nails are a disaster, my hair is thin and my joints and bones ache so much that I can't straighten up for a minute or two when I stand up or get out out my car.  I am like a decrepit old woman and I hate this!  Last Herceptin will be in June so hoping to start feeling better sometime during the summer.

Hey Razzie,

 just joining the conversation, in my seven week of herceptin treatment along with every three weeks of chemo(abraxane). Lost all my hair within a week, three weeks after chemo. I had long locks, was so traumatic for me. But I have grown to love my bald head and will probably keep it. Turning 48 on August 18, 2012 nice gift. Notice the dark color in my nails and also brittle, hands are darker. I still have five more weeks of herceptin plus two more chemo. Than it is six weeks of radiation and then back to herceptin to round out the year. Biggest side affect for me so far is loss of hair.

So a year ago I posted about my ugly holes in my toenails.  They are now gone and all is well except for my one toenail that now stands straight up and must be kept short.  Besides that all is well, hip still hurts but the more I workout the less it hurts.  So I try to keep busy and it keeps hip pain away.