Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxotere

Thp is the worst of all the tx I have had. It is my 6 th.tx

So I had my first herceptin/perjeta infusion last week.  No taxol - I opted to continue my Xeloda. Taxol seems so hard and I HAVE to work, for my insurance, my apartmemt, my sanity. No insurance issues; they approved it right away.

No major SE so far.  More D but not painful - no cramps or anything.  Controlled by one dose of Immodium for a couple of days, then it came back so I'll use it again.  A mild headache last night that I still had when I woke up this morning but it might just be a headache and not related to anything else.  I think I feel more tired now but that might just be regular, my-life-is-crazy tiredness.  My appetite is still good.  The Beast hasn't gotten any smaller but I swear it feels "spongier", if that makes any sense.  So hopefully things will start to shrink down; I get a lot of swelling around the Beast so I'm hoping it will be like last year where I felt a lot of shrinkage (which was swelling) while the Beast remained stable.  And it's only four days since the infusion so I know I need to be patient.

I'm off to the Bahamas next week and I'm hoping one of my bathing suits will not emphasize the Beast so much.  I'll have to figure out a way to camoflauge it so it's not so noticeable, at least to me. I know that sounds so superficial but I hate taking the Beast on vacation with me!!

I just started this combo (taxol/herceptin/prejeta) 2 weeks ago; third treatment this Thursday. I've done 9 weeks of weekly taxol in the past (with lapatnib -- was on a trial after my first dx) and a year of herceptin. This time, I'm getting the same side effects as before but sooner -- hair's falling out now instead of after week 3, body pains started after week 2, and I'm also getting a bit more fatigue than I did last time. Seems I'm running a week ahead of everything. From what I've read here, it sounds like a lot of you who are doing your second run with taxol have a similar experience. Kind of curious what doing 3 months of this will be like, since I only did 9 weeks before.

Lori do you know ehen you will have scan?

Barb, just had my scan results 2 weeks ago. There is a lot of improvement, including a pleural effusion that resolved, which I have had for 6 years!Also, significantly less uptake in the areas in my lungs and slightly less uptake in the spot on my liver, "now less well marginated". Since that was after only three treatments, I am pretty happy with the results.

Fujimama, Monday will be treatment four of this for me. What I meant was this is my sixth type of treatment. Started with taxol 11/09 then moved to xeloda, then navelbine then Gemzar then carbo/tax then perjeta/tax.

The treatments did get easier, but I still didn't like them.  My onc. had no intention of ever taking me off the taxol if the treatment was working.

Jill glad to hear your scans were good. I hope dropping the taxotere works for you. Nausea is no fun

Jill that is great news. Happy for you

Three. But before that I had three of taxotere, carboplatin, and Herceptin. That combo gave me regression too but was even less tolerable than the perjeta/tax so we switched it after getting insurance approval for the perjeta.

Lorijo- so true. I did 12 after doing 4 tch. By the end, I was dragging. However, I got my first just PH today. I can already tell that it's going to be much better! Praying for energy for you!

Good news, Jill! Hope the nausea is better. Yay Fujiimama! Love to hear the just p&h success!

I know how you feel. I stayed on the steroids this week because I am so afraid of the nausea. But since the taxotere got dropped I might have been ok anyway but too afraid to risk it! I think next time I'll go cold turkey and maybe the perjeta alone won't nauseate me.

I think so too, hope. But odd since the first two treatments of perjeta/ tax I had very little nausea....just fevers and sore throat.

i have not. maybe you should call an ask about it