Hi there people, I know that I havent been here for a while, I have been busy trying to get my life back to the new normal that we have to get to after the diagnosis and treatment for cancer!
I am on the ICON 7 trial for ovarian cancer, having avastin 3 weekly for a year. I have recently developed vertigo, along with a stonking headache and sore neck, and no one seems to know if these may be related to the avastin, I know it is also given for colon cancer, lung and breast cancers as well, so was wondering if anyone who has had/ having it has experienced these symptoms as side effects, my research nurse doesnt know anything about them, so am scrabbling in the dark- please could anyone get back to me?
cheers
sue
FormerMember
Hi Sue, don't know about the drug you mention, but wondered if you had tried clicking on the right, highlighted in blue 'ask a nurse'. Hopefully you will be able to get some of the answers you are looking for. Best wishes, Christine xx
Hi Sue. I have secondary breast cancer and I have been in a drugs trial involving avastin since Feb 2008. Until last Oct I was having it alongside paclitaxel, a fairly traditional chemo treatment. Since then I have had just avastin, by infusion fortnightly.
On the whole I have had few side effects and am delighted that it has kept my cancer contained, so I hope it will work equally well for you. I have however had really bad migraines, now at an average of about once every 4-6 weeks. I have had migraines in the past but not like this. They can last 3 days and make me nauseous as well as the terrible headache, and leave me wiped out for days. Not getting tired and going to bed with heavy painkillers the moment the migraine starts has helped a bit but even though I avoid all the 'bad' foods/drink, I haven't been able to prevent them. My reseach nurse doesn't seem to think this is a common side effect but who knows. It is a relatively new drug and I can't think of any other reason why I should have theses headaches now.
I do often have a sore neck too, but that may be related to the cancer on my bones. I don't have vertigo.
Good luck with your treatment and do let me know how you get on.
I saw the proff on wed who has decided my symptoms are the avastin, so stopped that dose, and is sending me for a brain scan on wed, so hassle them about your headaches!
