Tarceva Side Effects

On 3/6/2008 PALMA wrote:

I was diagnosed a year ago this month with stage iv non small cell lung cancer.  I have gone through two rounds of chemotherapy by infusion.  On 2-27-08 i started on the chemotherapy pill, tarceva.  Almost immediatly i noticed my breathing had improved; the shortness of breath was not as bad as it was; i had more energy and stamina.  On the 4th of march, i noticed a rash had developed on my face around the nose area; and the shortness of breath had returned. The following day the rash had spread to include my chin and around my mouth; and the shortness of breath was worse than the day before.  Has anyone experienced these reactions?

I was on Tarceva 150 mg for 30 days and now I have started 100 mg. Initially I had a rash behind both calves, then it went to both thighs. Then it appeared on my upper back but disappeared from my calves and my thighs. Next it appeared on my stomach. I have a very very small amount on my face. Last weekend my back and stomach stopped itching  and the red spots on my stomach had lessened considerably,but by Sunday night the itching was back. And it has not changed this week. The itching is intermittent and more so on my back than stomach. Trader Joe's has a 99% aloe gel that seems to help the itching and perhaps 1% cortisone cream. My oncologist said the rash does not usually come in the 0pattern mine did but when he looked at it he said it was the Tarceva rash. He also said it could come back to the places it has gone from.

 

Jeffrey