blood levels

[hoocbud2]

General speaking how low do you blood levels have to drop before they consider either reducing  tx or putting you on a rescue drug?  Mostly wondering about the wbc, rbc, hgb hct  

[Lindaz]

I think it depends on your medical team and how you are feeling as well.  
Ive noticed some people can manage at lower levels than others.  
My HB dropped at about 18 weeks (I think it was 18 weeks) to 89 but then rose to 96 for 2 weeks but is now back to 90.  I haven't long to the end of treatment and at the moment, I am handling the low hb well considering.
At week 18 I was told if my hb levels dropped any lower then I will be given rescue drugs but they didnt need to as my levels rose and stablised for 2 weeks.   Now they are back to the 90's it is probally (not sure though) too late for the rescue drugs as I have only 3 shots left.

I wish you all the best with your treatment
take care

Linda x

[hoocbud2]

Thanks for the encouragement  If there's a sx to get I seem to be getting them.

[Lynno711]

My Hg.levels dropped to 9, but it was late in tx.

Doc. almost stopped Tx. no mention of rescue drugs, had no energy, and kept getting sick.  About week 42 I just got sicker and sicker.

Tx. over now, glad they let me finish, can barely remember being ill.

Feeling better every day now.

Hang in there - Lynne

[hoocbud2]

I'm doing CBC's every wk and  they continue to go down.  So I was wondering about how far down before I needed to do something.  Platelets holding in mid 50"s.  Dr say's he won't do any thing until they go back below 30.  thanks for your input,

[FlGuy]

It depends on the doc, whether you and the team have an aggressive bent. It's always preferred to introduce rescue drugs rather than to reduce dosage.  My docs (liver guy for treatment itself and a hematologist for all blood values) mutually agreed that Aranesp (like epo-Procrit) would be administeredd to maintain hemoglobin between 10 and 12, Neupogin at sub-500.  Unlike your Promacta, we agreed that we would not have any platelette discussion until south of 30 (never got there).  But, different docs have varying trigger points.  CBC's every two weeks until about week 12 and then less often as we had a good pulse on meds effects.