neulasta

[Claire12]

What is the drug neulasta?   What does it do?  What are the side effects?   My gyn/onc told me this shot could be worse than chemo.

[Teresa222]

My main side effect from chemo was bone pain.  I had this without Neulasta. I wonder how bad it would have been had I had Neulasta? Wow! I felt like I had a bad case of the flu, with the bone pain that goes along with it. I had no nausea. It's amazing how some do and some don't.  It seems the ones who had nausea with the first rounds, had them with every drug thereafter. I'd like to know if that is true for you who have nausea?
T

[Sherrygail]

Before every chemo I would have blood drawn to see if my red and/or white cell counts were low.  If either was low I was given a shot so my body could take the treatment.  Some patients who did not have prescription insurance and could not afford the shots which are fairly pricey were given some other med and had to delay their treatments until their counts were better.  I always had achy legs after the shots but only a couple of days.  It was worth it to me to not have to interrupt treatments.    Sherry

[JC145]

I was given Aranesp after my first and second tx (after surgery) .. then I seemed to hold the red counts very well.  I received Neulasta 24 hrs post each tx cycle .. my Onc/Gyn even came in on Thanksgiving Day and gave it to me personally so I would stay on schedule.  I had little effects from either.  The first Neulasta shot made me a little achy in the chest and arms.  Tylenol took care of that.  Don't remember any other side effects.
Judy

[vegas2cr]

Jan are you getting neulesta neupogen, or Epogen and or procrit... big difference.. as you know one is for  white blood cells..( neulesta neupogen) and the other that is for red blood cells.. Epogen and or procrrit...
My oncologist gives me neupogen for white blood cells but would not touch the other at all.. She believes that is causes more problems than it is worth including faster tumor growth...

[Jan214]

Wow, I didn't know all of that.   Terersa, Dr W gives it after every chemo, well the first one in the month, which is 1 of 3 that are considered one tx.
I have never had a problem with my blood, but I will definitely ask him next Tuesday.  

It does cause bone crunching pain, but with the fentanyl patches I don't hardly notice anymore.

Now I don't know what to think.  I would hate to think my onc would give this to me without some really good reason or maybe those issues Ronni stated don't apply to OvCa, but not bloody likely.  Well dang.  On the other hand I have seen friends who have blood problems just get weaker and weaker so I guess in the long run I will take my chances with it.

[vegas2cr]

Your oncologist was referring to Epogen for red blood cells not neulesta or neopogen.. here is a small recap from the black box warning..

Aranesp, Epogen, and Procrit and other erythropoiesis-stimulating agents increased the risk for death and for serious cardiovascular events when dosed to achieve a target a hemoglobin of greater than 12 g/dL.
Use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents to achieve a target hemoglobin of 12 g/dL or greater in cancer patients shortened the time to tumor progression in patients with advanced head and neck cancer receiving radiation therapy; shortened overall survival and increased deaths attributed to disease progression in patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving chemotherapy; and increased the risk of death in patients with active malignant disease not under treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents are not indicated for this patient population.

[junamgen]

I think most drs will let your own body have a try to make the blood cells after chemo. If it fails then neulasta will stimulate the production of white cells in the bonemarrow (that's where most blood cells come from and that's why you feel pain in the bone when you using neulasta).  It has been report the neulasta maybe the cause of blood cell cancer( over production) from over using if there is no needs.

Hope it clearify a bit.


Best wish

Peace and Love

jun

[Mags711]

I had a neulasta shot after every chemo treatment and my white cell counts never dropped below the normal range.  I never got sick during chemo and I never had to delay a treatment.  They did make me feel a little achy, a little fluish.  


Teresa, I have a very good onc, I really trust him and he never mentioned anything regarding the neulasta causing increased production of cancer cells, very interesting thought.  But I believe it worked for me.
Maggie

[Teresa222]

My ONC would not give me Neulasta, even after I begged. I asked during chemo thinking I would feel better if he gave it to me. I had heard some ONC's give it regardless of whether the patient's counts are low or not.  My ONC said that he didn't believe in giving Neulasta during chemo because some experts felt it not only increased production of good cells, it also increased production of the cancer cells. I have not researched this. It would be interesting to find out.
Teresa

[SudiQD]

Neulasta has been good for me.  My white counts are staying in a good range and I feel good.  The bone pain for me is not an issue.  I have had both knees replaced and  the pain I had before replacement was so bad that nothing comes close anymore.  I can see where it would be a problem to someone whoo has not experienced bone pain before.  It is however, well worth it, in my opinion.

[vegas2cr]

Neulesta or Neupogen are drugs to prevent white blood cell counts from dropping too low... I took the neupogen injectons and had to take them home with me.. I required 3 injections one 24 hours after chemo and then 1 each day after fora total of 3

With that said they can cause severe bone pain.. Just ask your oncologist for a pain reliever and you can get through it.. NOthing is ever as bad as it appears before you do it... I go through it and my white blood cell count remained stable enough I could fly home to visit my kids...

[junamgen]

It is for increasing the production of white blood cells made by Amgen. Go to www. amgen .com to find more info, or google it.

Best wish

Peace and Love

jun