Filgrastim is also prescribed as pegfilgrastim (called Neulasta). My doctor used the 500 neutrophill count as a cut-off, so every time I got down around 500 I used Neulasta. The interferon drops neutrophils and platelets. Some people can do okay with low neutrophils but just as many end up with kidney and sinus infections, etc., that make you even more miserable.
Doctors unable to give any explanation for such wide variations on a dose to dose basis. Till date, I have also taken 5 doses of Filgrastim - the WBC Stimulator.
Can you pleae advice possible reasons for such wide fluctuations.
Interferon can cause a condition called ‘neutropenia’ or the suppression of white blood cells necessary to fight infection. In some countries, the drug Neupogen (filgrastim) is available to combat this, and to keep patients on full dose HCV meds.
Filgrastim and PEG-filgrastim are relatively expensive; and they might not be available in all areas.
Do you mean filgrastim? And are you saying Dengue fever? It would be a surprising though perhaps not impossible use of filgrastim. Dengue is usually treated by pain managers and sometimes hospitalization and a blood transfusion.
Anyway, if you have a legitimate prescription from a doctor, you should be able to fill it in the United States.
For this reason, patients are prescribed antibiotics and even receive injections to increase white blood counts (such as filgrastim or lenograstim).
If this 0.4 value really pertains to your white counts, then I believe this is really low and what you are experiencing is a condition called 'febrile neutropenia'. I would suggest you ask your doctor about filgrastim or lenograstim injections aside from the Levaquin.
Regards.
You can discuss ‘Neupogen (filgrastim) with the doc; this is a GCSF drug that stimulates bone marrow production of white cells. It is generally initiated when absolute neutrofils reach .500 or that vicinity; some docs allow closer to .350, depending on occupation and other matters.
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) or NEUPOGEN® (Filgrastim) may reduce your chance of getting an infection, but it does not prevent all infections. An infection can happen anytime your neutrophil counts are low. Look for signs of infection, such as fever, chills, rash, sore throat, diarrhea, or redness, swelling, or pain around a cut or sore. If you have any of these signs, contact your health care professional immediately.
http://www.neulasta.com/starting-chemo-with-neulasta/about-neulasta-neupogen.
Andiamo has hit on all of the important points. The language of mine referred to Procrit at the doctor's discretion, not by name, but as a drug that may be helpful if hemoglobin drops. They did provide it along with the trial meds. It also mentioned filgrastim, also not by name, but as a drug that could be useful to treat low neutrophils. It did NOT mention doctor's discretion, but indicated that it would be permissible to use it during the trial. My insurance covered it.
Hi,
With modern medical advances, especially effective anti-emetics, and growth factors (filgrastim), chemotherapy has become safer and more tolerable over the last decade or so.
Hair loss will be your major side effect, and some intermittent illnesses may also be expected during the course of chemotherapy. But your overall long-term benefit will be much more than these temporary effects.
All the Best!
Briefly, Neupogen (generically filgrastim) is prescribed to increase low white blood cells as a result of interferon therapy. It’s also called a granulocyte colony stimulating factor, or GCSF drug. The labs used to track the need for this is the patient’s ‘absolute neutrofil’ count, located in the Complete Blood Count.
Procrit (generically epoetin alpha) is used to stimulate bone marrow for production of red blood cells.
I used Neulasta, the pegylated form of filgrastim. More expensive but supposed to hold your neuts up longer when they are getting stomped by the IFN (I have good insurance). No side effect problems with it at all and it took my neut level from .640 to 12 overnight and kept me out of danger level for about 6 weeks. Better than an interferon reduction if patient is responsive to it.
Neulasta is a peglated version of Neupogen which is also know as filgrastim. It's used to stimulate production of neutrophils, a component of whilte blood cells. It can be taken less often than regular 'ol Neupogen. I found it rougher than Neupgen in that it had some side effects, mainly bone pain. I found Neupogen to be side-less.
Aranesp is Darbepoetin Alfa which is like Procrit (epo). It is also taken less often than Procrit.
I was (as a low VL geno 1b) super responsive to the IFN and on a 3rd drug, so think I may have gotten sicker than I would have without the third one. You need to just make rules, like I am no longer doing anyone else's laundry, I am no longer 'on call', I am no longer carrying anything for anyone else or standing in line. If you want it, do it yourself. You just take care of the mess later and don't stress over it.
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