Right now, the low neutrophils can be remedied with filgrastim (Neupogen, Neulasta), but nothing is prescribed for low platelets (whites involved in clotting) except for reducing the interferon. There is a drug (eltrombopag) that stimulates platelet formation but the FDA has not approved it to go with the HCV treament drugs, so insurance may not cover it.
It is always better to use the rescue drugs instead of reducing the peginterferon or riba, especially if you have not cleared yet.
Are you saying your mother in law has Leukemia? Filgastin or Neupogen is used for that. I don't know of other uses for it. She can't get it in the Philippines? If you can get a prescription from her doctor perhaps you can get it from a pharmacy here. Have a talk with a pharmacist here at one of the stores like Rite Aid, CVS any of those and see if they allow that.
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.
HI ALL,HOPING U CAN HELP ME OUT WITH WHERE TO FIND/BUY MEDS LIKE NEUPOGEN FOR LOW WBC,IV HAD LOTS OF TROUBLE WITH LOW WBC AND MY DOC SAID AUSTRALIA HAS NOT APPROVED IT.
IM AN AUSSIE AND HOPING SOME1 KNOWS OF WHERE TO GET THIS STUFF,OR ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP.IV HAD MY DOSE LOWERED AND IT SHATTERS ME COS MY CHANCES WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER WITH FULL DOSE OF INTERFERON.
I DONT CARE WHAT IT COSTS I JUST WANT TO BRING MY WBC UP COS IV HAD SO MANY INFECTIONS AND FLUES ETC.
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.
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.
Hi everyone. Hubby's WBC count is low, so Hepatologist wants to put him on Neupogen. Have any of you used it? Any info you can share?
Yes, Neulasta is the pegylated version of Neupogen. A polyethylene glycol molecule or (“PEG”) is added to enlarge the Filgrastim molecule (Neupogen), thereby extending its half-life and causing it to be removed more slowly from the body.
I don't know what the dosage requirements are for Neulasta but it is not taken as often as Neupogen.
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.
to compare the effectiveness rate of sustained viral response (SVR) in patients with Pegylated Interferon dose modification and in patients treated by using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor G-CSF-filgrastim. (Neupogen). Study enrolled 47 patients with chronic active hepatitis C, aged 23-64. (38 male and 9 female). All patients had HCV genotype 1b. Significant neurtopenia (ANC<750 mm3) and severe neurtopenia (ANC<500 mm3) developed in 41 of 47 patients (87%).
Sometimes I really believe that when we treat with Filgrastim (marketed by Amgen as Neupogen) we are actually treating for ourselves more than for the patient. What I really believe is a more important issue in terms of treating infectious complications in cirrhotics is using prophylactic antibiotics. What we do in our practice for anyone that has cirrhosis and portal hypertension. That individual is on what is equivalent SBC prophylaxis….
Thrombopenia...
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.
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