Talk to me about Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) experiences

Hi @ilcpfightee I feel your pain! Neulasta, while it’s a really valuable medication to jumpstart the white blood count after chemo, it is the worst pain I ever experienced when I misjudged how long I needed to take the Claritin with it.
Yes, Claritin, the over-the-counter antihistamine for allergies! This is what my hematologist told me to start taking the day I received the shot and for at least 7 days after. Not Claritin-D. Just the plain Claritin. It’s amazing how well it works.
When I experienced the bone pain, I had stopped taking the antihistamine too early.( I needed to continue another few days. ) Woke up with a pain level of 15 on the 1-10 scale. You know the one in the doctor’s office with the grimacing faces? LOL. My husband said my face didn’t match any of those photos so he knew I was in trouble.

This shouldn’t interfere with any of your meds but you can check with your doctor or pharmacist first. But it’s a well known remedy in the cancer world for pain control after Neulasta.

Give it a try and let me know, ok?

Thanks! I usually do good with pain, but this brought me to tears. Was it your lower back, pelvis, or all over? Mine started as all over but right now is sitting in my lower back, hips, and groin. I am so tired. Did you get low grade fever, 99.5ish? I will start antihistamines.

I’m a tough old bird and usually nothing bothers me. But like you, this brought me to tears!! I didn’t have breast cancer but an aggressive blood cancer so I think our chemo regimen is a little different.
But anyway, I had Nulastin 4 different times. The first, I was actually in the hospital with a neutropenic fever on tons of antibiotics. I woke up from a nap and my lower back started aching, almost like I was getting a really awful period. Well, those days sailed decades ago! LOL. So I toughed it out, trying to move in the bed, thinking it might be the hospital mattress. Finally it just was so gripping and excruciating. I had no idea what it was!

I rang for my favorite chemo nurse. The advantage of being in the hospital! She knew I’d had my shot a few days before and fixed me up with a morphine injection and then brought me Claritin. That stuff works like nothing else! The Claritin, I mean. The morphine just made me sleep.

The next two months, I was ready with the Claritin and no issues whatsoever. My oncologist/hematologist said there was no problem taking it and I think the dose on the box is every 24 hours? Amazing stuff

The 4th shot, I took the antihistamine several days in a row and thought I was over the hump. Woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating lower back, pelvis, legs.
I’d had liver and kidney involvement from chemo, so taking Tylenol was out and so was any Advil. It was 2 AM and no way I was rushing to the hospital cancer ward for Morphine, though I wanted to! 😂. Finally the Claritin kicked in and the crises was over.

Any time you get a fever above 100.2 you should let your oncologist know. While you’re on chemo treatments, all of your blood levels of red/white and platelet cells will drop. Your white blood cells are the infection fighters and so you’re more prone to infection right now. The inflammation from the bone pain as the white cells are increasing, maybe make you a little feverish but it if climbs it’s best to call to get guidance.

When’s your next chemo?

My treatment plan consists of TCHP chemo for Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. I had a double mastectomy and began six cycles of chemo. Neulasta was difficult for me. I had extreme pain/discomfort in my pelvic area. I Take Clariton every day as advised by my oncologist. Finally on the 5th chemo I begged to go without taking Neulasta. I wasn’t as sick thank God and have only one more cycle to go. I pray I do well on the last one. Neulasta made me sick, gave me bone pain in the pelvic area, made my face flush, and gave me a cognitive fog, which was scary.

Hi @7lady7luck7, sorry that Neulasta made things worse for you. How did your final cycle of chemo go? Did you ring the bell?

I took Neulasta only for the 4 cycles of A/C (Andriamicin/Cytoxin?sp) I was advised to take Claritin before the shot (I chose to get the actual shot versus the patch contraption) and then again the next day. I never had any bone pain so I guess I got lucky there. I believe there was also Claritin or an antihistamine equivalent in the infusion mix of drugs (4 bags) the day before.

I took the patch instead, also for the first 4 cycles. It when super, not having to go out the day after the chemo. Did not take anything like antihistamine and I was fine.

Hi it’s Selwena
How are you feeling ?

Yes! Totally true- Claritin was a life saver for the post-Neulasta pain

WOW!!! Wish I knew this info back in 2007. I dreaded the shots more than the chemo. Early-stage cancer typically isn't painful but the treatment is well you know what I want to say. I'm convinced all the Arimidex and Neulasta is what has my hips and low back such as mess now all these years later. I use a shopping service because I cannot walk the whole store. I'm seeing a Dr. soon now that my (recurrence of cancer) bilateral mastectomy has finally healed. I had a dehiscence. Also, asking for a pet scan.