Starting chemo for ovarian cancer: Why do some take Claritin?

Hi @mkbrinkmeyer. I think there’s a little misunderstanding about taking Claritin with chemotherapy. There’s a medication frequently given to chemo patients a day or so after the last day of a chemo cycle to help boost their white blood count. This medication, such as Neulasta, may cause some bone pain over the course of several days. Claritin can help aleviate that bone pain.
It’s generally taken on the first day of the Nulasta injection and then once a day for about 7 days or so. This is something you can discuss with your oncologist or NP.

By the way, welcome to Connect. There are several discussions with other members who have experinence with ovarian cancer. Here is a link to one of them:
I have ovarian cancer:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/new-to-group-have-ovarian-cancer/
More can be found by typing in Ovarian Cancer in the upper search bar. Don’t hesitate to pop into any conversation and ask your questions. You can tag members by typing their @name in the reply box. Or type your reply by clicking the blue reply button. A reply box will open so you can type directly to the member you’d like to contact.

Will you be having chemo at an infusion center? If so, make sure you take a little bag with items to keep you busy such as an ipad, phone & charger, book. It’s ok to bring snacks and something to drink. Though most infusions centers often have a snack bar area with juice, granola bars, etc. You’ll also be able to get up to walk around and use the restroom.
I wish you well as you start your journey back to health!

@mkbrinkmeyer, how is chemo going? How are you doing?

Well it is getting better. I am on day 7. My main problem has been no appetite. It was better today. I will ask about some of these concerns tomorrow

Hi! New to the site-post treatments for Figo 2 stage IIIC endometrial cancer. I had done 3 chemo treatments every 3 weeks, then 25 daily radiation treatments, 2 brachia treatments and finished up with 3 more chemo treatments. My last one was September of 2024. The nurses that were on the infusion floor suggested Claritin to me for body aches. Unfortunately it did not help much. When I started the last of the chemo treatments I had horrendous body aches, it felt like someone beat my entire body with a baseball bat that lasted for 7-8 days after my treatments.

When I was taking Taxol, my doctor recommended taking Claritin to help prevent muscle pain caused by Taxol. I did get some muscle aches, but I think the Claritin helped some. I took it daily. When later I had Neulasta, I was already taking my daily Claritin. But I of course everyone’s treatment is different.

Claritin is to help reduce the pain in the deep bones from the neutrophils replenishing after the chemo...neulasta is given often to folks who's body doesn't rebuild them as quickly as others to help them rebuild and as to whether Claritin helps or not, well its hard to say...i had tried it and personally didn't see a lot of difference in my case, others swear by it...its literally one of those try and see...idk why it helps some folks and not others but i'm not doubting that it does, it just didn't do a lot for me personally...neulasta however was a a staple in my chemo last year...oh it worked at rebuilding, but i got a headache from hell from it pretty much 8 hours after it was injected and it lasted pretty dead on 48 hours.. wasn't supposed to be a side effect but even the docs admitted after it happened the second time yep it was for me...just not a common one that many suffer from and as a result i had OxyContin oh hand for every treatment..