I had three Neulasta shots during my 3xBEP chemo last year. I started during the tail end of flu season, and I've got a toddler in daycare who picks up illnesses quite frequently there. For me the Neulasta was a precaution, given so that I didn't get into trouble.
I did have extremely high counts (can't remember which component right now) - way above normal. I had my blood counts checked every Friday, and the Neulasta shots were always on Wednesdays for me (my EP weeks were Friday through Tuesday). The above-normal counts only happened on the Friday immediately following a Wednesday shot. By the next Friday (ie, 9 days later), they were back down in the normal range. I think if I had to do it over again, I might refrain from both Neulasta and Aranesp. If I had been insistent, my doctor would have allowed me to do this.
On the other hand, I never had to be admitted to the hospital as an inpatient, nor did I have to get a blood IV. I did see others get admitted when counts got dangerously low. I believe they would go on IV antibiotics for a while in that case. The cases I'm thinking of right now weren't TC - lung cancer for one woman and prostate cancer for one man.
It won't do any good to second guess it now after the fact, for myself or for you and your husband.
-TSX
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Unfortunatly it is standard for almost every chemo patient at the cancer center my husband goes to, to get a neulasta shot.
And it doesn't even matter at this point because we are done with the EP and they only did it after the EP weeks.
Guess I'll see next week if it has come down.
The Neulasta web site says this--In clinical studies, leukocytosis (WBC counts > 100 x 109/L) was observed in less than 1% of 932 patients with non myeloid malignancies receiving Neulasta®. Leukocytosis was not associated with any adverse effects.--
Story of his cancer story...?? If that makes sense. Everything we experiance seems to be something "rare". He is in the 1% area of a lot of things.
It just adds to our list of abnormalities.
Thanks for the reference, I will have to go read it, even though we are done with WBC booster shots!
BeckiLeave a comment:
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Elevated Neutrophil count after Neulasta
Yes I know neulasta is supposed to elevated the neutrophils, but my husbands WBC is double normal and his neutrophil count is 17.9 normal is 2.2-4.8. He really had nothing else in terms of white blood cells. Just a small smithering of lymphocytes. The nurses said it was't concerning at all. The it was compleatly from the Neulasta.
Clearly his bone marrow wasn't having any trouble creating WBC....almost makes me wonder if the Neulasta was a bit of over kill.
Does anyone else have any experiance with Neulasta or something like it, causing neutrophilia?
His RBC and Platelets were both very normal.
Becki
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