Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Just wondering what any of you did for bone pain (if you had it) while on these drugs...I am on both to maintain my white counts for the Halaven.....which by the way, my last CEA was down from 16.4 to 2.1 (below normal ) which is a YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
On the down side, this drug has trashed my white cells like no other...I have been on Neupogen for 2 months and added Neulasta to the mix over a month ago....truly, my hipbones are so sore I feel like I have no padding....I have dropped some wait, but from a side view, I still have plenty of junk in my trunk.
I have tried Extra strength Tylenol...no help, and Ibuprophen...some help....just wondering if there is something else I havent thought of...it truly is a pain in the a**....and the femur, and the arms!
Feeling stronger every day since my episode last month...thinking about shopping, which is something I haven't wanted to do in a while, thats always a good marker for me!

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Hi Sheila,

I have been on Neupogen and Neulasta for awhile...the pain will lessen over time (or maybe I just got used to it??). Meanwhile, I used Ibuprofen...you can get a prescription for 600 or 800mg tablets (you can also just come up with those amounts by taking multiple pills out of the bottle you can buy at the drugstore). Even as the pain improves, I was told to not skip the next dose...that helped to stay ahead of the pain.

Hope this helps and I hope you feel better. Great news on the Halaven - I love seeing that your markers dropped.

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

First of all congratulations on the tumor markers !! I am so happy for you !! Terrific News !!!!!!!!!!
You, Pam and TriciaK are our Halaven trail blazzers for sure !!
I never needed those drugs for white blood counts, because I have been working with a naturopathic physician who has helped keep my blood counts reasonable the last 12 1/2 years.
I am not sure what to do about the bone pain either, because I never needed anything for pain related to cancer treatment.
I wonder if adding some calcium, vitamin D and magnesium and eating healthy food for the the bones and bone marrow where blood cells are made would strengthen the bones and bone marrow enough to eliminate the pain?
Do you want to talk to a nutritionist, naturopathic physician or integrative medicine M.D. about that?
Another idea would be to use pain patches on the areas that hurt like Salonpas, or other patches with menthol or heat. The patches can be found at many pharmacies. However one cannot use them for more than 6-8 hours at a time. Occassionally I simply apply a little Vicks (same ingredients as the patches) and use a heating pad set on low or medium on a painful area for a few minutes to reduce occassional pain from osteoarthritis.
Warm or hot showers help for muscle related pain too.

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Holy hatracks, Batman! Your latest CEA number is almost as low as mine!!! That deserves a big round of standing applause.

I had severe pain in my hips and lower back with the white count boosters. Was worst first week or so then the neurontin kicked in. I also used the heating pad to help me fall asleep.

I may have had vicodone for a few days, but that could have also been with Taxotere.

Don't lose too much weight, you need a little extra to run on while under treatment.

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Sheila, I like those numbers!!!

Most of my pain was in the sternum and hips. I used darvoset for a time, then switched to neurontin which also helped with hot flashes and other issues I was having.

Of course Retail Therapy may be the best!

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Sheila,

I had lots of bone pain whilst on Taxotere followed be Neulasta shots I made sure i took 4 hourly pain meds for the first week or so after treatment - panadiene and whinged a lot to my husband. Shopping sounds like a healthier option!!

Jenny xx

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Sheila I was on neulasta but did'nt know to expect bone pain so assumed it was part and parcel of the chemo drugs so just put upn with it !!!

I hope you get through it okay and find a drug to ease the pain!! xx

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Shelia,
First of all...big congratulations on your TM'ers dropping! That is great news! If you are going to pay a price like bone pain from Neulasta--it's nice to know it's not all for nothing. It's so nice to know this Halaven bomb is working so well for so many of our members. Yeah.

I had never heard of anyone being on both Neupogen AND Neulasta? I see Colleen has been on both too...so I learned something new today. If Halaven has trashed your counts that bad I can only imagine what it's done to those nasty little buggers. (Gone!) :)

I had pretty bad bone pain from the Neulasta...but not with the Neupogen. What helped me with the bone pain from Neulasta and Taxotere was Norco. You might ask your onc for a script of Norco and take Ibuprofen as needed...it does help. Ask for Norco over Vicoden--Vicoden has Tylenol in it which is hard on the liver. When it comes to the Neulasta/bone pain you might get surprised. When I did TCH the first 2 times I had Neulasta the bone pain was bad but after that it was barely noticable. I've seen lots of other women say the same thing. So hang in there...maybe you will luck out too. Hope the pain gets better. If not...ask for some meds till it does.

Chelee

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

I took daily Leukine and not Neulasta or Neupogen but Leukine causes the bone pain too. Mine was primarily my sternum (bad - thought I was having a heart attack or something) and my long bones.

I took nothing because I wanted to monitor the pain but for the legs - walking around and staying mobile helped. I felt the first day of shots was the worst day. The subsequent 9 days of shots were not so bad.

I think if ibuprofen works for you, stick with it (it is my OTC pain reliever of choice).

I am thinking of you Sheila. It looks like with your markers, you are going in the right direction.

Love and hugs

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

wow sheila, great news on the tm's - I'm with Chelee on that! I don't have any input on the bone pain, but I've seen you on retail therapy and know you always respons favorable to that:)

Take care, my friend!

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Yay on not making a mark with the markers - love that news. RE the bone pain - the only thing I can think of (besides pain pills - xtra strength tylenol then two hours later a couple advil if you are allowed) is a hot bath right before bed. Floating in a hot bath helps me quite a bit with aches, pains and just to relax.

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

For whatever reason, my Oncologist has us take Clariton for the 1st 8 days of our chemo treatment - one of the weird side effects is it helps with the bone pain. Good Luck.

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

I only took neulasta, but had pretty severe bone pain, arms, hips, legs. I did find after the second shot it was not as bad. So, I would think the body gets used to it. Congrats on the numbers! It looks like the ticket!

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Oh I remember the pain of Neulasta. Usually about 20 hours after the fact......OUCH......it hurt so bad. I, too, took Ibuprofen and although I can't say it helped much, after a day or two things were better. On a positive, it did was it was suppose to do and it always kept me on my bi-weekly chemo schedule.

Hope the pain lessens Sheila and I'm sooooo happy your CEA number is normal. Yep, that is a HUGE YEAHHHHHHH.

Blessings and much love,

Mary Jo

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Hi Sheila
I also had terrible hip and lower back pain with neulasta. my onc recommended taking ibuprofen 6 hourly and paracetamol 4 hourly for 48 hours after the injection.
Great news otherwise!
Ellie

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Sheila,

Great CEA number. Wow. I too had trouble with my white counts, even on Taxol.

Joan

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

totally unscientific.... but much anecdotal evidence that taking an OTC Claritin the morning of your neulasta injection and then 3-5 days afterward can really improve bone pain symptoms. The advice was too late for me (ugghhh that pain was really awful) but I told my mother about it when she was having chemotherapy and she never had ANY pain from her neulasta treatments.

Just a thought, and if you try it, I hope it helps!!!!

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

I had my last Neulasta shot in June -it's now SEPTEMBER and my back and shoulders are in so much pain - STILL! THe Oncologist says it's not from the Neulasta, but the pain is the exact same as the day after i got the shot - Is this happening o ANYONE else? HELP!

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

Neupogen gave me very bad bone pain, so bad that I woke up one night unable to move, but I found that plain panado, if taken regularly as pain management worked. don't skip doses though, and don't let the pain get to an unmanagable level. The issue I am struggling with is that it is two weeks after last dose of neupogen and I am still getting joing and bone pain. Not as bad as during the injections, but enough to make me concerned. Has anyone on neupogen experienced that?

Re: Neupogen & Neulasta Bone Pain YIKES!!!!!
 

I called Neulasta the "hell shot". First time it was worse than being in labor--in my hips and back. Heating pad, Lortab, aleve. Then another patient told me to take Zertec 2 days before next shot and to take pain meds morning of the shot--the difference was unbelievable! I've been told by so many nurses pain is manageble if headed off in advance. I believe it. Procrit not as bad.