Quick question re: Neulesta

[ita]

Hi Ladies,

I have not heard of anyone having trouble getting their Neulasta covered 100% by ins. I visit different support groups and not a complaint. It's probably considered "standard and customary" as the ins. people put it. Let us know how it works out.

Thanks,
Gricel

[Mary Anne in TX]

I had Neulasta for, I think 16 treatments, and never had it rejected by my insurance company. They are not paying my herceptin now, but I'm going to fight it! I don't think you will have a problem. It is sky high, but it kept my counts good so that I could stay on treatment. Best wishes.

[Cristina19]

Hi Bonnie,

Neulasta was a "given" for me. They didn't even wait to see what my WBC would do. Standard seems to be 24 hours later, give or take an hour. I had the full shot after tx1 and my WBC shot through the roof (somewhere around 20; normal is 10?). By the time I was back for tx2, my WBC were still up (11). My doctor decided to half the dose in order to alleviate the achiness. If you're having achiness without the chemo, I wonder how much I should attribute to the Neulasta shot.

Still, my main complaint is not the aches but a sensitive tummy. I feel hungry a lot of the time but, as soon as I eat, nothing sits well. No real nausea or vomiting, just a yuck feeling in my stomach.

Cristina
=)

[Lisa1967]

Oh My!!! I just received a call from a pharmaceutical company confirming that they received my prescription for Nulesta and wanted to make sure they had shipping address correct!! ....my home is the shipping address?
The rep I spoke to said that the nulesta shots would be shipped to the patient's home (me) and would be self administered....really?
I think this is making me nervous. I recall when I took my mother for her shots they would measure her blood pressure, give her the shot, give her a drink of OJ and then measure her blood pressure again before releasing her.
Ohhhh boy, everyday a new surprise. Can't wait to begin the chemo and start my countdown of treatment remaning....

Hugs to you all.....Lisa

[rhondalea]

I had the first Neulasta shot at my cancer center (mandatory) and the last three at home (optional, but it was easier for me to do it myself).

At the cancer center, they wanted to give me the shot in...well, I can't remember now, but it was either arm or butt. I asked that the nurse inject it into my belly instead, because that's where I'd be doing it, and I paid close attention to what she did. (I've given a lot of injections before--to animals--and I didn't figure it would be too much different except for far less risk that I'd writhe, claw and bite. Still, it never hurts to be sure what you're supposed to do.)

For the first shot at home, I also got the visiting nurse (mandatory). I asked her to supervise rather than to just give me the shot herself. It was no problem. The Neulasta package comes with step-by-step instructions anyway, so even without someone to coach, it's easy enough. You won't have a problem. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge half an hour before you plan to inject it.

The best advice I can give has nothing to do with the shot itself but with how to prevent bone pain--take Claritin. I didn't have bone pain--it was my skin that hurt, starting two days after the shot, but the Claritin helped quite a lot after the first time (because I didn't find out about the Claritin until after I was already in pain).

[Ellie F]

Hi Lisa
I gave myself all my neulasta shots at home even the first one. I injected into my tummy fat and it was painless and I had no local reaction at all. I must agree with Rhondalea about the bone pain though and took paracetamol after the first episode and this did the trick!
Ellie

[Lisa1967]

Rhonda and Ellie....Thank You for your responses. I guess I was just shocked that I would be administiring these shots to myself. As mentioned, with my mother they seem to have made a production out of it.

Hugs to All....Lisa