My Introduction

Hi everyone,

I thought I’d document my recent experience with Neulasta for others in hopes that it might be helpful.

After my first round (2 infusions) of gem/cis chemo, I went back for the start of my second round, but my labs came back showing that my neutrophils (one type of white blood cells) we low. I think mine had dropped to about 800 and my oncologist requires them to be above 1,000 before an infusion.

I waited 5 days, went back, had labs, and the neutrophils were back up to about 1,300 so we proceeded with chemo infusion number 3.

The family and I had planned a week on the beach in Mexico for Spring break the week after finishing chemo round 2 and I was concerned that my neutrophils would bottom out while there, leaving me susceptible to getting sick.

As a result my oncologist agreed to give me a shot of Neulasta to boost the neutrophils.

I did some reading about Neulasta and got really concerned about potentially severe bone pain, an apparently common side effect. More reading suggested that taking Claritin could prevent/lessen the bone pain side effect.

I was given a shot of Neulasta in my belly the day after infusion #4 (a Tue) and took my first Claritin that same day. I continued to take the Claritin daily and had no issues thru Saturday. We were leaving for Mexico Monday morning and I was thrilled to have escaped the bone pain.

Saturday night, while laying in bed, I started feeling what I thought was kidney pain. I could feel throbbing pain with EVERY heartbeat. Tossing and turning, wondering what it was for a few hours. The throbbing pain was constant, but sometimes much worse than others. I had never felt anything like this before. It finally dawned on me that this must be the bone pain that people had warned me about. It wasn’t my kidneys, but my pelvis that was throbbing so. Surprisingly, I took some ibuprofen and the pain dissipated quickly.

I continued to take ibuprofen and Claritin on Sunday and I never had the same intensity of pain again.

I’m sitting on a lounge chair by the oceanfront pool at the house we’re renting in Mexico writing this now and am happy to say that the pain never did come back this week. I’m still taking Claritin daily until I get back home, just in case, and do feel an occasional throb in the pelvic region, but not something that prevents me from doing anything.