Bloodwork bottomed out any info on Neupogen?

Hey all!  Got the results of cbc today...bloodwork bottomed out. Doc say's I need Neupogen.
Does anyone have any info on this med?  Here are my stats:  WBC 1.4 RBC 3.1 HGB 10.6 Anc .5
any info is welcome as I'm alittle worried!
Thanks,
Darla

[cruelworld]

dont sweat it, some docs dont treat until .3
i dont know it to be particularly dangerous
so long as you get it back up to speed.
some cancer patients go all the way to zero!!!!!!

i read something here on the issue that seemed to find
that a persons infection resistance is still generally
good at these lower white count levels.
seems too good to be true
but maybe it is true.

like i say, dont sweat it
you will be all fixed up with the neupogen

[fuzzy1dar]

thanks for responding to my post!  I've been searching for info since I found out about my stats...haven't been able to find much.  I'll try not to worry...too much!  Doc told me not to take my pegasys this friday..then only take 90mcg until my anc > 1000.  I hope this doesn't interfer with the outcome of my tx. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and take the shot on friday.

[dorsey15]

Did your doctor tell you the amount of Neupogen you will be taking?? 300mg ? 480mg?
My #'s dropped @ 5 wks to 1.1 and I have to take a neupogen shot every wk now--300mg... #'s have not gone back up so I continue to take a shot once a wk...
I really don't experience any side affects from it--but I really wouldn't know because I take it at the same time I do my weekly pegasys shot-- Friday nite..I'll be doing my 11th shot--(pegasys) tonight and my 5th neupogen tonight...
I'm geno type 1..fibrosis stage 1..started @ 16.000,000 and cleared @ 4 WEEKS; but my sides have been HELL!.... I have had to go on Procrit shot twice now too.
You'll probably need to keep a supply of neupogen at home and just keep a watch on your #'s...
Good luck...and God bless.

[cruelworld]

to take the shot or not?  a controversial decision. many around here would say
to take it (including me) but it is a risk. many times these white counts drop for
one week and bounce back on their own. obviously you dont want to miss any shots
but most of the cutting edge docs dont ask you to skip a shot at these levels.
try to talk your doc into not skipping, docs will allow this many times if you plead
your case. the doc will say no at first but you just cant let go. you should try to
take at least a half dose anyway. i absolutely
cannot endorse disobeying docs orders so go talk him into it.

[fuzzy1dar]

I haven't gotten the ok from the insurance co yet ~ i believe I'll be taking 480mcg twice a wk. Did you doc tell you to lay off the interferon until your stats got back up to speed?  My doc wants me to skip tonights injection, which would be #10.....and I'm not so sure that's a good idea.  Wow, sounds like its been rough for you thru tx.  I hope your stats go up and your sx subside!  I can relate to you about the sx from hell!  

cruelworld I think you're right about not missing a shot. Seems like other people in my situation are still taking the INF.  Thanks for the info as always!

Take care....Darla

[wed1942]

Hi!
I just had to start on Neupogen this week because my WBC dropped to 1.3. My doc puts you on it if you go below 1.5. Plus I work in a hospital so I'm around all kinds of junk so it's better for me to try to get my counts up some.

I was told not to take the Neupogen at the same time I take the Pegasys. To wait at least 24 hours. I haven't had any problems with the Pegasys or Ribaviron but the day after I took the Neupogen I felt yucky all day. Low grade temp and slight headache all day. I have some sinus stuff going on now though so I'm hoping it was just that. The shot itself stung some going in.

My last Hg was down to 10 and I'll do another one next  week so not sure how low that has to get before they worry.

Good luck to you. I'll be taking my 8th Pegasys shot tomorrow. Ricki

[fuzzy1dar]

Thanks for all the info everyone!  I decided not to take my pegasys injection last nite! I haven't been feeling good the last few days maybe due to the low wbc and all!  Last nite I thought I was having a heart attack ~ almost went to the ER!  Waiting now for the pharmacy to get my Neupogen in....maybe that will help with the sx and all....I hope!

dorsey I will be taking 480mcg 1/wk not twice a wk ~ maybe you need a higher dose to bring your levels up!  I hope you're feeling better these days...my thoughts and prayers go out to you and everyone who is having a difficult time on or off of tx!

Ricky I think anything to much below 10 hgb is when they start you on Procrit!  My hgb dropped to 10 and then went up to 10.2 with no resuce drugs.  Right now its at 10.6 but my wbc and anc are way to low. good luck to you!

best wishes to you all!

[dorsey15]

Thanks for the prayers!! Hope the neugogen will help bring those #'s back up..I'm going for Blood tests on April 4th--so we'll see where my #'s are...just thank God we have these rescue drugs so we can stay on these meds!!
God Bless!
Dorsey

[TeeVee36]

I started on Neupogen after my first lab results were in a week after starting tx.  I have been taking Neupogen 3 times a wk for the last 8 mos or more.  My numbers are still low even though I take the Neup 3 times a week.  So try not to get discouraged too much by your lab results.  

Here are my latest lab results (keep in mind that I take the neup 3 times a wk and Procrit every other wk)

WBC - 2.0
ANC - 520

RBC - 3.54
Hemoglobin - 11.6

[sfbaygirl]

Those are some pretty low ANC's. Knowing what I do after tx'ing and relapsing, I would not miss any INF doses. We don't seem to have the risks that cancer patients do, probably because we are taking anti virals. These protect us from a lot of things! So a low ANC, WBC wouldn't be so bad for us as it is cancer patients. I agree with Cruelworld. It isnt' as bad for us! I am not sure which week you are on in tx, but I sure wouldn't cut the meds until I were at least 24 weeks...just my opinion.  Get those Neupogen shots. I took Neulasta, which is the pegalated version of Neupogen. It worked for me. TV, I hope you try something that will keep those up,  but I don't think you are in to much danger at 500+.  Of course it is scary as hell. Keep us posted and hopefully you both have good hepatologists!  

At least low WBC doesn't feel anything like low HGB!  

Best,
Linda

[Rosebud41]

Neupogen worked fairly quickly for me.
However, my doctor stopped my treatment because he was worried about the drastic drop I made in WBC. Then gave me neupogen.
I think he should have pressed on, but I didn't know what to do at the time.
My neuturophils sored  after three injections of Neupogen so they discontinued that also.
I think they gave me two much...
Neutophils  came back down within a week after they took me off everything.
They indicate now they want another normal WBC baseline before starting again.
It's been two weeks since they took me off everything and my WBC was 2.6 a week ago.
I get it tested tomorrow and I 'm hoping for improvement because they've been talking about checking my bone marrow in a couple weeks.

But to answer your question I think Neupogen works pretty quickly and leaves your body just as quickly when you stop taking it.

Rosebud