Does anyone give themselves Procrit & Neupogen shots?

[CMcH]

I am UND at 12 weeks but RBC & WBC keep dropping out requiring those painful Procrit shots. My NP dropped my Riba down to 800 from 1000 to give me a medication holiday for 2 weeks but I still feel pretty low. She said she would like to bring it back up to 1000 but I would be anemic for the rest of TX, 36 more weeks. She said she is concerned about my quality of life and that I would have to be on Procrit the rest of the time. I certainly don't want to TX again so I am willing to increase and perhaps go on disability at work. I just want to be proactive w/the Procrit and not wait until I drop out to get the shots that will take effect 2 weeks later. So I am going to ask to do the Procrit at home. I know some of you do that. I was thinking about having my husband trained in it because it is so painful. What do others do? Am I being a big baby?

[CMcH]

I have bumped the Riba back up and will try to maintain on rescue drugs.

[alagirl]

I was on 40,000 units of procrit two times a week.  I am going to echo what everyone says about the riba, especially during the first part of tx.  Ask her for a referral to a hematologist before she reduces your riba if she is really "that" concerned.

[jmjm530]

Take the Procrit out of the fridge 30 minutes before you injection and it shouldn't sting much. Don't know your stats, but in general your chances of being cured are greater if you stay on full dose medications. Usual starting dose of Procrit (epo) is 40,000 units/week. If you feel your medical team isn't qualified, consulting wiht a liver specialist (hepatologist) is always a good idea.

-- Jim

[Trish77]

"What I CAN tell you is with my HGB at 11.5, I feel much less fatigue than ever.  I feel like I'm getting a break from it and the procrit is what helped.  I have great energy at the moment.  I feel like the rest of treatment will be a piece of cake if I continue to feel like this."

Hm...in retrospect, that statement is reckless without me qualifying.  I should not be leaving the impression that everyone will feel like this and that this will hold for the duration of my treatment.  That is simply how I feel TODAY getting a break from the lower hgb levels.  I'm getting a mental and physical break at the moment.

Trish

[Trish77]

I'm more than a little concerned that your ribavirin is being reduced at 12 weeks.  I'd rather see you on consistent procrit injections to bring this up.  Does your NP give you procrit every week?  It sounds as if you get a shot when it drops and then get taken off again. Thinking you need some weekly consistency for awhile until you maintain perhaps?  Also wondering if your dosage is sufficient?  If the 40,000 IU isn't enough, some go to 60,000.  There is also the impact of your iron levels on procrit...if they are elevated, procrit won't do it's job.  

No, you're not being a big baby.  What is an issue for one person is not an issue for another and when it comes to treatment, whatever gets you through is what's important.  I have a friend on treatment and his wife gives him his procrit injections.  He does his own INF injections but the procrit ones are too much for him and he's a biker dude (as if nothing is supposed to hurt him, eh? :).  I do my own procrit injections but then I live alone so there you go - first time, the dang needle wouldn't go IN.  Then I took a look at the tip and noticed it was bevelled and now I angle it.  I didn't have to do that with my INF injections.  It hurts for a moment going in and I know it's going to hurt and then that passes and the stinging starts and I rub my poor little tummy patch to comfort it and then it goes away.  I'm wondering if it hurts from the actual injecting or the stinging afterwards?  You can try it yourself and see how it goes .. sometimes THAT part is mind over matter .. and by all means, if you would be better off having someone help you and it will give you better quality of life to be less fatigued, I'd recommend you do it consistently, weekly and at appropriate dosage until your hgb comes up to a decent level.

The impact on me has been positive.  I've been hovering in the mid 10's range give or take for most of my treatment.  When it dropped below 10, my doc got me on procrit.  It took five injections before I saw results and my hemoglobin went up to over 12 at which point my doc took me off.  Now it's at 11.5 and third week of no procrit.

What I CAN tell you is with my HGB at 11.5, I feel much less fatigue than ever.  I feel like I'm getting a break from it and the procrit is what helped.  I have great energy at the moment.  I feel like the rest of treatment will be a piece of cake if I continue to feel like this.

You've been hit very hard by the fatigue from the get-go and also that you are a go-getter.  This can be a real mental hit for someone who's used to doing it all.  I know this will go against your grain but perhaps, if you haven't already, you may want to adjust yet again and choose less physically demanding activities and do some of those other things that give you pleasure just to get through treatment.  It's a year out of a life and then you will be able to do all those things again and appreciate them all the more.  I can tell you ... I am looking forward to my first winter run when I finish treatment end of January.  

I hope this has helped.  Take care and hang in there.

Trish

[joemc34606]

I take daily infergen shots and just found out I am finally clear at 20 weeks. I have been taking procrit every week, and 2 shots of nuep. a week. I inject everthing myself, the only thing I notice with the procrit is if you inject it to fast it hurts in the injection sight, bt if you take it slow it doesnt hurt. If your feeling weak, getting out of breath or feeling dizzy the procrit is worth it, this is the best I have felt since I started. Now the nuep. makes my muscles and body hurt for about a day, so I take mine about 3 in the afternoon, so the side effects kick in about 6 and I can sleep until the next day so I can get to work. So I have worse side with the nuep. and I am asking the doc to put me on once a week, but I dont mind the procrit because it only make me feel better.
Joe