Help with info of meds for a friend...

Dear Group:

I am new to this site, though not at all new to MedHelp on many other sites.  So, Hello!

I have a dear friend who has been taking interferon w/ribavirin for the last month.  I know, and I apologize for the fact that I have found out that there are sub-groups, such as alfa-2a, alfa-2b, etc.  I will find out which from him later.

My query for all of you who I am sure are experts by now, is that he has been put on two new meds just this Friday.  He spelled them out for me and I cannot find them listed anywhere.

This is what he gave me: Neupogen is a new med for him, also Procrit is another new med for him.

Obviously I have gotten some spellings incorrect.

What I want to do is look up these meds and make a document for him that is easier to read regarding side effects, etc.  But, this is not possible until I find someone who knows how to spell these meds, and/or maybe knows something about their side effects personally.

Would someone out there please help me with this?  I would be so very, very grateful, as my friend does not ever get on the internet and I don't want to bother him again today about "what were those meds again."

Please, somebody out there surely knows which meds I'm speaking of and exactly how to spell them properly.  Also, any information any of you have about how you may be faring one these meds would be fantastic.

I really do appreciate any information and help any of you could/would provide me with.

Thank you so very much,

Suda

[desrt]

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=3&oq=procrit&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS249US249&q=procrit+medication

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=3&oq=neupogen&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS249US249&q=neupogen+medication

Your spelling is perfect.

Procrit is a brand name. It's also referred to as epogen.

[Suda]

Dear Desrt,

Thank you so very, very much.  I really appreciate this information.  As I'm sure you must know, or I'm figuring you must know, it is quite difficult, nye impossible to get any answers out of someone who is totally exhausted.

I've been there myself with other health problems so I certainly didn't want to bother him again.

You are so kind to send me this information.  It will be of great help to me.

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

Suda

[Bill1954]

Hi there,

I think you’ve got the spelling correct; there should be tons of info available online. If you have specific questions regarding these drugs someone will be more than happy to answer them here.

Briefly, Neupogen (generically filgrastim) is prescribed to increase low white blood cells as a result of interferon therapy. It’s also called a granulocyte colony stimulating factor, or GCSF drug. The labs used to track the need for this is the patient’s ‘absolute neutrofil’ count, located in the Complete Blood Count.

Procrit (generically epoetin alpha) is used to stimulate bone marrow for production of red blood cells. The lab to monitor for this is ‘hemoglobin’; it’s generally Rx’d when the hemoglobin falls below 10.0 g/dL. The drug he’s taking that interferes with red blood cell counts is the ribavirin.

Both these meds are used extensively in cancer chemo, and there should be lots of info available online.

Good luck to your friend,

Bill

[Suda]

Dear Bill1954,

Thank you so very much for your information.  As I said earlier, some of these are new meds to him and he's not one to get on-line.

I will however, tell him about the MedHelp website for Hep C.  I use MedHelp all the time for my own personal health problems and I love the way that all the people in each specific group goes out of their way to be of great help to one another.  It has always made me feel so "not alone" whenever I have a query about something of medical importance.

I do hope I can talk him into coming on-line to look at this forum.  I'll explain to him that he doesn't even have to join, just read, and after he reads, just as I did, I joined quite a few different forums.

Again, thank you so much for helping me in trying to help a friend.

Sincerely,

Suda