Rescue Drugs

I've been reading quite a few posts and people refer to "rescue drugs"...what exactly are these?

Jill

[willbb]

  Hi There..."rescue Drugs" are the names used for drugs that are some times needed to take while on treatment. Interferon can cause the white blood cells  to drop to a levell that is dangerous so as  not being able to fight off infection you may have to take neupogen. Also Ribavirin and some of the new meds coming available can affect the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells,so the rescue drug sometimes needed for that is called procrit.

Not all people treating need these rescue drugs however in order for some people to continue on with proper dosages of treatment drugs these helpers are sometimes necessary..

Hope that helps explain

WILL

[Fnzol]

I've been on Neupogen for the last 11 weeks of my 24-week treatment.  My absolute neutrophil count hit 300, less than 10% of my pretreatment, normal level.  I do two shots per week of 150ug each and my level has been hovering at about 950.  Still low-ish, but not condition red.  

[Jillybean65]

Are some doctors not willing to prescribe these?  I'm trying to figure out what I should be asking the specialist when I go in for my appointment.  :0)

Thank you!

Jill

[Bill1954]

The majority of patients that undergo antiviral therapy don’t require intervention with either Neupogen or Procrit. I think roughly 25-30% will though at some point during therapy.

It’s not always that doctor’s won’t prescribe as much as insurance companies don’t like paying for these drugs; they are relatively expensive; sometimes costing more than the interferon that causes the problems to begin with :o).

To avoid confusion, you could ask the doctor in advance if he routinely prescribes these drugs if they’re indicated, as opposed to intervening by HCV drug dose reduction; this is the alternative.

You could also ask what his parameters are for intervention; i.e. what blood levels are used for intervention. For example, a hemoglobin result of 10.0 g/dL often triggers the need for Procrit; some doctors might be more conservative than others though.

Good luck—

-Bill

[Proactive]

I think you also have to factor in that these rescue drugs are for the must part being used off label for tx related blood count enhancers. Some docs may be hesitant to prescribe them.

[willbb]

As usual my typing at a snails pace..... folks asking me a question could be all finished tx. by the  time I peck out a response,however Bill and  Pro gave you a more knowledgeable response than I could have anyway cause of  the drug parameters being so much different  down there in the U.S than up here in Labattsville(Canada).

Will

[Proactive]

"Labattsville" is that the home of the blue and green (do they still make labatt green?)--heck, I stopped drinking before anyone ever heard of a microbrew! I used to know a girl, what was her name, ah yes St. Pauli.

[Bill1954]

I once turned a canoe arse-over-appetite up near Lake Louise, Alberta in part due to Labatt 50; wasn’t that also called ‘high test’ :o)? I was an equal opportunity lover; I had affairs with pretty much any old beer that walked by!

[Jillybean65]

Thanks for all the information.  I do appreciate all the responses on this forum and will add it to the list of questions I take with me.  So it appears a question for my pharmacy to see if the insurance will cover it then in the even the doctor doesn't have any reservations.  

In your guys opinion is it something to push for or just let them lower the other meds?

[Proactive]

I hear ya Bill, when I lived in Myrtle Beach they use to have 3 fer nights (all SC liquor was served in mini bottles at the bars), i wasn't particular, I thought 3 fer meant Jack,Jim or Jose...:^)

[Proactive]

Jilly, you may need "prior approval" from your carrier for the helpers, not sure, I was fortunate not to need them. I'd call your insurance carrier first.

[Fnzol]

just let them lower the other meds?

Last resort.

[Proactive]

Jilly, You DO want to avoid dose reduction,by any means you can, if you can.

[Jillybean65]

Thank you, that's what I needed to hear.  I'll do my research to know where I stand on the meds.  Oh, actually, I believe the place that deals with the rx have a website where you can look up meds on it.  I'll start there.  

[willbb]

Jill ...looks like you got all the info you need from these beer swilling  fellas, however  it sounds like when they get into the hightest we have up here they get a little more mixed up  than normal.....but happens to all the Amerks  that try and drink the real stuff. :)

[Proactive]

Leave it to a Canadian, next thing you'll be talking about Brador's and and Newfy screech!!!
(lol!)

[Anne1717]

You guys know crap about beer.  BBC Imperial Stout or Coffee House Porter -it will put hair on your chest.  I should know, ha hah hah   KIDDING

[willbb]

  Haha       Newfy screech ! ..that is considered  "mind remover"  to anyone not from Newfoundland...whenever the hell that is...lol!

[willbb]

   I had some of that Imperial stout once  and damned if I  didn"t have to get rescue drugs after  LOL!

[Proactive]

As you can tell from the stutter in my previous post, I have been to Newfoundland, and the title "mind remover" is obviously well deserved

[Anne1717]

Yeah - ya have to get up pretty early in the morning to keep up with we country folks and our local breweries

[Proactive]

LOL, speaking of early..off to the bloodsuckers tomorrow am for my 3 yr and 1 month post TX blood draw, pcr included....:*) nite all

[eureka254]

Certainly the *heavy duty* rescue drugs were mentioned above, but for some, less serious but more *physical* symptoms need to be addressed to stay the course of treatment.  Because every one is different, the *rescue drug* could mean an anti-itch medication, or anti-nausea medication, or even an anti-depressant; some folks don't need any rescue at all and do fine throughout, but many feel that treating side effects as they happened was their rescue.

Although it seems like in days past, the rescue drug of choice was BEER!  :)

[Jillybean65]

You know, I've never been much for drinking my entire life, once or twice a year...right up until I was told I can't do it.  Now it pops in my mind all the time.  What the heck is up with that! lol  

[nygirl7]

Why dont you post up the test results that the doctor used to diagnose you so we can let you know if you are just antibody positive or actually have the virus.

It seems to me you could be getting far ahead of yourself.......a lot of GPs dont have the knowledge to order the correct test.

Could be you are worrying for nothing.

[Jillybean65]

I don't have a copy of the results for the active virus from last month, but it came back at 781,000 and am going to a specialist here shortly. Does that help?  I have four other pages of Lab Results...which ones specifically should I be looking for? (Lipid, comprehensive metabolic Panel w/egfr, CBC, then the lovely Hepatitis C antibody which was 30.90, FSH, LH, these were the first set of labs, then he ordered the virus one that took two weeks, which I didn't ask for a copy of, but will in the morning if it will help).