hip and leg pain could it be the procrit?

All of a sudden yesterday I started having pains in my hips and thighs.  Enough to make it difficult to walk.  I also have pain elsewhere but not like the hip thighs and lower back.  Has anyone else had this?  I have taken about 6 shots of procrit.  I dont have that amazing feeling yet.  Im actually wondering if it is going to work.  On Thursday, my hemo dropped back down to 8.7.  

[spectda]

Perhaps your doctor should do an iron panel if you are not responding to the procrit. You should not take additional iron supplements if you are not low, but if you are low the procrit may not be able to do it's job.

I had really bad pain making it difficult to sleep in the hips, thighs and back on and off again during treatment and initially before I started procrit. I don't know what is causing your pain but I thought I would mention it. I slept with my legs on pillows and used a heating pad a lot.

http://www.procrit.com/
"Laboratory Monitoring
Evaluate transferrin saturation and serum ferritin prior to and during PROCRIT® treatment. Administer supplemental iron therapy when serum ferritin is less than 100 mcg/L or when serum transferrin saturation is less than 20%. The majority of patients with CKD will require supplemental iron during the course of ESA therapy. Following initiation of therapy and after each dose adjustment, monitor hemoglobin weekly until the hemoglobin level is stable and sufficient to minimize the need for RBC transfusion."

[spectda]

My anemia kept getting worse even though I was taking 40,000 units every 4-5 days. My iron was not low but I guess between the red blood cell destruction of ribavirin and the bone marrow suppression of boceprevir my body couldn't keep up. At the same time without the procrit I am sure I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did.

Hopefully your hgb will improve, or at least you will maintain that level until you stop the tela portion of your tx. I never got the "amazing" normal hgb level high again until I stopped tx but then again I was on boce for 39 weeks till I stopped tx. I hope yours improves soon. I know how difficult it is to live with it.

Good luck,
Dave

[his3707]

I will be calling the doc first thing am about the bone pain.  I am getting blood drawn also tomorrow. and taking my 6th shot of procrit tonight.  My first shot was June 16 so it has been a little over 2 weeks.  I had to call my client and tell them I couldnt come tomorrow.  The harder I try to keep it somewhat normal the harder it gets.  I am amazed at the different side effects going on and how they just pop up.  one would think that after 8 weeks, I would have a pretty good idea what to expect.

[Anne1717]

I had amazing bone pain as you described and about at  week 6.  I was told it was the bone marrow in your biggest bones working hard to compensate for the lowering WBC counts.  It lasted about 4 weeks and now I am fine.  Tylenol took the edge off but I was only allowed to take it twice a day.

It was awful - I sat endlessly in hot baths

Anne

[researchmonkey326]

Yes one would think that but sixteen weeks in and I still never know what my body is going to do or how I'll feel from week to week. Your blood draw will tell you a lot tomorrow. Good luck.
Debra

[can-do-man]

Hi there, yes i always had some bone pain in the same areas as yours anytime i was on procrit. My doctor had warned be of that side effect. It wasn't bad enough to be a show stopper though. Being you have been on it 2 weeks now you should start seeing you HGB rise some. Sides come and go, just take it one week at a time....... Good luck.

cando

[Anne1717]

cando - I am not on Procrit so what about the WBC thing?  I was told as the counts go down, your weight bearing bones ache because they are working overtime to compensate.  Curiouser and curiouser.

[his3707]

No one has said anything to me about my WBC being too low, even though I know it is lower than normal.  I will ask tomorrow.  Thanks

[can-do-man]

Hi Anne, yes i guess the wbc could cause it, also possible the interferon is causing it. Myself during 2 treatments i seem to have it when i was on the procrit and my doctor thought it was that. But one thing is for certain all these meds and low counts do a number on your body. Hope things go good for you.

can

[Anne1717]

Ha ha !!  Made sense to me !!  I've stopped caring about the details - as long as it is working.  Things are fine thanks - 5 weeks left so it's all good.

Best and hope you had a great weekend