treatmentstopped

[w.s.]

i have taken 3 shots and tommorrow would be my fourth-however my doctorstopped treatment because my blood counts were dropping and she gave me injections of epoetin alfa9(procrit to promote red blood cells i am disappointed and had no sides but exhaustion- anyone know if this common

[Terrylee8]

I assume that your Hgb dropped below 10 to get the procrit.  This is not uncommon except that your drop was really fast which is worry some.  Some Dr's will keep you on treatment while lowering the Riba.  The exhaustion is a very common side effect.  If you're on Procrit, you're probably anemic which compounds the exhaustion.  All my best.

[8critters]

Hi my name is Lorie and this must be common cause I am at the same spot in treatment.  I am on hold for my fourth shot pending blood tests.  I have neupogen & procrt waiting in my fridge now.  hang in there you are not alone.  I started on 8/11/07

[alagirl]

In the literature I've read it is very common for the antiviral to drop your red blood cell lines.  Fortunately for me, or unfortunately - however you see it, I already have normocytic anemia.  So... I'm already on epogen (or procrit - they are just two different brands of epo).  Therefore, if I can ever get a doctor to SEE ME, so that I can start my therapy, I can keep my blood count up the same way I do on a weekly basis anyway, since I already always have a box of epogen in my fridge.  Hopefully, you will respond quickly to the procrit.  Sometimes it makes you feel a bit flu-like at first, but your body gets used to it after a while and then you don't even notice it anymore.

[dogsledder]

I went on Procrit after wk 7 of tx (now in wk 25). I take it every week. I am watching my HGB so it doesn't go above 12 (FDA Black Box warning). My counts were dropping steadily at first, now I fluctuate between 10 and 11, But yes, extreme fatigue.

[Liz50]

My hubby's dr's will not even let him continue treatment at all if his white bloods dop too much more.I don't know why they wouldn't consider Nuepogen od aomething, but we were told that if they went too low he was out of the tx. He's almost there. 8 weeks--and he's been miserable the whole time. However, this news was delivered by a highly overworked, uncaring nurse.coodinator over the phone. Hard to believe and impossible to talk to an actual doc on the phone.
I think the drop in red & white blood counts is VERY common--probably the biggest side effects.  

[8critters]

I am battling low white and red cells and now I may have contracted mersa (a staff infection that once you have it it is a lifer)  I am on procrit and nepogen.  some weeks I feel like a pin cushion.  In one week I had ten holes with all the blood draws and the shots.  viral level is undetectable at 6 weeks ya

[nygirl7]

By week three my hemo was dropping like a rock (went down 6 points in just over a week) - anyway I never stopped or put off any of the shots.  The anemia comes from the RIBAVIRINn so stopping the shot wouldn't make a difference if I was taking the pills still.  It takes a few weeks for the Epogen/Procrit to start working.  During that time I tried to take it as easy as possible (I fainted in the shower once).  It could take me ten minutes to get into the building and it was only like 50 feet.

Anyway - I am very glad that my doctor didn't make me stop anything and I"m not sure why your doctor is going to put off your shot...it has nothing to do with the anemia at all but it does with the white blood only the Neupogen is pretty FAST working unlike the Epogen...........

So why stop the shot at all?  Do you see what I mean?

You see this is crucially WHY we have to make sure we find doctors who know how to treat the sides and who WILL prescribe the rescue drugs before we start treating.