ANy tips on procrit? it's in the mail.

[merryBe]

Well I finally convinced my doc to run my procrit through ins. since I'm gasping and collasping where ever I go.
Have been for months....always hovering right above 10...but it makes walking a block feel like 10 miles.
My HGB was 10.7  and the doc said it wouldn't be approved...but it went right through!!  Yippee, let's hear it for nice nurses and the power of prayer!!  That's the 3rd drug they said my ins. would give me...that they did!!

So is there any tip on when to take the shot? With the INF...or maybe midweek apposed to it?

Day or night does it matter?

Bone pain...how bad did most have it?  My RX is for 40,000 units.

thanks for any input
mb

[nygirl7]

I think you'd better read the black box warning pretty carefully as from what I understand the reason we get procrit is to keep us out of the danger zone of the 8s and 9s. Even WITH procrit the doctor didn't really want my hemo higher than 11, so I stayed at about 10.5 the whole time.

Something about not letting it go up past 12 or something, remember?  I don't remember what the whole thing really was because I was going under 9 when i went on it and just couldn't have made it without it so I didn't care....but I know Dr. J wanted me off it bad and cut me down to once a week and told me stay at the 10.5 because the stuff is dangerous as all hell.

I don't think you should take it the same night as your regular shot just because it's an awful lot of meds to go in at one time but other than that it doesnt' really matter. Since it's purpose is as Friole said - it's going to be in you at the same time as the INF and riba so there is no great deal.

It does hurt though - you gotta GO SLOW, not like doing the INF!

The slower the better I found.

[frijole]

I don't think there is any reason to take the Procrit with or without the INF. The anemia is caused by the Ribavirin and it takes weeks to build up the proper serum level (of Ribavirin) in the blood, but once it is there, I don't think it fluctuates much.  Procrit also takes a couple of weeks to help build the RBC.  Thus, you can take the Pro at the same time as the INF if you want.  I used to save my thighs for the INF and use my stomach for the Procrit and Neupogen.

[geterdone]

Apologize for the omitted words of “me and I” in the second sentence.

jasper

[geterdone]

Being treatment experienced there may be no noticeable effects of the Procrit but am not sure what week you’re in at this point. I will say that at least for when starting Procrit early in treatment did have amplified sx’s the first few weeks because of the sx association. I had started its use in the fifth week and had a hard time with it because my body was going through the changes and adjusting to the other meds that had not reached a Plato or maxc in my system at that point and it turned out to be one heck of a roller coaster ride because of the amplification of the now triple side effects of each drug going into week eight through week twelve. I had started to move the Procrit shot back a day from the INF shot until I could handle the sx it was giving me and even out the sum of all three. So, I landed on Tuesday as Procrit shot night and Friday as INF shot night, this way the crappie sx’s all blended together. Three days to get over the sx of the Procrit shot and four days to get over the INF shot and the riba was just the constant factor of the equation of all three. I don’t know if this will help but this is just a jest of my experience with it and starting this late in the game you may not have any sx at all and time will tell for you. I did not have the stinging factor in the beginning but before the end of TX my skin had started rejecting all needle pricks, like it knew what day it was, lol.

jasper

[jdwithhcv]

Words to live by!

[can-do-man]

Was on procrit most of tx. Took it the day before the inf. I had no bone pain or any sxs from it. Just make sure its at room temp. and as they said go slow and easy as it does sting a bit if you do it to fast.

Slow and easy, summin you gals know about, but us guys,,,,,   well you know what i mean. :)

can

[merryBe]

thanks!!   Well I guess if there might be a double whammy it'd be good to spead the two apart. I still get some reaction to INF most weeks.. why make that worse.

thanks for the sting warning too.....nice to know in advance...at least I won't wonder if it's a bad batch or something.

thanks you guys, I really hope this works in time for me to enjoy my family reunion....part of me was planning not to go...just too tired.

mb

[geterdone]

I did not have bone pain at all during its use and unlike INF I had adjusted it to my reaction of it in combination with the INF. Everyone is different and some were able to take both the same night and others didn’t and adjusted it accordingly. Glad to hear it was approved.

jasper

[jdwithhcv]

Anemia --- BAD.  Procrit ---GOOD!!!.  Procrit will change your life.  It saved my tx, I couldn't have made it with my hgb in the high 8s and low 9s.  With Procrit I can keep it slightly above 10.

I inject INF on Friday and Procrit on Monday (though I've previously done them the same day without any problem.)  I agree with Mouse about the bone pain - one or 2 days and usually not too bad.  The injection burns a bit going in so inject slowly.  I've never had an injection site reaction from procrit, so I can inject it in my thighs.  

[FloridaMouse]

I do my Aranesp/Procrit 2 days after I do my Pegasys.  My bone pain is more of an annoyance than it is debilitating.  It usually lasts about a day or two.  Procrit burns like a beotch going in.  Don't plan on injecting it as fast as you do your INF.   Inject REAL slow.  Sometimes Procrit might leave a little lump at the injection site, if it does, just massage it for a few minutes.

Enjoy!  You'll be breathing easier  soon!

Mouse