Is it worht it?

[iwillbeatthis]

I'm doing shot 23 tonight, (out of 24), just got my stat lab back from this morning, ANC IS 600, (lowest so far). Strangely enough, I've managed to hang in there with my ANC better towards the end, last Neup shot was almost 7 weeks ago! My question is, I'm doing my INF shot tonight, if this takes me below 500, which I'm guessing it probably will, is it really worth it to do a Neup shot on Tuesday to take the last INF shot next Friday? (also, I will have to do my blood test on Tuesday, instead of next Friday, because if I check blood next Friday and I'm below 500, I wouldn't take Neup and last INF on same day anyway) I was RVR, GT3.... what do  you think?
Thanks,
Bree

[spectda]

I have done a lot of CBCs during treatment because my levels drop so quickly. Within a day or two of taking my weekly injection of neup my anc climbs way above the normal range several times over 10,000 and I mean my anc not my total whites. By the end of the 7 day period my anc is almost always between 250-400.

I did get an ear and throat infection early in treatment when my anc first dropped to 280, but since then I haven't had an issues, I suppose this is because my anc doesn't stay at those levels for long. Also as I am sure you are aware most people with low anc from tx don't get infections although some have had very bad ones.

Personally I think you will be okay whatever you decide especially since it has taken you so long to drop your anc level since your last neup injection. I suppose one never knows over the long term whether the risk of infection is greater then the risk from artificially stimulating your bone marrow.

I know that many of us have taken lots of neup with no apparent issues and that many people might consider neup fairly innocuous.  Obviously the immediate risk is about infection, but I also suspect that messing with our bone marrow has it's risks.

- Dave

[frijole]

My last interferon shot was 8/4/2006.  My ANC on 8/7 was 600.  My hemotologist wanted me to boost the ANC if possible and, although I took Neup about every 7 days during tx, I took a shots two days in a row after that test.  My next test was 8/14 and ANC was 700.  Took neup 8/15.  Next test 8/28, ANC 1000 - 8/31 took my last neup.  My ANC remained at 1000 for two months and finally got up to 2000 end of October.

The thing is it takes the whites a while to build back up.  My hemotologist said sometimes ANC never reaches pretreatment levels and it doesn't hurt at all to boost it at the end..  Although I don't think the 600 is too worrisome -- even with neup, my got to 400 and 500 a couple of times -- I would do whatever I could to try to get back to normalcy.  I recommend you take whatever you have left until the rx is gone.

One thing I did notice.  During tx, taking at least 3 shots a week, (INF, PRO, and NEUP) I din't notice the "bone pains."  AFter tx, taking the neupogen by itself, I did notice that effect.  I guess it was masked in tx by all the other nasties.  

Congrats of (almost) finishing tx and good luck with the EOT VL test.
Frijole

[Trish77]

" I was going to do PCR on last day of Riba at EOT, then one month after, 3 months after, and 6 months after. "

Another perespective on whether you do that EOT blood test.  The likelihood of you not being SVR is remote.  If, however, you are DET at Week 4, you may wonder when you became DET.  It is typical to get an EOT PCR done and then the ones that follow.  If it were me, I'd get the EOT one done, simply because it's information to keep subsequent PCR's in context, when you don't know what they will say yet, even though I think you have SVR is looking very good right now.  You can't go back and do it and rather than wish you had, you'll have the information.  It all depends on how much it will matter to you to know if you were DET at EOT if the subsequent PCR results are not what you would have hoped for.

Trish

[iwillbeatthis]

I was honestly happy when docs left town, I have really enjoyed not having to go to doctors the second half of tx. No other issues, so it has just been a matter of marking off the calendar. Yep, we are celebrating great Arizona birthday and being done with tx in Feb.
Thanks guy, Bree

[FlGuy]

And another bonus...since your liver doc and hematologist both abandoned you unless you have other non-hcv medical issues you may have had your last doctor visit for a while.  Since you are holding lab orders for post treatment pcrs (1 month post, 6 monts post) there may be no need to see a doc for a while. Congrats, the end is near.  Oh yeah, tell Arizona I said happy Birthday.  It's coming up soon.

[iwillbeatthis]

Yes, I live in the sticks lol. and you are right, I was und at week 3 (good memory), and I'm sure I'm still und, and right, if I had a very weird breakthrough, there is nothing I could do.
I hear the screaming tea leaves.