tapering Interferon-end of treatment

[merryBe]

My pharmacist just called today because she is concerned about my request for 6 syringes.
I explained first that I was coming off of my pegasus with the tapering off method to avoid relaspe and allow the spleen time to come back on line...she was fine with that...

but then called back saying look, we aren't even allowed to mix this drug under a sterile hood...so I'm concerned you dividing one peg syringe into several other containers will open you up to possible contamination or infection.

Ideas here?  I could throw out the extra...but that's going to get spendy when I get down to needing 1/8////
could ask for interfergen...not very familiar with it's use..
chances are either way INS may not approve....she says these are manufacturer standards...
I trust my pharmacist, but is this just the manufacturers way of getting more $$$$

my method for dealing with the 3/4 reduction was to inject 3.4, pull the needle out of my skin, then remove quickly the needle, then and ONLY then, to back the syringe up a smidge, reattach the plug and put back in fridge promptly.
I feel I was very careful in removing the needle, so that no contamination from blood product could have backed up into the syringe....Also I DO NOT try to pull some blood into the syringe like they say to....because I have a very LARGE supply of FAT on my thighs I am not worried at all about hitting a big vein in that mass...

so I think I'm ok so far....but I cannot see how I can get down to 1/4 or 1/8 dose with this method...I need a more accurate sysringe with more delineated meeasurements.

I'm open to any ideas, but hoping to avoid buying 2 more boxes of interferon to complete this process.

mb

[springfever]

Congratulations on reaching the end of the full treatment!!

[apache1]

port, I stand corrected... told ya we needed pics...lol

apache

[portann]

Sorry, but hubby wants me to keep and display them as a memento.

Apache, every gal here knows they're red stilettos, not PUMPS. Exactly who the heck would wear pumps on a night like that? Pumps go with St. John suits and one doesn't TRIP in them.

MerryBe, be careful with your tapering. It would be tragic if you contaminated the medication after putting in eighty weeks. I hope you get some red heels, too. I assure you they're SO fun.

And I'm a devotee of NB1061's but not of tapering. Still, I tapered breastfeeding and that worked well.

[Trinity4]

I have my red Jimmy Choo strappy high heel sandals which I bought in honor of Port's EOT.  Only thing is, I'm afraid if I wear mine to bed somebody might get hurt.

Trin

[apache1]

Trin, wouldn't expect anything less from you than a bang on your way out... lol.
Inquiring minds want to know if you will borrow portanns red pumps ?

apache

[justme53]

I've been contemplating this problem too of dividing doses and trying to find the most sterile technique to give myself 270 mcg of INF without contaminating the half dose or throwing it away altogether. The clinic suggestion is to draw off 90 mcg with a tuberculin syringe from one prefilled syringe, recap it the original one and shoot with the reloaded syringe. The other option was to pull back the plunger on one prefilled, add the extra 90 and give it in one shot. Too putsy and too hard to stabilize the plunger to shoot because it is so far out of the syringe and it goes in with jerky motions. I hate the thought of throwing out a half dose, but I don't want to run into problems with sepsis either. I willing to listen to all options to simplifiy this.