Neupogen and lower back pain

Hi  

Unknown said:

Only a few hits after the second shit I experienced severe lower back pain similar to birth contractions.

Laugh when you can ? I nearly fell off my chair when I read your (obvious typo) comment. I wasn't sure at first if you were suffering constipation or back ache :)

Bone aches are common with any of these G-CSF (info link) injections. A high % of the WBC are made in the pelvis so this and the surrounding areas like back and upper thigh bones are where it it is mostly felt.

Bone pain

This is very common. You may have some discomfort or a dull ache in the bones of your pelvis, back, arms or legs. This is because your bone marrow is making blood cells. Your doctor can prescribe painkillers, such as paracetamol.

J didn't have these g-csf jabs but quite a few of the other ladies here have and will pass on their experiences about how long this could last.

Take care, and thanks for the chuckle, , G n' J

From another type of cancer (Lymphoma), but one that needs Neupogen or G-CSF shots often (especially after a bone marrow transplant) to boost white cell count, something that can help, Claritin (Brand name) or Loratadine (generic name) taken once a day, with regular paracetamol, may reduce the bone ache, it certainly has done for some patients going neutropenic. 

This was suggested by US patients with refractory/relapsed Lymphoma, they are actually prescribed this. 

Hugs xxx

Hi Baki

I had a different one - filgrastim but essentially the same, I think. I think your typo is spot on - they were known as ' those f-ing injections' in my house! I suspect like everything else, everyone is different, but I used to find the back pain arrived first but also thankfully eased first too. About 4 or 5 days for me. I was given paracetamol and dihydrocodeine for the pain - was offered stronger but didn't want the wooziness. Ideally you want 2 different types of painkiller so you can take at 2 hourly intervals during the day to stay as pain free as possible.

Presumably you already have painkillers? If this is going to be a regular thing you might want to discuss something stronger. Maybe give your clinic or chemo unit a call tomorrow for a prescription.

Hope it eases soon

R

Thanks a lot for all your replies.

I read my post again and had a good laugh. I'm an educator so I hope none of my students are on this site (lol)

I was given paracetamol because I ventured claiming that my pain threshold was high. It's the scare that the pain gave me that worries me most. If it's normal then half of the anxiety is done with.

I'll call them tomorrow and ask for something stronger to help me throughout the night. The pain jet me up most of the night.

I hate this nasty disease  

Hi Baki just read your post re Back ache I had my first course of chemo on 16 Dec and for the last couple of days have had lower back pain but this morning I could just about stand ! And like you the only way to describe it was ' labour pains' excruciating really I phoned the emergency oncologist number and they said to take codiene didn't have that so I've taken co codamol which has helped I can't believe the side effects we have to suffer . Anyway I hope your pain doesn't last too long . Regards witch New to all this not sure if I'm doing it right xx

I had pegfilgastrim rather than filgastrim injections but I too was told, by both my onco and the chemo nurses, to take claritine to ease the bone pain. Not prescribed as it's available here in Australia without a script, as I think it is in the UK.

I also took pain killers - usually neurofen plus - but that's my preferred option. 

I found the pain only lasted a few days, but then you only get one pegfilgastrim injection. 

Hope it eases up for you soon.

Hugs

Lynn xx

Thanks Witch and Lynn for your replies. After my last chemo session My oncologist reduced my dose to only one Neupogen shot instead of two over two consecutive days. He never mentioned any pain killers but said that may use Claritine if I develop a runny nose. I was reckless last Thursday and had the shot on my way out for lunch. I found it very hard to swallow and had severe chest pains after lunch. So from practice I guess that one has to stay home on the couch after such shots.

Merry Chritmas and happy 2017 to you and your loved ones. Indeed I do hope that 2017 washes away the nastiness of 2016: cancer, Brexit, Trump, etc.

Hugs xxx

Thank you very much for posting this; I found it enormously reassuring; I had done 6 out of 7 daily injections of Accofil (contains filgrastim) and last night developed contracting pain running down from my ASIS in the pelvis, exactly like you it felt like contractions and at 60 I know I am not going to give birth. I took my temperature and pulse rate which were normal so I suspected it wasn't anything sinister, but a side effect; so I took a couple of Ibuprofen,which eased it enough for me to go back to sleep.

This has continued today at times being quite debilitating ( I dropped a bottle of Crabbies at the checkout in Morrisons and almost burst into tears!)

I phoned the nurse helpline and explained my symptoms and the normality of my temperature and pulse, and she confirmed I could take paracetamol and Ibuprofen alternatively (so I didn't take too much of either in 24hrs) to try to reduce the symptoms. I am reluctant to take anything stronger as this will affect my bowels, which struggled with the anti-emetics for a few days. I did my last injection this morning so will post up when the symptoms start to hopefully subside.

Just an addendum- took an Ibuprofen 400mg last night at about 10:30pm. Have woken up at 2:48am and pains seem to have gone(fingers crossed) So this appears to have been short lived (about36hrs). Phew!

Same here . Bone pain, back pain, headache, especially my hips and knees -  after the 3rd injection !