Filgrastim?

It is a part of some of the chemo regimens and is intended to prevent the white blood count from going too low. With other chemo regimens it is only given under certain circumstances even if white blood count does go down.

I got the injections for every round of chemo, but I had chemo Oct 2020 to Jan 2021 so covid cases were high and they were routinely giving them to everyone. Even with the injections, my white blood count only just scraped through to the final cycle and no more!

I didn't get any noticeable side effects from the injections.

Morning shichi 

I have had the injections (5days from day 3) with every round of chemo I've had so far apart from the having to sike myself up every time to actually stick the needle in only side effects I've had is feeling a bit dizzy for about 5/10 mins afterwards

XxxD

Hi,  I had 7x filgrastim to take from day three on every round of EC (three week cycle).  This was not linked to my bloods so assume it’s just standard prescribing practice for our trust. It’s hard to tell what side effects where due to EC and which filgrastim but I didn’t have the ache and pains some people experience or any immediate reaction to the injections.  Now I am on Paclitaxel and Phesgo I no longer have the filgrastim to take at all.  I assume it must depend on the type of chemo you are having. Good luck with your treatment. x

I presume this is quite new. I had FEC-T in 2016/2017 and didn't have Filgratism. I did have very low white blood count and was admitted into hospital for 1 week. Xx

I am having 6 cycles of FECT and having the injections for 7 days too. Cycle 3 for me tomorrow. I do get some very low back pain for few days, paracetamol helps. Jo 

Try Emla cream 30 mins before. You don’t feel it go in. Xx

I'm having 6 FEC-T cycles (1 down, 5 to go) and will have filgrastim x 5 injections each cycle. It is better than I thought it would be - I watched Victoria Derbyshire's video diaries and she shows herself injecting and that helped me. Also, if you have a fatter bit I have found that it doesn't hurt injecting into the fat - but did when I did a less fat area of my stomach. My nurse suggested injecting at 45 degree angle which also helped get it into more fat than flesh!

I do the injection, take and note my temperature (monitor it twice a day) and then take 2 paracetamol. It has made my hips ache a but the last 2 days - but they normally ache, tbh - I guess uts been the steroids I've been on (finished a couple of days ago) that meant they've not been hurting as normal

I saw my oncogist this week and he has told me its standard for everyone having EC treatment. I have been on 12 week course of weekly  paclitaxel plus carboplatin every 3 weeks. This now finished and am now on  EC. I didn't realise it included injections. So once I get my head around that. I start injections 3 days after my chemo for 10 days for each cycle of 4. I've done some research and it's to help with white blood cells. So why does it cause bone pain ? I do have osteoarthritis and my bone density was low. Is it that maybe.??

Carol

Xx

Feom memory wbc are produced in the bone marrow so the filgrastim encourages the production rate to go into overdrive to get the wbc back up. Its this overdrive of production that causes the pain - I think of it as the bone marrow working super hard like a huge long gum workout for it with no letip and that's why it hurts (kinda makes sense in my head!)