[skippy]

When to take Claritin for Neupogen-related bone pain?

by skippy on Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:38 pm

Hi everyone, a quick question.

Every month, I take pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) to boost my white cell count. Neulasta is long-acting form of Neupogen (filgrastim),

Since I started taking the Neulasta, I have suffered extreme bone pain. I have found the only thing that worked was Telfast (fexofenadine, Allegra), which is similar to Claritin (loratadine).

My question is: When do you start taking Claritin (or Allegra) to prevent or reduce the bone pain, and for how many days after the injection do you take it?

[moonscape]

Re: When to take Claritin for Neupogen-related bone pain?

by moonscape on Wed Sep 07, 2016 4:42 pm

When I got daily Neupogen in advance of stem cell collection, I started taking Claritin (lorata­dine) the evening before my first shot. I took it every 22 hours or so along with an occasional acetaminophen (paracetamol, Tylenol) or hydrocodone for my fibro­myalgia pain, and had no bone pain at all.

Perhaps I would have been spared it regardless, I don't know. Took Neupogen 6 days, Claritin 7.