I was just curious. How many Neupogen injections did you take or are normally taken before transplant?
And is it always necessary to take pain medications along with Neupogen?
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surbhijain93 - Name: Surbhi Jain
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Father
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec 24, 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Number of neupogen injections
Hi!
In my case, thanks to a geriatric specialist who thought he could do the haematology and oncology bit, I had somewhat compromised bone marrow that really needed to be kicked and beaten to produce enough stem cells. The result was two harvests!
The first preparatory was two shots of Neupogen a day for a week, then the harvest. Not so great, so my doc said scrap the second harvest while we rethink.
I think it was: Wait for my sister [nurse] to get back from her hospital stay and back into her office! Sister back in charge, so we go with plan two! Three shots of Neupogen for a week, then harvest. So off I went with a bigger supply of Neupogen and give myself tummy shots three times a day.
Did I have bone pain? You bet! It came and went from bone to bone, but would give me a bit of peace at times. Not too much while sleeping, as I did not get woken up too often!
Did I take anything for it? No! Sister Mary had suggested a few things to try, but I just pressed on. It did help that I do have quite a high pain threshold. I did find that keeping busy and keeping my mind redirected away from the pain did help.
The pain went from just deep uncomfortable to quite intense. More the deep uncomfortable than the intense. But then it was only for a week.
The second week on Neupogen with the bigger dose, but it did not really seem any worse.
It did result in enough stem cells being collected.
In some ways I welcomed that pain, as I knew that good work was being done in the bone marrow!
Neupogen is also given after your stem cells are transfused back to kick the bone marrow yet again. Not much pain from those; I had too many other things to keep my brain occupied – sores on my lips and pass-that-bucket-please, nurse!
So 14 then 21 then some 35+ over almost three months!
Do it again? Yes!
Ang
In my case, thanks to a geriatric specialist who thought he could do the haematology and oncology bit, I had somewhat compromised bone marrow that really needed to be kicked and beaten to produce enough stem cells. The result was two harvests!
The first preparatory was two shots of Neupogen a day for a week, then the harvest. Not so great, so my doc said scrap the second harvest while we rethink.
I think it was: Wait for my sister [nurse] to get back from her hospital stay and back into her office! Sister back in charge, so we go with plan two! Three shots of Neupogen for a week, then harvest. So off I went with a bigger supply of Neupogen and give myself tummy shots three times a day.
Did I have bone pain? You bet! It came and went from bone to bone, but would give me a bit of peace at times. Not too much while sleeping, as I did not get woken up too often!
Did I take anything for it? No! Sister Mary had suggested a few things to try, but I just pressed on. It did help that I do have quite a high pain threshold. I did find that keeping busy and keeping my mind redirected away from the pain did help.
The pain went from just deep uncomfortable to quite intense. More the deep uncomfortable than the intense. But then it was only for a week.
The second week on Neupogen with the bigger dose, but it did not really seem any worse.
It did result in enough stem cells being collected.
In some ways I welcomed that pain, as I knew that good work was being done in the bone marrow!
Neupogen is also given after your stem cells are transfused back to kick the bone marrow yet again. Not much pain from those; I had too many other things to keep my brain occupied – sores on my lips and pass-that-bucket-please, nurse!
So 14 then 21 then some 35+ over almost three months!
Do it again? Yes!
Ang
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rhoslynn - Name: Angela Williams
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Marlene with smoldering myeloma or mgus
- When were you/they diagnosed?: June 2012 for me and abt 8 y for Marlene
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Number of neupogen injections
I gave myself 2 Neupogen injections a day for 10 days before stem cell collection. I had joint pain that felt like a bad case of the flu for the 2 days before stem cell collection. I took Tylenol (acetaminophen, paracetamol) for the discomfort and that relieved the pain.
Nancy in Phila
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Number of neupogen injections
The level of pain with Neupogen seems to vary very much from person to person. After the third shot, I had such a severe pain in my breast bone that I thought I was having a heart attack. The hematologist- oncologist who did my transplant told me some people do end up in the ER thinking it is an attack.
Tylenol didn't touch the pain, so I took some morphine that I had left over from spinal fractures. That allowed me to sleep. Although the pain was bad, I didn't have to keep on taking the Neupogen as I produced so many stem cells on the first day of collection. So maybe high pain means it is really working.
Hope it goes well for you.
Tylenol didn't touch the pain, so I took some morphine that I had left over from spinal fractures. That allowed me to sleep. Although the pain was bad, I didn't have to keep on taking the Neupogen as I produced so many stem cells on the first day of collection. So maybe high pain means it is really working.
Hope it goes well for you.
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Bluebell
Re: Number of neupogen injections
I had four shots, one a day, before my harvest. Claritin (loratidine) and Tylenol kept the bone pain to a minimum.
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goldmine848 - Name: Andrew
- When were you/they diagnosed?: June 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Number of neupogen injections
I'm coming up on 3 years, since diagnosis..and I remember things again. Neupogen is prominent.
Two sets of Neupogen shots daily--in the thighs. 10 days. Short needles and disposable syringes.
Really sore / sick by day 7. Saline flushed my " twins" ( access port) right after each set of shots. Felt like crap. Narcotics took the edge off. Tylenol did nothing. Lots of bone pain / achiness / nausea.
On Admit --They gave me the largest IV bag (of Cytoxan) I've ever seen. ( "Conditioning") It was the size of a small, long, yellow watermelon. Designed and timed to Kill the multiple myeloma --so they harvest "Clean" cells. Various Nurses came by and went "Wow...let me check that order". It was correctly written and taken off by the Pharmacy---but was clearly a "jumbo' sized dose.
I felt fair to okay the next day during Aphoresis. Anxious. Drew enough out of the twins,.... Enough for 4 Transplants + in just over 3 hours, collected. !
Chewed a bunch of calcium during, due to tingling/ numbness. Happy I was prolific.
Euphoric that it was over.
However, the thought of proceeding to a stem cell transplant at that moment, made me weak kneed.
Another Cytoxan IV afterwards. Shortly after, I got sick as a dog--both ends--right at discharge.
( no pun) They ( RN's / PA's ) seemed completely dis-interested,..... until I did my Linda Blair impersonation, ....walking out of the unit.
The 150 mile drive home was tough. Stomach was tender for 3 weeks. Never had nausea that bad--for that long. (Bout time the nausea passed, guess what began falling out in clumps.)
My son was royally pissed at how I was treated. I, was happy to just go home.
My son now attends that Medical School.
Ironic.
It all started with the Neupogen shots. I can still smell the sickly sweet, slightly amber colored drug. It burned, on it's infusion into my thighs, thru those short needles.
Descriptions like those of Steve Mohr's SCT experiences , make me happy that I held SCT in abeyance. I don't know how folks get thru SCT. Goldmine 848 ( Andy) you must be a mutant !
I'm a strong guy, but with a weak gut....when it comes to multiple myeloma chemicals.
Two sets of Neupogen shots daily--in the thighs. 10 days. Short needles and disposable syringes.
Really sore / sick by day 7. Saline flushed my " twins" ( access port) right after each set of shots. Felt like crap. Narcotics took the edge off. Tylenol did nothing. Lots of bone pain / achiness / nausea.
On Admit --They gave me the largest IV bag (of Cytoxan) I've ever seen. ( "Conditioning") It was the size of a small, long, yellow watermelon. Designed and timed to Kill the multiple myeloma --so they harvest "Clean" cells. Various Nurses came by and went "Wow...let me check that order". It was correctly written and taken off by the Pharmacy---but was clearly a "jumbo' sized dose.
I felt fair to okay the next day during Aphoresis. Anxious. Drew enough out of the twins,.... Enough for 4 Transplants + in just over 3 hours, collected. !
Chewed a bunch of calcium during, due to tingling/ numbness. Happy I was prolific.
Euphoric that it was over.
However, the thought of proceeding to a stem cell transplant at that moment, made me weak kneed.
Another Cytoxan IV afterwards. Shortly after, I got sick as a dog--both ends--right at discharge.
( no pun) They ( RN's / PA's ) seemed completely dis-interested,..... until I did my Linda Blair impersonation, ....walking out of the unit.
The 150 mile drive home was tough. Stomach was tender for 3 weeks. Never had nausea that bad--for that long. (Bout time the nausea passed, guess what began falling out in clumps.)
My son was royally pissed at how I was treated. I, was happy to just go home.
My son now attends that Medical School.
Ironic.
It all started with the Neupogen shots. I can still smell the sickly sweet, slightly amber colored drug. It burned, on it's infusion into my thighs, thru those short needles.
Descriptions like those of Steve Mohr's SCT experiences , make me happy that I held SCT in abeyance. I don't know how folks get thru SCT. Goldmine 848 ( Andy) you must be a mutant !
I'm a strong guy, but with a weak gut....when it comes to multiple myeloma chemicals.
-
Rneb
Re: Number of neupogen injections
At Mayo, nurses at the apheresis department give you the Neupogen shots. I got two pre-measured hypos, a 300 and a 450 I think it was, at the same time, once a day. I got them Thursday through Sunday and started collection on Monday. I also got them Monday after collection. Same thing on Tuesday. Then I got the phone call saying we've got enough and your collection is done in just two sessions.
The first day, it stung. After that, I told them to do it slowly and it did not sting. I never felt any bone pain from the shots nor from the collection process.
The first day, it stung. After that, I told them to do it slowly and it did not sting. I never felt any bone pain from the shots nor from the collection process.
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Mister Dana - Name: Mister Dana
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: December 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 66
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