I had a horrendous time with my first FEC which finally culminated in a badly infected impacted wisdom tooth which delayed my 2nd dose.
I don’t want to interrupt chemo for surgery on the tooth so we are trying to keep it stabilised by using G-CSF injections - a course of 5 taken every other day from day 7.
I know there can be some unpleasant side effects with G-CSF (though nothing as bad as an infected wisdom tooth) and I wondered if others had experience of the G-CSF jabs, if they were beneficial and what their experience of side effects were.
The onc was reluctant to give me the jabs (is that a cost issue?) and was in two minds about their efficacy for my problem. It was my dentist who pushed for me to have them.
Hi,
I finished chemo in May and received different chemo to you but it was usggested that I take the Filgrastim injections. I only took it for the first cycle as I developed an allergic reaction, which is quite unusual…apparently. But the most difficult part was having to inject yourself in the stomach, I found that very traumatic. The surgery nurses would assist but you had to fit in with their timetabe and it meant another trip out to the Drs. However, the injections are meant to work well.
I had 3 courses of GCSF injections. They didn’t boost my neuts a huge amount but enough to make sure the next doses of chemo were on time. They are meant to be expensive so that could be the reason for your oncs reluctance. I could have gone to surgery or got the district nurse to come to my home but that would have meant waiting around too much so I gave them to myself, after being shown what to do for the 1st one. I didn’t find it a problem but I don’t have a needle phobia (God knows why as I feel like a pin cushion!). I also didn’t have any side effects despite being prepared for feeling achey etc. I searched on here for GCSF and read some posts from previous ‘users’ so that may give you more idea as to what to expect.
Hi there, I have had the pelfilgrastin injection 24hrs after each chemo (I’ve had 3) the only side effect I had was a slight back ache but not bad at all. Injecting in my stomach isn’t bad either, nurse showed me how and I got to have a practice on a cushion thing before I attacked myself. The reason I had it was because my neuts dropped so low I was at risk of getting an infection and I have yet to get an infection so I suppose its working.
Hope that helps
Charlie
I had neulasta which is a single jab.The district nurse came the day after chemo I had aches in neck and jaw the following day each time.My wbc stayed high then crashed after final chemo and I was in hospital with neutropenia.I think the injections are worth having.Vxx
Like Charlie & Horace I had the injection 24 hours after each chemo (4) and had no side effects whatsoever. I never had a problem with my WBC. Hope you’re the same.
A course of GCSF injections is 5 doses. Strangely there seems to be different ideas as to when you take them though. I had them every day from day 5 to 9 after chemo, when your blood counts drop to their lowest but you’re saying yours is a different schedule, hmmmm, but with so many things I’ve learnt on here there doesn’t always seem to be one way only. As they come in a box of 5 ‘kits’ I assume everyone has a course of 5. I did feel odd though mixing my syringes and injecting each day - like a closet junkie! Hope they work for you and although my neuts were low I didn’t get any infections. Also I was lucky enough to get a course prescribed after my last chemo so have, touchwood, remained infection free.
There is a huge postcode lottery over G-CSF injections with some PCTs and some oncologists seemingly refusing them even for severe neutropena and others being much more open to using them. With private medicla insurance many patients get them as standard (and this is the norm in USA.) During my primary treatment in London I had private helth insurance and got neulatsa after reach dose of chemotherpay. I now have to battle with my oncologist to get them (so far I’ve ‘won’ but its not been easy…and only because I’ve had problems with low white cells. And I still have private med insurance.)
I’ve had over 25 cycles of chemo now and but for neulatsa (the single injection) I would have had many delays to my chemos. Even with neulatsa I’ve had a couple of delays.
I find the injection trouble free with absolutely no sde effects.
This is both a cost issue and about differeing oncologists views. I think its really unfair there is such difference in use nation wide.
Sorry to hear about your widsom tooth and hope you can get the problems sorted.
Thank you all very much for all your responses. I’ll certainly give them a whirl and see if they help keep the tooth/infection at bay.
I had a look to see if NICE had any guidelines on its use - but couldn’t find anything. ( Bit chemo brainy so I may have missed it.)
After my last chemo the oncology nurse gave me the box of GCSF syringes like they were the crown jewels and said “Look after them they are very expensive.”
I was furious.
I have had no scans, no immediate breast reconstruction (with no plans to either), am on bog standard chemo (their description) and by attempting to avoid another neutropenic episode I will not be occupying a hospital bed I hope.
When I was rushed into hospital by ambulance with a gastric bleed after the first chemo, a week later I received a bill from the ambulance service.
When I was having chemo (2004) I had problems with low white blood cell count, and was given G-CSF injections to try to avoid treatment being delayed. I started with 3 or 5 (I can’t remember) mid cycle, but ended up on 10. On my request they gave me the kit and I did them myself at home. They come pre-packed and its quite easy to do. I had no side effects at all that I could identify (over and above anything form the chemo)
I understand they are v expensive, but they work well.
Thanks for that Sarah - interesting that you had as many as 10 and no side effects.
The ambulance charging thing is beyond belief - the ambulance was called by the out-of-hours GP not me, it just appeared outside my house - and yet I was billed for it. I know I really should make a fuss about it but I can’t be bothered. It’s depressing though. We are getting more like the US every day.