White cell injection and pain?

[Debs-]

Start mine tomorrow,watch this space,hoping its not as bad as last time. Not feeling too tickerty boo at mo as it is xx

[Mrs_Moomin]

Thanks, Maryland. I will take advice from my chemo team. I am certainly not going to be a martyr about the pain! It was just too bad for that. Regards.

[Maryland]

Hi Mrs Moomin....I did mean taking temperature before taking paracetamol, and guessed you would already know about this as it's something the hospitals sort of drum into us! Didn't want to not mention it though. When to take painkillers is a tricky one I agree. I went from a 'max 12 paracetamol a year' person to taking about 300 painkillers (paracetamol and ibuprofen) across chemo......firstly to mitigate the pain from white blood cell injections and then for Docetaxel/Taxotere bone pain. I kept a diary from day 1 so that I knew what to roughly expect and on my Onc's advice started taking painkillers the day before I was likely to experience pain to turn off the pain receptors. I was hospitalised after first TAX and the need to pre-empt pain was reinforced on the haematology ward. You probably have to do what feels right for you, on the advice of your team. I have a very high pain threshold, and this was the best way for me, as I didn't want to deal with pain on top of all the other 'usual' side effects, I worked throughout as well to keep me sane (well more or less.....hehe). Didn't need to 'wean' myself off and have returned to my 'less than 12 painkillers a year'!! All the best and I hope you find what suits you to get you through...take care

[Mrs_Moomin]

Thanks Maryland. Not sure what you meant about taking temp before paras. Do you mean before paracetamol? I did know about this. Am I missing something? The other thing I am not sure about is best time to start with painkiller. I only got the reaction on Day 8, which my consultant seemed to regard as standard. I am not sure about starting to take tablets around tie of actual injection if reaction only kicks in a week later. I am not one for pushing too any tablets. Advice welcomed.

[rosie14]

I wasn't expecting pain from the injections, it wasn't until I had the third one and then at 3.19 am I thought I was having a heart attack! The next morning I looked the injections up on the internet, all my instrcutions were in Greek, and found they could cause pain I felt delicate all that day with back and leg pain in addition to lower chest. But the good news it only lasted 24 hours I was great the next day! x

[Maryland]

Hi Mrs Moomin......the pain from the injection can be excruciating, however apparently this is a good sign as it means it's doing its job which is to 'rev up' bone marrow to produce more white blood cells, which is the cause of the pain. You could try taking a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen starting the day before the injections which may be better than taking painkillers once you feel pain. Don't forget to take your temp before taking paras (you probably know this already though?). All the best for the rest of your treatment....

[Mrs_Moomin]

Dear All Can't believe I am picking up this thread as I was querying back spasms in another thread! Until I saw my consultant today, and just saw this thread I had decided that the agonising back spasms which I experienced 2 days ago were the FEC just triggering nerve pain in my back, which is arthritic. I now know that the injection to boost the bone marrow activity was the case. I nearly passed out with the pain but, more fortunately than Debs, paracetamol did work for me so I plan to take it after the next injection and am hoping that it will still be effective. Good luck to Debs and others. What we on ly have to put up with!

[Butterfly318]

Evening Debs.

I found it difficult to differentiate the bone / joint pain from Chemo with that from the Neulasta Jabs.  I had my treatment at a satelite hospital from The Christie in Manchester and my Consultant used the one off Neulasta 24hrs after Chemo and the pain was excrutiating.  Some days i struggled to walk in the few days after Neulasta and had to take high dose opiates / Codeine Phosphate.  Fortunately this level of pain was short lived and i didn't get one infection in six sessions of Chemotherapy so i reckon the Neulasta is good stuff...

Take Care Debs, hope the rest of your treatment goes well.  Gilly x

[Debs-]

Thanks Ladies,im not talking paracetamol type pain...even the hospitals morphine couldnt get me out of it. They did say the pain is usually in hips and i had rare reaction. Mine was terrible up through my back,chest and head but worse in the back!! Im no wimp to pain and am usually a tough cookie. just wondered how rare the back pain actually really was!! Thank you for your answers. Start the injections on tue but they are giving me 3days worth instead of the usual 7 because of the pain  and srong pain meds i will be on ...eeeek dreading it x

[Lola65]

I didn't have the injection for cycle one and ended up in hospital with neutropenia. For all subsequent cycles I had the neulasta jab and kept clear of neutropenia.

I started to take paracetamol immediately after the injection, 2 tablets 3 times a day for 3 full days as advised by the oncologist. I never had any pain. It is better to build up the painkillers in your body before the pain kicks in, if you see what I mean! I know it can be very painful, but much better that (and much safer) than becoming neutropenic.

[Kess]

I have neulasta each time and was warned might get flu type aches and pains but have been lucky and haven't had any.

[Smartie]

Hi Debs, I too had tremendous pain after the Neulasta injections with my chemo last year. It happened every cycle and lasted for about 2 days, just had to grin and bear it and load up the painkillers, at the time I was on Co-Codamol and Ibuprofen and then used Oramorph for when the pain was really bad. It wasn't pleasant but I got through it and it kept my white cells at a reasonable level which was important. I found a hot water bottle to be quite soothing or a nice warm bath. Sorry I can't be more positive, just make sure you have some pain relief that's effective for you.
Good luck!
Smartie x

[Debs-]

Anyone else end up in agony after injection to higher white cell count? My back went into severe pain and felt like someone was stabbing me and cutting through my nerves.Also my head and chest hurt at same time.They said it was to do with the injection encouraging the bone marrow.They said this was very rare but at least i was already in the hospital at the time for infection and low count!! Morphine didnt work. I have to have the jabs sooner this cycle and they say i will suffer the same but have good pain killers. Your experiences would be a help please? x