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Help with WBC injections

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:42 pm
by Steph20021
I had my first cycle of gastrofil, a WBC booster, the last one was Saturday but today is Monday and I'm still as sick as ever, dry heaving, nausea and vomit.
When please tell me does it get better? Since I started them after chemo de access I've been sick so many days now.
The heaving cramps my belly because of all the surgeries I've had it hurts. Also, hard to keep pills down and swallow,pills like this :(
Help I feel so hopeless tonight. Sorry for the drama.

Re: Help with WBC injections

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:04 pm
by KElizabeth
That sounds very unusual for Neupogen. Bone pain and fatigue are generally the only complaints.
I would guess it's something besides the Neupogen causing the vomiting. You absolutely should ask your oncologist to address your symptoms. It's possible to go through chemo with very little nausea if you find the combination of drugs that works for you. You may need to keep complaining to the oncologist until you get what works.
In the meantime stay on the anti nausea meds you have and don't let up, because it's harder to control once it gets hold. If you have some anxiety meds, they may help with the nausea too.
I hope you can calm the storm tonight and get some relief from the oncologist tomorrow.
Elizabeth

Re: Help with WBC injections

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 2:01 am
by Steph20021
Thanks Elizabeth. My nurse and oncologist hadn't seen this kind of reaction for anyone else but other than stopping my pain meds almost cold turkey, there was nothing else different with my treatment. They've given my IV hydration for the last two days in hospital, and I'll have homecare administer it here over the weekend. Monday I go back to the hospital to check on bloodwork, kidney levels in particular, and a urine culture I gave. They can't believe this is from the WBC injections but I think they are reluctant to try it again with me-at least not without better monitoring.
It's amazing what a litre of saline fluid will do when you are unwell. I felt improvement so quickly.

Re: Help with WBC injections

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 7:34 am
by BeansMama
Steph20021 wrote:Thanks Elizabeth. My nurse and oncologist hadn't seen this kind of reaction for anyone else but other than stopping my pain meds almost cold turkey, there was nothing else different with my treatment. They've given my IV hydration for the last two days in hospital, and I'll have homecare administer it here over the weekend. Monday I go back to the hospital to check on bloodwork, kidney levels in particular, and a urine culture I gave. They can't believe this is from the WBC injections but I think they are reluctant to try it again with me-at least not without better monitoring.
It's amazing what a litre of saline fluid will do when you are unwell. I felt improvement so quickly.


I went through something similar and ended up in the ER. When I told them I hadn't taken my pain medication because I couldn't keep anything down they told me that not taking it could actually make my nausea worse. Depending on how long you have been on it and what dosage you are on your body may still go through withdrawal symptoms.

Re: Help with WBC injections

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:50 pm
by MissMolly
Steph20021 wrote:I'm still as sick as ever, dry heaving, nausea and vomit.


Your mention that your narcotic medication was discontinued cold-turkey.

In taking a narcotic or opiate medication, the body becomes physiologically tolerant/dependent on receiving a certain amount of opiate. The discontinuation of your narcotic medication was the likely root cause of your ongoing vomiting and nausea - you were experiencing opiate withdrawal.

Opiate withdrawal can be brutally uncomfortable. Drenching cold sweats + chills; nausea + forceful vomiting; severe muscle pain and muscle cramping, especially of the lower legs; pounding headache; sensitivity to lights and sounds; feeling as though you have a severe case of the flu; in severe cases, grand mal seizures.

I am on palliative care and a potent narcotic cocktail of Fentanyl + dilaudid. I was naive to the powerful effects of narcotic dependency and was not timely in having a prescription filled. Within 6 hours of my last dose of narcotic, I went into full withdrawal. It was brutal - so brutal, that I ended up in the emergency room with a 2 day inpatient hospital stay.

If you have been on a narcotic for more than a week, it is wise to taper the dosage with MD supervision and guidance.
- Karen -

Re: Help with WBC injections

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:36 am
by CRguy
WORD !!!!
If you have been on a narcotic for more than a week, it is wise to taper the dosage with MD supervision and guidance.

good info MissMolly
VERY good WORD !
CR