HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Neulasta/Neupogen & Latex allergy

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/14/2017 11:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hello! Hubby had his first chemo (Taxotere) on 2/2/17 and by 2/9/17 he had reached nadir with a WBC of 1.6 and his GR#0.3. After being grounded for 4 days, WBC up to 2.4 but GR# only up to 0.5. We weren't expecting this as he has just been diagnosed and is in pretty good health.

Neulasta is the next thing to be added but as I reminded the Oncologist's office, he has a latex allergy (discovered the first day of chemo when they used a rubber tourniquet). They simply said that there are other options.

Both Neulasta and Neupogen, as they are made by the same company, have latex warnings.

1. Has anyone received Neulasta or Neupogen and had a latex allergy? If so, any side effects from the allergy?

2. Any names of any other CFC's that can be used instead so I can start researching them. I like teaching doctors/nurses new facts. lol

Thanks!
Posted 2/14/2017 12:50 PM (GMT 0)
Union, I can't speak to the latex issue, or other agents that can be used. But something the nurses may not tell you and you can teach them, if he has neupogen/Neulasta or another similar drug, a side effect can be bone pain. To minimize or avoid this, take Claritin AND Advil about an hour before treatment and continue for a day or two to be safe.
Posted 2/14/2017 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
In double blind clinical trials (mostly focused on breast cancer) there is zero evidence that Claritin actually helps with bone pain from Neulasta. It is an enduring story and I see it repeated all over the internet. But, research doesn't support it as true.

It had no effect for me whatsoever. At the same time, I've seen many people claim that it personally helps them.

Placebo effect vs. real effect?


Related to the original post, I'm doing gem/tax for liposarcoma right now, and we are trying to do it every 2 weeks rather than every 3, with no Neulasta/Neupogen at all. Is that an option with your oncologist? I think they are reducing the dose somewhat to do it more frequently without the Neulasta.


Damon
Posted 2/15/2017 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
But it (Claritin) can't hurt. And even if it's a placebo effect, who cares. No pain is no pain.

And I don't think anyone, my family member included can say for sure that it worked for them. Maybe they would have no bone pain even without the Claritin. But again, no pain is no pain and it can't hurt.

I would however be interested in reading the studies. Do you have a link you could provide?
Posted 2/15/2017 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
/clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT01712009?sect=Xd5601

Note the 95% confidence intervals - not very impressive at all, to be honest. It doesn't even seem to show a placebo effect, IMO. But, this type of study should correct for placebo effect.

And, laratadine does have its own list of potential adverse effects.


I agree that no pain is no pain. But, as a mathematician, I constantly remind people that the plural of anecdote is not data.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't take it. I'm just saying that the data do not seem to support the conventional wisdom.
Posted 2/15/2017 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Our personal experience regarding the Claritin was very clear that it does work for some.
A few days after my husbands first infusion of Taxotere the oncologist called to tell us he was neutropenic and he needed weekly Neupogen injections.
The first thing the doctor said was to take Claritin before and a few days after the shot.
For some reason he did not do that before the shot and his bone pain was so severe that night that we ended up in the Emergency room for pain relief. It was horrible.
Every infusion after that he took the Claritin and never had the pain as bad.
The nurse that gave him the Neupogen told him that the shot makes the bone marrow release histamines into the body and that is what causes the pain.
I'm sure not everyone will or has had the same experience, but this is my husbands experience.
Posted 2/15/2017 8:09 PM (GMT 0)
Not sure if it's a result of Claritin D or not, but Dan has had no bone pain with Neulasta either. Hope that continues. Mary
Posted 2/15/2017 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
dmlvt, thanks for the link, I'll look at it.

Sure does seem like there's a lot of anecdotal evidence, i know thats not the same as a RCT though
Posted 2/15/2017 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you to everyone that has chimed in. We are already planning on the Claritin - can't hurt and a lot less side effects than heavy duty pain meds (if needed). I'm hoping that they can order vials of Neulasta without the latex needle cap so we don't have to chance it.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply