Leukine drug

Has anyone here had to have the daily injections of the drug Leukine, to boost WBC levels, prior to me starting chemo my white cell was 3.1 so to say I differently needed this drug, but the side effects are terrible, fatigue, loss of appetite, low grade fever, just to say a few, but it did bring my levels back to normal, on my 9th out of 10 injections, I got a allergic reaction, skin rash and hives for 48 hrs, now they are afraid to give me anymore shots,I must say since not getting them I actually feel normal good appetite and energy level is back. Has anyone out there experienced anything like this. My next scheduled chemo is feb 1st.

Does anyone know of someone on these boards comes from Connecticut, it would be nice to talk to someone nearby,as I know of no one of my own.

Irene from CT

Comments

  • txtrisha55
    txtrisha55 Member Posts: 693 Member
    From Texas
    Sorry but I am from Texas. The one thing I found that helped raise my WBC was to eat smoked salmon. I bought it from the Safeway by my house, in little 4OZ packages. It was fresh, smoked, vacuumed sealed and the right size. I would eat it 3 times a week before I went in before another treatment. I would not eat it when I had no taste buds. As a rule I normally do not eat fish but I did week 2 & 3 after the chemo and before the next. It did raise my WBC to 6.5 when it was 3.1.
    Does your cancer center have support group? Mine does but I have not gone to any meetings. I am kinda a home body and private person. Do not go out of my way to build new friendships. I have my best friend still from when we are 13. She is like my sister. I have my sister and my daughter and few other close friends that I talk to and socialize with. But all have been encourging me to go to the support group. I figure the support group will be women with breast cancer that can understand the cancer thing but not uterine cancer. Just my feelings, right or wrong. I know that I had to take shots for 30 days after I came home from surgery to prevent blood clots. My daughter had to give them to me cause I could not. Sorry you had a reaction to the meds.
    I do feel closer to the women on this board than going to a support group. This site has brought me a better understanding of this cancer and how to improve my diet and exercise.
    Good Luck with your continued journey against this cancer. trish
  • CindyGSD
    CindyGSD Member Posts: 190
    Low white blood cells.
    How often do you get chemo Irene? Is it once every three weeks? If yes, I'm surprised they are having you get the shots though I guess its not uncommon. I do not get the shots and my WBC count is very low 7 days after chemo, but by the time the next round of chemo is due, they are back up. They never even offered me the shots which I guess is surprising since I work, but so far I've not had a problem.

    You may want to see if you can forgo getting the shots if your chemo treatments aren't too close together.

    Take care,
    Cindy
  • imackie48
    imackie48 Member Posts: 96

    From Texas
    Sorry but I am from Texas. The one thing I found that helped raise my WBC was to eat smoked salmon. I bought it from the Safeway by my house, in little 4OZ packages. It was fresh, smoked, vacuumed sealed and the right size. I would eat it 3 times a week before I went in before another treatment. I would not eat it when I had no taste buds. As a rule I normally do not eat fish but I did week 2 & 3 after the chemo and before the next. It did raise my WBC to 6.5 when it was 3.1.
    Does your cancer center have support group? Mine does but I have not gone to any meetings. I am kinda a home body and private person. Do not go out of my way to build new friendships. I have my best friend still from when we are 13. She is like my sister. I have my sister and my daughter and few other close friends that I talk to and socialize with. But all have been encourging me to go to the support group. I figure the support group will be women with breast cancer that can understand the cancer thing but not uterine cancer. Just my feelings, right or wrong. I know that I had to take shots for 30 days after I came home from surgery to prevent blood clots. My daughter had to give them to me cause I could not. Sorry you had a reaction to the meds.
    I do feel closer to the women on this board than going to a support group. This site has brought me a better understanding of this cancer and how to improve my diet and exercise.
    Good Luck with your continued journey against this cancer. trish

    Wow salman, I will try
    Trish, I am going to have my husband get me some salmon, I will try anything to get my numbers up. How do you eat eat it. We only have breast support group, I do talk to a few old friends who have traveled this chemo road so they try to give me some hints on couping with all the side effects, but no uterine ladies here to speak with.
    I hate going to the doctors office everyday for that shot after my chemo, it's cold, it's am15 mins drive, I would love to give me the shot but they will not allow.
    I wish I had a daughter, my sons are good but it's not the same. My daughter law lives in Florida and just fished her RN, she has salmon 3 times a week and I can talk to her like a daughter, but now she's expecting so I don't want to burden her too much, they worry enough about me.
    My weight was 137 lbs now I'm 120 lb and I have 3 more treatments to go. I try to eat things that are boosting my immune system.,but sometimes it's not easy.
    Trish, I wish you the best.
    Irene
  • imackie48
    imackie48 Member Posts: 96
    CindyGSD said:

    Low white blood cells.
    How often do you get chemo Irene? Is it once every three weeks? If yes, I'm surprised they are having you get the shots though I guess its not uncommon. I do not get the shots and my WBC count is very low 7 days after chemo, but by the time the next round of chemo is due, they are back up. They never even offered me the shots which I guess is surprising since I work, but so far I've not had a problem.

    You may want to see if you can forgo getting the shots if your chemo treatments aren't too close together.

    Take care,
    Cindy

    Low count
    Cindy, I've had neutropenia for 7 yrs. so when I got dx with cancer, my WBC was 2.5 before getting any chemo, they gave me some decadron which boosted it to 3.1 so after chemo taking 5 shots it was back up to 3.8 once I stopped on my 9th shot 3 days later back down to 2.7. So you see my dilemma I have chemo every 23 days. I had more side effects from the Leukine then I had from the chemo.
    That's for your input, Irene
  • txtrisha55
    txtrisha55 Member Posts: 693 Member
    imackie48 said:

    Wow salman, I will try
    Trish, I am going to have my husband get me some salmon, I will try anything to get my numbers up. How do you eat eat it. We only have breast support group, I do talk to a few old friends who have traveled this chemo road so they try to give me some hints on couping with all the side effects, but no uterine ladies here to speak with.
    I hate going to the doctors office everyday for that shot after my chemo, it's cold, it's am15 mins drive, I would love to give me the shot but they will not allow.
    I wish I had a daughter, my sons are good but it's not the same. My daughter law lives in Florida and just fished her RN, she has salmon 3 times a week and I can talk to her like a daughter, but now she's expecting so I don't want to burden her too much, they worry enough about me.
    My weight was 137 lbs now I'm 120 lb and I have 3 more treatments to go. I try to eat things that are boosting my immune system.,but sometimes it's not easy.
    Trish, I wish you the best.
    Irene

    With Saltine crackers mainly
    I tried different kinds of healthier crackers but find the taste bad. I just ate the salmon with regular saltine crackers. If you did not want the extra salt get the unsalted crackers. Also the Internet has other suggestions or what foods will helo boost white blood count. such as Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, pumpkin, pot roast, dark turkey meat and squash seeds can help increase your white blood count. Foods containing garlic and shiitake mushrooms can also boost your immune system. Vegetarians can find omega-3s in flaxseed, canola oil and walnuts. Citrus fruits are the best source of vitamin C, but you’ll also find it in tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi and strawberries. Your body needs zinc to produce new white blood cells, so eating more zinc-rich foods will improve your immune system. Oysters contain the highest amount of zinc of any food:. Beef, turkey and beans are also sources of zinc. I have the exact opposit problem that I am overweight but I have lost over 30 lbs since I started my cancer journey in April 2011. I hope you find something that you can find some foods that will help boost your immune system. I was DX with stage 3C1 MMMT cancer and had 6 chemo treatments of carbo/taxol and no radiation. The only thing you have to watch out for on eating salmon to much is the mercury. If you eat to much like every day you can get mercury poison which can affect your health also. I work with a lady that loves salmon and would eat it every day, lunch and dinner. She started feeling tired and no able to concentrate and she said home one day because she just could not function. She said she was laying on the couch watching Dr Oz on Oparah and they were discussing mercury poisoning and how it made a person feel and what caused it. Lots of salmon. She now only eats salmon about twice a week at dinner. She is now feeling great. So be careful. I hope your last 3 treatments go well. trish
  • RoseyR
    RoseyR Member Posts: 471 Member
    Low White Counts


    The only things that helped my white counts were as follows:

    Astagalus (good brand is Naia), two capsules three times a day between meals; esp good at boosting your neutrophils.

    Shark liver oil capsules (read on Life Extension's web site the research studies on this; Keith Block also recommends it although you shouldn't take for more than thirty days lest it make your platelet count rise TOO much. It boosts killer white cells as well as platelets. Dosage: 2 x 2 or x 3, depending how low your white cells are.

    A tablespoon a day of organic sesame seeds--or two Tbs. of sesame tahini.

    The latter two interventions, by the way, are recommeded by Dr. JEanne Wallace, Ph.D., who was the nutritionist who took care of David Serban Schreiber for years.

    Best,
    Rosey
  • RoseyR
    RoseyR Member Posts: 471 Member
    Low White Counts


    The only things that helped my white counts were as follows:

    Astagalus (good brand is Naia), two capsules three times a day between meals; esp good at boosting your neutrophils.

    Shark liver oil capsules (read on Life Extension's web site the research studies on this; Keith Block also recommends it although you shouldn't take for more than thirty days lest it make your platelet count rise TOO much.) It boosts killer white cells as well as platelets. Dosage: 2 x 2 or x 3, depending how low your white cells are.

    A tablespoon a day of organic sesame seeds--or two Tbs. of sesame tahini.

    The latter two interventions, by the way, are recommeded by Dr. JEanne Wallace, Ph.D., who was the nutritionist who took care of David Serban Schreiber for years.

    Best,
    Rosey
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member

    With Saltine crackers mainly
    I tried different kinds of healthier crackers but find the taste bad. I just ate the salmon with regular saltine crackers. If you did not want the extra salt get the unsalted crackers. Also the Internet has other suggestions or what foods will helo boost white blood count. such as Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, pumpkin, pot roast, dark turkey meat and squash seeds can help increase your white blood count. Foods containing garlic and shiitake mushrooms can also boost your immune system. Vegetarians can find omega-3s in flaxseed, canola oil and walnuts. Citrus fruits are the best source of vitamin C, but you’ll also find it in tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi and strawberries. Your body needs zinc to produce new white blood cells, so eating more zinc-rich foods will improve your immune system. Oysters contain the highest amount of zinc of any food:. Beef, turkey and beans are also sources of zinc. I have the exact opposit problem that I am overweight but I have lost over 30 lbs since I started my cancer journey in April 2011. I hope you find something that you can find some foods that will help boost your immune system. I was DX with stage 3C1 MMMT cancer and had 6 chemo treatments of carbo/taxol and no radiation. The only thing you have to watch out for on eating salmon to much is the mercury. If you eat to much like every day you can get mercury poison which can affect your health also. I work with a lady that loves salmon and would eat it every day, lunch and dinner. She started feeling tired and no able to concentrate and she said home one day because she just could not function. She said she was laying on the couch watching Dr Oz on Oparah and they were discussing mercury poisoning and how it made a person feel and what caused it. Lots of salmon. She now only eats salmon about twice a week at dinner. She is now feeling great. So be careful. I hope your last 3 treatments go well. trish

    Since when has salmon been
    Since when has salmon been high in mercury? Most of the salmon in the US is farm raised. Are you sure you are not confusing salmon with tuna? Bigger ocean fish tend to be higher in mercury than smaller ocean fish.
  • soromer
    soromer Member Posts: 130

    From Texas
    Sorry but I am from Texas. The one thing I found that helped raise my WBC was to eat smoked salmon. I bought it from the Safeway by my house, in little 4OZ packages. It was fresh, smoked, vacuumed sealed and the right size. I would eat it 3 times a week before I went in before another treatment. I would not eat it when I had no taste buds. As a rule I normally do not eat fish but I did week 2 & 3 after the chemo and before the next. It did raise my WBC to 6.5 when it was 3.1.
    Does your cancer center have support group? Mine does but I have not gone to any meetings. I am kinda a home body and private person. Do not go out of my way to build new friendships. I have my best friend still from when we are 13. She is like my sister. I have my sister and my daughter and few other close friends that I talk to and socialize with. But all have been encourging me to go to the support group. I figure the support group will be women with breast cancer that can understand the cancer thing but not uterine cancer. Just my feelings, right or wrong. I know that I had to take shots for 30 days after I came home from surgery to prevent blood clots. My daughter had to give them to me cause I could not. Sorry you had a reaction to the meds.
    I do feel closer to the women on this board than going to a support group. This site has brought me a better understanding of this cancer and how to improve my diet and exercise.
    Good Luck with your continued journey against this cancer. trish

    Why not try the group to see?
    No harm, no foul if you don't like it.
    I do go to a weekly group (with only one man in it) and find it very helpful. My own sister and friends and husband are very supportive, but the others with cancer get it, and how.
    We don't hang out much outside group; it's plenty of contact for me, anyway, to have the weekly meeting.
    My group doesn't tend to discuss a lot of strategic responses to cancer, but we do talk a lot about how to deal with doctors, hospitals, and insurance, besides our own particular issues that arise in relation to the cancer.
    There are, by the way, several other women in the group who sound like you--definitely not joiners--but who find it worthwhile.
    Good luck in any case!
    Soromer/Kate