Serious reaction to first chemo

SusieQ2006
SusieQ2006 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Had my first A/C chemo on 9/18, Neulasta the next day and a week later had developed blood poisoning, (staph) no wbc left to speak of though I had been extremely cautious and not in public that week except the chemo center. ANC went from 6600 to 58 in that week, so I had no resistance left. On IV antibiotics now and my blood counts are improving. I would like to know if anyone else has such a response to their first session and how it was handled, was the dose or timing changed, how the next session went for them. I am truly scared by this experience. I had lumpectomy for 2B, IDC, July 31 then reexcision, then port surgery. Very slow recovery each time.

Comments

  • Susan956
    Susan956 Member Posts: 510
    #2
    Sorry that you are having such a tough time.

    I had no where the level of difficulty that you had. But I did find that Neulasta did not help my WBC. My onc switched me to Neupogen. It has be given as a shot each day for 10 days after chemo treatments. It made a big difference in my WBC numbers. The Neulasta didn't seem to help at all. You might your Onc whether this might help you as well.

    Take Care... God Bless...

    Susan
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #3
    I agree with Susan. I had Neupogen for my rectal cancer WBC downs....other than having to report daily to the center for a shot (I HATE needles!!!) it worked GREAT!
    Then, the sop for breast is Neulasta...I HATED that stuff!!! didn't work as well, AND I got such bone pain!!!!
    In between treatments, try to bump up your intake of antioxidents...green tea, blueberries, orange juice....that seemed also to help.

    Hugs for a brave lady!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398 Member
    #4
    Yes I had too suffered the big staph infection but unlike you I had hardly enough white cells to get a reading. I was hospitalized for 8 days and then at the time there was new drug they finally tried. This mind you was in 97 so I would think commonly used now. It sperned the bone marrow into production of white cells since ours was comprimized. It took the second chemo to put me over the edge. Nurprogen is the drug and they inject it. I had to have this after each chemo since my bone marrow shut down so to speak. It took only a couple of shots then I was ok.
    Yes the chemo was halted till infection gone.
    Yes chemo is altered according to your health and why blood tests usually taken before.
    They felt infection introduced at mastectomy surgery and sitting dorment till white count trashed. They say even putting port in has high infection rates, from what I know.
    Hope this is of help.
    Tara
  • SusieQ2006
    SusieQ2006 Member Posts: 2
    #5
    24242 said:

    Yes I had too suffered the big staph infection but unlike you I had hardly enough white cells to get a reading. I was hospitalized for 8 days and then at the time there was new drug they finally tried. This mind you was in 97 so I would think commonly used now. It sperned the bone marrow into production of white cells since ours was comprimized. It took the second chemo to put me over the edge. Nurprogen is the drug and they inject it. I had to have this after each chemo since my bone marrow shut down so to speak. It took only a couple of shots then I was ok.
    Yes the chemo was halted till infection gone.
    Yes chemo is altered according to your health and why blood tests usually taken before.
    They felt infection introduced at mastectomy surgery and sitting dorment till white count trashed. They say even putting port in has high infection rates, from what I know.
    Hope this is of help.
    Tara

    Thanks to those of you who wrote--and a friend who works in a research hospital in England wrote to tell me that there I would have been immediately hospitalized in isolation ICU for my condition.

    Instead, I had to drive 40 miles for an IV antibiotic and sit in waiting rooms with coughing people for hours at a time every day last week. I figured out on my own to wear a mask.

    I had a white count of 600, (less than 10% of those were the ones that fight infection) down from my normal of 10,000.

    And the leukopenia was from the first chemo and I was already fighting infections in only 2 days. I had Neulasta on the day after chemo, but it did not kick in as expected.

    After this first frightening experience, I found they had me scheduled for another full chemo yesterday with the doctor out of town. Since I had just stopped having fever, still weak and feeling ill, I refused another full chemo until I saw the doctor. This was hard to do. And since I have lost faith in this doctor, I am making a change.

    So thank you so much for writing; it helped me decide to make a change, gave me information I could not get from the doctor. Apparently it is not too common to have such a bad experience as we had. They will be trying Neupogen next time--I hope it works faster.
  • toninasky
    toninasky Member Posts: 102
    #6
    Hi Susie, I haven't visited this site for a few weeks, but I can tell you that my first treatment went ok, and the reason I know this is because I had treatment on Friday, AC, and then went back Monday for Neulasta, and the walls came tumbling down. I had such a severe reaction that they will not give it to me again. Chills, Fever 104, and violent shaking for 5 days. I have now had treatment 2 without Neulasta and no reaction whatsoever. I go for number 3 tomorrow. Hope this helps. I really think you should question Neulasta.
    Toni

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