neupogen vs neulesta?

Sundanceh said:

Done Only Neulasta
Neupogen is essentially the same element only administered over several days by injections.

I'm with Raquel, the Neulasta is the "Last Train to Clarksville" during my cycle - I take it on Saturday and will not see you again until that following Wednesday, 5 days.

I often think I could handle the treatment much better without the shot, but have to have it for my WBC's, just too low from Folfox.

-Craig

Neupogen
Neupogen was't so bad for me. I had it every cycle after the first one because my counts were too low. I really don't understand why my oncologist thought he could add back in the bolus, and cut out the Neupogen, and have it go ok. His theory was that chemo was so hard on me because of the oxaliplatin. Well that is true, but I ahd trouble with 5FU also. And trouble with blood counts. I had an extra week off (for my trip I didn't get to take), so it has been 3 weeks between treatments and my counts are still very low. WBC 2.5 and neutrophils .7. It is crazy they are this low 3 weeks after the first infusions.

I begged him to let me do my chemo this week and just take the Neupogen shots. Nope - he said I'd end up in the hospital if he let me do chemo. He is known to be the most aggressive oncologist around - so if he won't let me go for it, he is very concerned. He also said he wants me to do Neulesta this time. Neupogen worked for me - well enough that I was able to drop back to just two shots each cycle instead of three. I had a lot of sternum pain - a heating pad helped a lot with that. A few cycles I had a day or two that I felt like I had a broken arm due to so much pain. I didn't get the femur pain that some people get. Mostly chest pain (sternum), the arm pain a couple times, a bit of upper back/neck pain, but no leg pain. And no headaches.

I've heard a lot of complaints about headaches with Neulesta. I have to keep working. It is hard enough to work with numbers with chemo brain - but chemo brain and a bad headache? No thanks. I was told I'd have to get the Neulesta the day after disconnect. But I've heard of others getting theirs on disconnect day? I got my Neupogen 2 days later. Disconnect on Saturday and in for Neupogen Monday, Tuesday and Wendnesday (except I was able to drop back to just Monday, Tuesday after several cycles).

They tried to call Neulesta into my pharmacy today, but were told I wasn't covered. So they are gong the pre-approval route now. I still think I will say no to getting it through the pharmacy. Up until 2010 prescriptions were part of our major medical, but this year they are separate. No cap. I pay a co-pay for every prescription. Generics are just $7 - I can handle that. But Emend is $150. I imagine Neulesta would also be $150. I can't do it. Paying for the Emend wipes me out, but I can't do this without it. i did just find out that they considered the amount of Emend I got as two orders, so it is $75 for each.
I asked about getting my shot at home - having my husband do it. Whether it is Neulesta or Neupogen. But I think we'll get screwed on the pharmacy issue. If I could get something from the Home Health disconnect nurse, maybe that would work. Or I might be able to go to the hospital on Sunday for Neulesta (I get disconnected on Saturday). When one of my cycles got goofed up due to desensitization protocol, I had to start my Neupogen on Saturday, so they sent me to the hospital. No cost if I get it there (I've hit my out of pocket max). They wanted to make me get chemo Tuesday, disconnect Thursday, Neulesta Friday. Forget it - I'm not ruining an entire workweek that badly. I'll stick to my Saturday disconnects.