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Breast cancer & Filgrastim injections

Milvie
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Hi,

I am Milvie, I am 59yrs old and was diagnosed with breast cancer, IDC  grade 2, eastrogen positive and HER2 positive in February this year. 

I have just had my first cycle of chemo and yesterday I completed the first 7 days of Filgrastim injections. 

Normally I am a quite a strong and determined sort of person and have generally been very lucky with my health over the years. However, I have to say the Filgrastim has absolutely floored me!!

I have been in bed for 6 days and nights, which has never been heard of before.  I am experiencing alot of side effects, from my mouth being very dry and sore inside, cracked and bleeding lips, throat feels sore and closing over. A terrible thirst which I can't quench.   I have not eaten for 6 days and can bearly sip water as I feel I am swallowing a golf ball.  I have horrendous aches and pains in back, down front of legs, basically all over.  I have horrendous cramp pains, which hardly subside even though I am taking paracetamol and ibuprofen regularly. But what has really taken it out of me is the tightness in chest and pulling for breathe especially when I have to get to bathroom. (diahorrea everyday so far). I have to lie still and flat to get the chest to settle. 
These are some of my side effects, there are more but I won't go on!  I am assuming it is the Filgrastim as I went to clinic to have my PICC line flushed last Friday. I mentioned all of this to ANP as I was in tears.  He said it was the injections they are nasty but the side effects will get better. They did not, they got worse! 

Now I am seriously thinking of stopping the injections as I cannot go through this for the next 5 cycles, I'm not through this one yet!  Does anyone know if I will be able to have the chemo but not have the Filgrastim afterwards? I know they won't be happy but I'd rather lock myself away during the months of treatment so I don't pick up any infections than experience what I am experiencing again. 

Sorry for long winded post! 
Many thanks. 

Parents
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    hi Milvie - I had terrible Filgrastim pain too, I was crying (I sat up in bed at night wailing!) so much as nothing took the pain away that was deep in my thigh bones and sternum.  When I told my BCN this they changed my next dose to a single larger one plus I took my pain killers routinely before and after for a few days. I took co-codamol 8/500 and Ibuprofen 400 three times a day for about 4/5 days plus I rubbed a fibromyalgia balm on my thighs and chest (I use this already for my painful fibromyalgia). I had this discussion with a BC group I'm in and some took antihistamines (Clarityn) which helped them. You can google about the Clarityn - plenty about it there. 

    Hope you get on better next round, Kaisa. 

     

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    hi Milvie - I had terrible Filgrastim pain too, I was crying (I sat up in bed at night wailing!) so much as nothing took the pain away that was deep in my thigh bones and sternum.  When I told my BCN this they changed my next dose to a single larger one plus I took my pain killers routinely before and after for a few days. I took co-codamol 8/500 and Ibuprofen 400 three times a day for about 4/5 days plus I rubbed a fibromyalgia balm on my thighs and chest (I use this already for my painful fibromyalgia). I had this discussion with a BC group I'm in and some took antihistamines (Clarityn) which helped them. You can google about the Clarityn - plenty about it there. 

    Hope you get on better next round, Kaisa. 

     

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