Onpro Neulasta

No problems, easy peasey.

Neulasta can cause awful bone pain in some. My bone pain was ridiculous. The Claritin helps decrease that pain. I took it a day or 2 before chemo then about 4 or so days after.

You are very welcome!

I didn't have bone pain with Neulasta. I took Claritin once, because what MoonGirlJess describes is pretty common, and nurses told me to do it. However, the second time I decided to skip it. I had general fatigue and pretty bad nausea from AC, but no bone pain, so I didn't take Claritin after that.

If I can give one suggestion about AC is to stay on top of nausea. It was really a problem for me. Have your doc prescribe several anti-nausea drugs and have them filled ahead of time. Perhaps even try to take on several days before to see how you feel. Zofran (the most commonly prescribed one) gave me an awful headache, so my onc had me try granisetron (Kytril). Worked well and no headache. I still had some breakthrough nausea the day of the infusion (had it mornings, by 6 pm I needed to be in bed, not moving my head). By morning I was all better. I also bought motion sickness bracelets and used them, I think they helped.

I had Neulasta after each of 4 AC. I had it applied to my belly, just above my pants waistline. I used Claritin (it is allergy "season" most of the year, anyway) and had no problem with bone pain.

Agree on the comments about staying ahead of nausea. I didn't have much trouble but mostly had "I feel icky" feelings to "I feel VERY icky." For the lower end of that, I didn't take anything. For the upper end, it helped a lot to take the medicine. Can't remember which I used, as I also had a couple of things to choose from. Fortunately for me, it only last a couple of days.

If you're having trouble with nausea or anything else, CALL the doctor/clinic. You will have a number to use for off-hours, too. Don't be afraid to use it. That's what they are there for.

The injector of the OnPro is inserted into your body when they attach the unit to you. They have about 2 minutes to stick it on before it goes in. It sounds and feels like a rubber band being flicked onto your skin. That's it. The next day, when the injection of the Neulasta starts, you shouldn't feel a thing.

This device is the same thing as my OnmiPod insulin delivery system. A rubber band snap is an excellent description. My Pods are water resistant can be worn for showers and swimming. Ask your nurse. Been on Pods almost 10 years.

It's going to be tender for several days after port placement surgery, but overall port access was a non issue. Just to give you an idea - I had to get an MRI 2 days after I had the port inserted, and for MRI you are face down, pushing on your chest. They just put a pillow under my port and it was not too bad.

I definitely recommend getting Lidocaine cream that you can put on your port 1-2 hours before they access it for blood draws or chemo. My drill on chemo days was usually blood draw first (and they would leave the port accessed) then see oncologist, then on to infusion, where they didn't have to re-access the port as everything was ready since blood draw. I would put the cream on the port when I was leaving the house and I have over an hour drive. Can't say that accessing the port was 100% pain free, but several times I forgot to put the cream on and they did it without, I could tell there was more discomfort. In any case, blood draws through the port were a lot less uncomfortable than through the vein in the arm. The pain is very short when the needle goes through, and not as bad as when they dig into your vein. I had mixed feelings about my port: it made things a LOT easier, but it would freak me out having something inserted into my vein.

Port placement surgery was a breeze. I was under twilight anestesia - I could still see things and heard conversations, but there was zero pain and I was super calm. Honestly, the calmest 45 minutes in the first month since DX.

Also, I was told about the cream at the "chemo school" - an appointment they usually set up for you with a nurse, where they explain ins and outs, but then it took me several reminders to my doctor's nurse to actually get a prescription for it sent. I was treated at a breast clinic at a hospital with a large cancer center, so if I forgot to put the cream on, I could always ask a nurse at the infusion or the breast clinic, and they always have it on hand. So, don't worry, just ask, and you'll get it.