Neupogen
Brand name: Neupogen
Chemical name: Filgrastim
Class: Granulocyte colony stimulating factor. Neulasta and Zarxio are other granulocyte colony stimulating factors.
How it works: Granulocyte colony stimulating factors help the body make more neutrophils, a type of white blood cell.
Uses: Neupogen is used to reduce the risk of infection during chemotherapy treatment.
How it's given: Neupogen is given intravenously or as an injection once or twice per day for approximately the first 2 weeks of each chemotherapy course.
Side effects:
- bone and joint pain
- muscle pain
- headache
- nosebleeds
- spleen rupture
- pain in the upper left part of the stomach or tip of the left shoulder
- fever
- trouble breathing
- rash
- itching
Your doctor may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen to treat bone pain caused by Neupogen. Neupogen helps the body make more white blood cells by stimulating the immune system, which also creates histamines. So your doctor also may recommend an antihistamine such as Claritin (chemical name: loratadine) – NOT Claritin-D – to ease bone pain caused by Neupogen.
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