What to watch for…

Hi Rhonda,
I am watching your posts.
You remember, and I hope you printed my exact details of being on Cytoxan, since I have MUCH experience with it, after being on it for almost 3 years.
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The most important thing they watch for, is exactly 10 days after getting the Cytoxan, you should be getting bloodwork: CBC, CMP, CRP, and Sed Rate.
The main thing they check for is his WBC and Absolute Neutrophils.
Don’t be too alarmed–every once in a while, I would go under the normal ranges of both. They would then lower the dose of the Cytoxan of the next infusion, to try to compensate it.
Although, when I was a child, I had the chickepox.
One time when I went down to 2 for a WBC, the chickenpox virus stays in your body, and when the WBC is too low to fight off infections, it came out as shingles. Though, because I have CIDP, I have no feeling on my back, which is where they came out. The shingles are supposed to be very painful–but it wasn’t to me, “luckily because I had CIDP…lol”. But I did have to take some special pill that I can’t remember the name, to get rid of it.
And the Absolute Neutrophils need to stay 1500 and above, and the WBC needs to stay 3.8 or above.
When they do happen to go below, just keep him away from people with colds or infections. Until he goes back to normal range.
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And at 2000mg of Cytoxan, (like I was taking), make sure they are giving him 1000mg of Mesna before the Cytoxan, and again another 1000mg of Mesna after the Cytoxan. And that they give him a steroid with it, (they gave me Decadron 6mg). And that they give him LOTS of fluids before the Cytoxan, and more if they can after it too, (NS).
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If you have any questions, you can always reach me.
Hoping for the best,
Ken
(KEDASO)