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why is claritin recommended to help with bone pain during cancer treatment

by Arely Altenwerth Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

The reason why Claritin (loratadine) is taken with Neulasta

Pegfilgrastim

Pegfilgrastim is a man-made version of a certain natural substance made in your body. It is used to help your body make more white blood cells. White blood cells are important to help you fight off infections.

(pegfilgrastim) is to reduce bone pain, which is a very common side effect of Neulasta. When patients are undergoing chemotherapy it often causes a decrease in neutrophils levels (which is a type of white blood cell that fights infection) and this increases the risk of infections.

Claritin is an antihistamine that blocks histamine, so decreases the amount of inflammation and swelling in the bone marrow and therefore reduces the pain.Aug 3, 2020

Full Answer

Does clartin and its generic brand help with bone pain?

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are usually effective in preventing or relieving bone pain from Neulasta. Some examples of these drugs include: There’s some evidence that suggests loratadine ( Claritin ), which is an OTC antihistamine, can help prevent or ease bone pain. But there’s conflicting research about this.

Will you have bone pain with Claritin?

Bone pain can be a common side effect of certain medications such as: ... • Claritin ® ( loratadine) 10mg, take 1 the day prior to injection, take 1 the day of the injection, and 1 a ... Any questions or concerns you may have. If pain is severe, gets worse, or does not go away. If you need a refill on prescribed pain medication.

Can Claritin cause cancer?

Will you have Breast cancer with Claritin? Breast cancer is found among people who take Claritin, especially for people who are female, 50-59 old, have been taking the drug for 5 - 10 years. The study is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 57,744 people who have side effects when taking Claritin from the FDA, and is updated regularly.

Does ibuprofen help with bone cancer pain?

● Step 1, which represents mild to moderate cancer-related pain, suggests the use of acetaminophen or an NSAID, possibly combined with an adjuvant drug to provide additional analgesia, treat a side effect, or manage a coexisting symptom. (See "Cancer pain management: Adjuvant analgesics (coanalgesics)".)

How does Claritin help cancer patients?

Second-generation H1-antihistamines include cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), and, more recently, fexofenadine (Allegra). These drugs, which block histamines released by immune cells, are widely used in cancer patients not only to relieve allergy symptoms, but also to prevent nausea and vomiting.

Does Claritin help bone pain from chemo?

We sometimes use loratadine (Claritin) to treat bone pain in patients receiving white blood cell growth factors. How does this work? White blood cell growth factors are used in the prevention and treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

What helps with bone pain from chemo?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) agents and Tylenol®. If you are ordered a medication to treat this disorder - such as naproxen sodium and ibuprofen, may provide relief of musculoskeletal pain.

Do antihistamines help bone pain?

Some antihistamines also have anti-inflammatory effects. Antihistamines have been suggested as a second-line treatment for bone pain associated with colony-stimulating factor use in patients who do not benefit from the acetaminophen of NSAIDs.

Why does loratadine work for bone pain?

Brief Summary: G-CSF causes a release of histamine that may be a cause of chronic bone pain. Loratadine targets histamine, and so may be effective in reducing bone pain. The researchers plan to prospectively assess the effectiveness of loratadine for chronic bone pain in patients with chronic G-CSF use.

Why does Chemo make your bones hurt?

These drugs may be given to help prevent white blood cell (WBC) counts from dropping after treatment. CSF drugs help the body produce more WBCs which are made in the bone marrow. Because the bone marrow activity is higher with these drugs, bone pain may occur.

Can you take antihistamines on chemo?

Anti-nausea drugs: Known as anti-emetics, these medications are often used to treat chemotherapy side effects. Studies have found that taking them with certain oral chemotherapies may cause increased vomiting.

What helps bone bone pain?

You may get temporary relief from bone pain by using over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen.

Does Claritin help with Neupogen pain?

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.

Does Claritin help with bone pain from Neulasta?

Neulasta 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 Neulasta.

What are the side effects for Claritin?

Common side effects of Claritin include:headache,sleepiness,feeling tired,drowsiness,fatigue,nervousness,stomach pain,diarrhea,More items...

Can antihistamines reduce inflammation?

Antihistamines have recently been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that are more extensive than simply the blocking of histamine receptors. For example, new evidence suggests that the suppression of cell adhesion molecule expression occurs with these drugs.

Why is Neulasta used in chemo?

Neulasta is used with certain chemotherapy drugs to lessen the incidence of infections by stimulating the bone marrow to produce white blood cells. Given that our greatest marrow reserves are located in our pelvis and femur, I felt the pain most in those areas.

Does Claritin help with bone pain?

How It Works. It's unclear how Claritin -- an antihistamine -- relieves the severe bone pain that is a common side effect of Neulasta, a bone marrow stimulant that revs up the growth of healthy white blood cells after chemotherapy is given. There are reported trials underway to investigate this remedy.

What is the best treatment for bone pain caused by white blood cells?

Treatment options for bone pain caused by white blood cell growth factors include antihistamines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, and opioids for severe pain. There is relatively limited clinical data studying the use of loratadine and other antihistamines for bone pain in this setting.

What causes bone pain from white blood cells?

Bone pain from white blood cell growth factors involves multiple factors, including inflammation and histamine release. Although the exact mechanism of this pain is not well understood, one potential mechanism is that histamine may cause bone marrow edema and result in pain. Treatment options for bone pain caused by white blood cell growth factors ...

How long does loratadine last after chemo?

In the report on the use of loratadine, a patient with severe bone pain thought to be due to pegfilgrastim took loratadine 10 mg daily starting the day prior to chemotherapy through 5 days following chemotherapy.

What is loratadine used for?

We sometimes use loratadine (Claritin) to treat bone pain in patients receiving white blood cell growth factors. How does this work? White blood cell growth factors are used in the prevention and treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. They may also be used for mobilization of stem cells prior ...

Is loratadine good for bone pain?

Loratadine may be preferred over older antihistamines such as hydroxyzine, as it is associated with less sedation and fewer anticholinergic side effects (eg, dry mouth), although these may still occur in some patients. Patients receiving loratadine for bone pain due to white blood cell growth factors should be educated about potential adverse ...

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What is the best treatment for bone pain from G-CSF?

Pain management options for G-CSF-induced bone pain include acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids. 5,7 Each of these options are appropriate treatments for cancer-related bone pain, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. 9 However, some patients do not obtain pain relief from NSAIDs and opiates. In those cases, physicians have prescribed antihistamines due to the proposed mechanism of action. There is limited reported use of antihistamines to treat G-CSF–induced bone pain; however, 2 drugs have shown promise in published literature.

How long did neutropenia last after chemotherapy?

She experienced severe pain (rated as 10 out of 10) that radiated down her legs and into her feet, which lasted approximately 10 days.

Can antihistamines be used for bone pain?

In those cases, physicians have prescribed antihistamines due to the proposed mechanism of action. There is limited reported use of antihistamines to treat G-CSF–induced bone pain; however, 2 drugs have shown promise in published literature.

Does G-CSF cause bone pain?

G-CSF is effective at prophylactically decreasing the neutrophil nadir; however, it is not without side effects. Bone pain is a common side effect after both filgrastim and pegfilgrastim injection. The precise underlying mechanism behind the bone pain is unknown; it may be caused by expansion of bone marrow resulting from increases in hematopoietic progenitor cells and histamines as part of an immunologic response brought on by G-CSF. 5 Histamine release has been implicated in bone marrow edema and pain. 6 In addition, CSF receptors have been found on nerve fibers that may affect JAK-STAT, MAPK, and PI3K pathways that may be directly or indirectly implicated in pain modulation. 5 Nevertheless, there remains uncertainty regarding the precise mechanism of bone pain.

How to help bone pain from cancer?

Here are 10 steps you can take to help manage cancer-related bone pain: Talk to your doctor. Untreated bone pain may interfere with your ability to battle the disease and reduce your quality of life. Talk to your doctor about pain-relief options and concerns you might have about taking pain medication. Find a pain doctor.

Why does my bone hurt after cancer treatment?

Other causes of cancer-related bone pain include: Unrelieved bone pain may affect your eating, sleeping, activity, mood and concentration. It may also slow your recovery from cancer treatment. Proper pain management may help you feel better so you can continue to participate in activities you enjoy.

What causes bone pain?

Some cancers that commonly spread to the bones include breast, lung, prostate, thyroid and kidney cancers. Cancer cells that spread to the bone disrupt the balance of normal cellular activity of the bone’s structure, damaging bone tissue, which may cause pain. Other causes of cancer-related bone pain include:

What is the treatment for bone metastasis?

Radiation therapy that targets bone metastasis and destroys cancer cells that have settled in the bones. Medications, such as anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics, antidepressants and steroids, with an eye toward maintaining a balance between pain control and quality of life.

What is the treatment for cancer pain?

Because of the complex nature of cancer-related pain, pain management usually involves a combination of techniques, such as: Orthopedic surgery to help stabilize weakened bones and prevent or repair fractures. Radiation therapy that targets bone metastasis and destroys cancer cells that have settled in the bones.

What is the most common cancer that spreads to bones?

Bones are a common location to which cancer metastasizes. Some cancers that commonly spread to the bones include breast, lung, prostate, thyroid and kidney cancers.

What does a doctor do for pain management?

A doctor who focuses on pain management may help develop a plan tailored to your needs, goals and preferences. If you’re seeing providers in different locations, make sure all members of your health care team are aware of the medications you’re taking. Track your pain. Pain may sometimes be difficult to describe.

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