Pegfilgrastim Side Effects

Brand Names: Neulasta

Please note - some side effects for Pegfilgrastim may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/ or 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Side Effects of Pegfilgrastim - for the Consumer

Pegfilgrastim

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Pegfilgrastim:

Bone or joint pain; constipation; muscle pain.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; dizziness; fast heartbeat; increased sweating; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); fast breathing; fever; left-sided shoulder tip pain; left-sided upper stomach pain; a lump, swelling, or bruising at the injection site; severe or persistent bone, chest, joint, or stomach pain; shortness of breath; swelling of the hands, feet, arms, or legs; wheezing.

Side Effects by Body System

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal side effects associated with the administration of pegfilgrastim have included medullary bone pain, occurring in 26% of clinical trials patients.

Metabolic

Metabolic side effects associated with the administration of pegfilgrastim have included reversible elevations in LDH (19%), alkaline phosphatase (9%), and uric acid (8%). Treatment intervention was not necessary.

Hematologic

Hematologic side effects including splenic rupture have been reported rarely following the administration of filgrastim (the parent compound of pegfilgrastim) when used for peripheral blood progenitor cell mobilization in both healthy donors and patients with cancer. The administration of pegfilgrastim has been associated with asymptomatic leukocytosis (less than 1 %).

Pegfilgrastim should not be used for peripheral blood progenitor cell mobilization. Patients receiving pegfilgrastim who report left upper abdominal or shoulder tip pain should be evaluated for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture.

General

General side effects associated with the administration of pegfilgrastim have included many effects that have been associated with the chemotherapy that was given concomitantly. These have included nausea, fatigue, alopecia, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, fever, anorexia, skeletal pain, headache, taste perversion, dyspepsia, myalgia, insomnia, abdominal pain, arthralgia, generalized weakness, peripheral edema, dizziness, granulocytopenia, stomatitis, mucositis, and neutropenic fever. Most of these effects have been attributed by the investigators to be the result of the underlying condition or the chemotherapy administered.

Respiratory

Respiratory side effects including adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been reported with the use of filgrastim (the parent compound of pegfilgrastim).

Because adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been reported with the use of filgrastim, patients receiving pegfilgrastim who develop fever, lung infiltrates, or respiratory distress should be evaluated for the possibility of ARDS.

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