The injectable medication Neulasta contains pegfilgrastim, which doctors often prescribe for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Despite its effectiveness at treating white blood cell deficiencies, Neulasta poses a risk for side effects in some patients.

Types of Side Effects

Common side effects of Neulasta include nausea, fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, fever, loss of appetite, bone and muscle pain, headaches, indigestion, insomnia, abdominal pain, weakness, peripheral edema and dizziness.

Time Frame

The common side effects of Neulasta typically develop when you first begin treatment with the drug and may diminish as your body becomes acclimated to its effects, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Drug Interactions

The mood stabilizing drug lithium may cause white blood cells counts to increase too rapidly when taken with Neulasta, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Because of this, doctors usually perform frequent blood tests on patients using both drugs to monitor levels of these cells.

Risks

Some patients develop acute respiratory syndrome while taking Neulasta, resulting in inflammation of the lungs, fever and difficulty breathing. Other risks associated with Neulasta include rupture of your spleen, severe allergic reactions and the development of sickle-cell anemia, warns the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Considerations

Because its effects upon fetal development are unknown, doctors restrict the use of Neulasta to incidents when there is no safe alternative to treatment. If you have a history of leukemia, liver problems, sepsis, sickle cell disease or peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization, it may not be safe for you to take Neulasta, cautions the Mayo Clinic.

Source:

U.S. National Library of Medicine Daily Med: neulasta (pegfilgrastim) injection, solution

Mayo Clinic: Pegfilgrastim (Subcutaneous Route)