drugs

Here are two great web sites to look up drug names and their uses: Integris Health and Yahoo! Health

The following are drugs I used to take everyday:

Levaquin (500mg/day) - This is a prophylactic (preventative) antibiotic. I take it while I am neutrapenic to cover a wide range of possible bacterial infections.

Diflucan (200mg/day) - Another prophylactic used to prevent fungal infections.

Acyclovir (200mg/twice a day) - Another prophylactic to prevent viral infections.

Neupogen shots (480mcg/day) - These are those really, really expensive shots I give myself daily (in the stomach) to help my neutrafils grow faster.

Allegra (180mg/day) - Normally used by patients with allergies, this medication keeps my back and hips from aching while I am taking the Neupogen shots.

Prilosec (20mg/day) - Treats stomach ulcers and heartburn caused by acid from the stomach moving backwards into the esophagus. The chemo really beats up the stomach and this stuff is suppose to help prevent ulcers.

Folvite (1mg/day) - Folic acid tablets. Helps the platelets grow faster after chemo.

B-12 supplement (1000mcg/day) - Vitamin B-12 to also help platelets grow faster.

Slow-K (24meq/three times a day) - These are potassium chloride pills. I take three with each meal. For some reason the chemo really makes me lose potassium.

Mag Gluconate (500mg/day) - These are magnesium pills. Keeps my mag levels up.

PhosLo (1335mg/four times a day) - This is calcium acetate. I take 7 pills daily (two each meal and one at bedtime). Helps control the amount of phosphorus in blood.

AlternaGel (5ml/day) - This is aluminum hydroxide. It comes in liquid form. It is also used to lower the amount of phosphorus in the body.

Vancomycin (1.5 grams/every 18 hours) - This is the antibiotic I am on to kill the bacteria in my Hickman catheter. It is infused via my Hickman at 0900 then 0300 then 2100 then 1500 then it repeats again at 0900 for 14 days.

Prednisone (6mg/day) - This is the steroid that keeps my Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis in check. I have been ramping down on these from 40mg/day to 6mg/day. In six weeks I will hopefully be down to nothing

Lovenox (80mg/day) - This is another shot I give myself in the stomach to prevent blood clots. I only take these when my platelets are above 50-80,000.

The following are drugs I took while I am getting the chemo:

AraC (3g/m2) - This is the chemo. Kills fast growing cells (like leukemia, bone marrow, stomach lining, intestinal lining, hair, etc.)

Zofran - This is like a magic drug. It Prevents nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatments. It really works!

Benadryl - Used as a prophylactic to prevent side effects from the chemo. Also given along with Tylenol, to prevent reactions to blood transfusions.

Here is a list of drugs that were prescribed for me, but I never had to take them:

Lidox/Benadryl/Mylanta Solution - This helps with the pain from sores that may develop in the mouth and throat (called mucositis) after chemotherapy.

Torecan - This is thiethylperazine maleate. It is another anti-nausea medication.

Oxycodone - This is oxycodone. Used for pain associated with the Neupogen shots.

That is the entire list. You have to like it....better living through chemistry!





		Ever wondered how many drugs it takes to keep a leukemia patient going? Below is a list of all the medications needed to keep me going while I was going through chemotherapy....

	Better Living Through Chemistry Here are two great web sites to look up drug names and their uses: Integris Health and Yahoo! Health The following are drugs I used to take everyday: Levaquin (500mg/day) - This is a prophylactic (preventative) antibiotic. I take it while I am neutrapenic to cover a wide range of possible bacterial infections. Diflucan (200mg/day) - Another prophylactic used to prevent fungal infections. Acyclovir (200mg/twice a day) - Another prophylactic to prevent viral infections. Neupogen shots (480mcg/day) - These are those really, really expensive shots I give myself daily (in the stomach) to help my neutrafils grow faster. Allegra (180mg/day) - Normally used by patients with allergies, this medication keeps my back and hips from aching while I am taking the Neupogen shots. Prilosec (20mg/day) - Treats stomach ulcers and heartburn caused by acid from the stomach moving backwards into the esophagus. The chemo really beats up the stomach and this stuff is suppose to help prevent ulcers. Folvite (1mg/day) - Folic acid tablets. Helps the platelets grow faster after chemo. B-12 supplement (1000mcg/day) - Vitamin B-12 to also help platelets grow faster. Slow-K (24meq/three times a day) - These are potassium chloride pills. I take three with each meal. For some reason the chemo really makes me lose potassium. Mag Gluconate (500mg/day) - These are magnesium pills. Keeps my mag levels up. PhosLo (1335mg/four times a day) - This is calcium acetate. I take 7 pills daily (two each meal and one at bedtime). Helps control the amount of phosphorus in blood. AlternaGel (5ml/day) - This is aluminum hydroxide. It comes in liquid form. It is also used to lower the amount of phosphorus in the body. Vancomycin (1.5 grams/every 18 hours) - This is the antibiotic I am on to kill the bacteria in my Hickman catheter. It is infused via my Hickman at 0900 then 0300 then 2100 then 1500 then it repeats again at 0900 for 14 days. Prednisone (6mg/day) - This is the steroid that keeps my Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis in check. I have been ramping down on these from 40mg/day to 6mg/day. In six weeks I will hopefully be down to nothing Lovenox (80mg/day) - This is another shot I give myself in the stomach to prevent blood clots. I only take these when my platelets are above 50-80,000. The following are drugs I took while I am getting the chemo: AraC (3g/m2) - This is the chemo. Kills fast growing cells (like leukemia, bone marrow, stomach lining, intestinal lining, hair, etc.) Zofran - This is like a magic drug. It Prevents nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatments. It really works! Benadryl - Used as a prophylactic to prevent side effects from the chemo. Also given along with Tylenol, to prevent reactions to blood transfusions. Here is a list of drugs that were prescribed for me, but I never had to take them: Lidox/Benadryl/Mylanta Solution - This helps with the pain from sores that may develop in the mouth and throat (called mucositis) after chemotherapy. Torecan - This is thiethylperazine maleate. It is another anti-nausea medication. Oxycodone - This is oxycodone. Used for pain associated with the Neupogen shots. Surfak - for constipation. That is the entire list. You have to like it....better living through chemistry!