My daughter has a port and has been on Claforan for about 2 months. About a week ago, she started having dizzy spells and headaches following her infusions. Also at this time, the infusions started going in a lot faster - 30 minutes instead of the usual 60.
The dose has not changed, nothing is diffent with the needles used to access the port. The pumps look the same. Our doctor is having my daughter take a break pending results of yesterday's labwork. Any ideas on why this would suddenly happen? Is the headache, dizziness, etc. because the infusion going in so much faster?
She was starting to improve and I really hate to have to disrupt or change her treatment. Any thoughts would be most appreciated!
Thanks!! Suzy
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
I never used a pump, but it sounds like that is your problem. The rate of administration does matter.
Posted by gael1111 (Member # 8816) on :
Hi Suz,
It doesn't sound like a mystery to me. If the infusion is going in at half the time as it has been it probably is too much for her system to handle, causing unwanted side affects.
Does her doctor know this, or is he concerned for other reasons?
Hope this helps,
Gael
Posted by arg82 (Member # 161) on :
I agree that the change in speed of the infusion could definitely be the reason for the symptoms afterwards. I've ALWAYS had to do my IV infusions fairly slowly (more slowly than the infusion company suggests) or else I feel sicker from them.
It kind of sounds like you're not sure why it's going in faster and didn't mean for the rate to change but the pump must have been reprogrammed.
Assuming the labwork is okay, I'd suggest slowing it back down to the slower rate and see if the symptoms stop happening after the infusions.
Peace and healing, Annie
Posted by henson2 (Member # 463) on :
Hi,
I had to stop Claforan in the 4th week because of severe, deep bone pain. At first I thought it was the picc line (it started in that arm) but the next day it progressed all over. There was no question it occurred in response to infusing.
My LLMD told me that a certain percentage of patients get this bone pain from Claforan. It is not a Herx.
If the infusion speed does not turn out to be the issue, be watchful of anything like bone pain.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)