Hi Winny!

I really can't answer your question as I've never been on this med.  I
just wanted to say "Hi!"  And "Welcome."  Someone will be along who has
some experience with the cyclo, I'm sure.

aHug4u,
Maggie

Hello Winny and welcome to alt.support.lupus

It's strange but I can't find those in the side effects and I usually look very
hard to see if there's a possible connection.
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/cyclophosphamide_ad.htm
It does however say "The degree of neutropenia is particularly important because
it correlates with a reduction in resistance to infections."

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cmv.htm
GENERAL INFORMATION

Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is found universally throughout all geographic
locations and socioeconomic groups, and infects between 50% and 85% of adults in
the United States by 40 years of age. CMV is also the virus most frequently
transmitted to a developing child before birth. CMV infection is more widespread
in developing countries and in areas of lower socioeconomic conditions. For most
healthy persons who acquire CMV after birth there are few symptoms and no
long-term health consequences. Some persons with symptoms experience a
mononucleosis-like syndrome with prolonged fever, and a mild hepatitis. Once a
person becomes infected, the virus remains alive, but usually dormant within
that person's body for life. Recurrent disease rarely occurs unless the person's
immune system is suppressed due to therapeutic drugs or disease. Therefore, for
the vast majority of people, CMV infection is not a serious problem.[]

So perhaps you were previously infected and by suppressing your immune system
the infection roared up again?
I know from having another type of infection that infections can cause all kinds
of (severe) aches and pains.

Once you recover, can they not give you something same or similar but lower
doses (if you need it for Lupus)?
Say a maintenance dose daily instead of the big injections every 3 months? and
watch your blood numbers carefully and back off if the numbers start getting too
low?
Just curious, because I'm not a doctor.
J

Hi,
I was on that a few years ago but I did not get those symtoms. I was on it
for CNS lupus. Intravenous pulses once a month for 6 months.
I felt sick and I was very weak. So weak I could hardly walk. I had to be
helped to the toilet and all that.
As cyclophosphamide is a very strong immonosuppressant I can believe that
would have  caused your infection.
To be frank I don't think cyclophosphamide really helped me.
Anticoagulants were more effective as I had antiphospholipid syndrome too.
Hope you feel better soon.