Patient tolerated 4 days of Ivig infusion well last week. Last 3 nights experienced headache, fever around 100, slight nausea. Have others experienced similar? Fever went down with Tylenol other days but not today. Infusions were Monday to Thursday last week.
Would welcome comments as reassuring as possible in tone.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Hi, rands. I looked up a few sites to find IVIG side effects and it looks like you are naming the common ones.
In fact, over 38% of patients get a fever from it. Here is the site that said that:
Sounds like there are far less side effects if you can get the IVIG subcutaneously. You may want to consider that.
Hope the side effects diminish over the next few weeks. Sounds like they do in many cases.
Tell hubby I said, "Hi." Glad you are trying IVIG!
Posted by Sammi (Member # 110) on :
rands, yes side effects are common for some people. They may diminish as your body becomes accustomed to the IVIG. Sometimes certain brands can cause more side effects for some people than other brands may.
It is very important to drink a lot of fluids prior to, during, and after your infusion. This can help with the severity of headaches for some people.
It can take some time to find the best brand and best dose for each case. Be aware that if you have low IgA, you need a product with low to no IgA in it. There are not many brands with low IgA.
You can find a lot of information at the Immune Deficiency Foundation http://primaryimmune.org/ There is also a discussion board at this site.
Posted by rands (Member # 47875) on :
Thank you both for the info!
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Sorry I didn't get to see this earlier.
Be sure to notify the prescribing physician of your experience.
With proper premeds, you should not experience unpleasant effects from IVIG. Typical pre meds are Benadryl, Tylenol, & Prednisone ( all three taken together).
You may also need IV hydration before and after to help prevent dehydration which can lead to the migraines, nausea, etc...
Drinking Gatoraide, Powerade, and similar electrolyte drinks seem to help hydrate better than plain water. Though sometimes you simply cannot get enough oral fluids in and still need the IV fluids.