IV Immune Globulin

[Bobbie]

Christina suppliedt this info. Thx.
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The side effects for IVIG are very few. Weight gain is one. During or immediately after the IVIG you have have bad abdominal cramps and also a headache. Your Dr. should have given you a Benadryl prior to the infusion to counter act any allergic reaction that may occur but that would only happen during the infusion not after. Also you should have been given Tylenol to counter act the headache. I only had cramps after my first IVIG for the other two I was perfectly fine and did not take the Benadryl since I had no reaction with the first. I did take the Tylenol prior to all three infusions. Also, like a blood transfusion there is always the risk of acquiring some yet undiscovered infection such as when AIDS was first discovered.This is why usually they don't do the IVIG's in young people. My Dr. was reluctant to give me them due to this fact but when all else failed we had no other choice.

The antibodies only stay in your system for 3-4 weeks and then they are gone completely. Normal protocol for severe C-diff is two infusions 3 weeks apart. I had three infusions, why I don't know. I honestly think it was an experiment but that's just my unconfirmed opinion. Anyway, they were spaced 3 weeks apart or 21 days. If they're going to work they should kick in within the first 24 hours if not, they didn't work. I had the first one last August and still continuously relapsed from August to November maybe 5-6 times but never went back on the Vanco. I had about 4 positive tests results within that time frame. The total time from when I had the first infusion to the point where I actually felt somewhat normal and knew it was gone was 5 months. At that time (Jan. 2007) I had a colonoscopy which tested positive for microscopic colitis which my Dr. said was left over C-diff. I am doing much better now but am on a bunch of meds. for very bad IBS which unfortunately, I will probably always have.