Hi Eloise,

I had my first IVIg treatment 3 weeks ago, but the reason for it was dermatomyositis (DM) rather than MS. The treatment was given by IV over 6 hours in the hospital, and was Privigen, 50g in 500mL, which is just under 1g/kg for me. The next is scheduled for a month from the first. I can't say what impact it has on MS symptoms, because I am currently asymptomatic w.r.t. MS, but it, combined with the 20mg of prednisone / day I am on has improved my DM somewhat already.

Side effects wise, I only had a little nausea about 2 hours after the end of treatment, and had some pain in the vein and general area where it was administered for about 4 days. There is the potential for an abundance of side effects, which are listed in detail in a number of places online, though my rheumatologist says he sees them very rarely. One key is that the chance for anaphylaxis is higher if you are IgA deficient, so it is good not to be. :) That is a simple blood test. If there isn't a lot of talk about IVIg on the MS group, you might want to peek at the Polymyositis & Dermatomyositis group for more input.

Good luck and best regards,
Monika

I have had IVIG for my ms did not help, doesnot mean it would not help you. Long treatment, goes by your weight basically on how much you get-good luck hope it works for you.