ShanAlis,
There is a very good article Cathi posted on the Links Group about side effects and adverse reactions to Immune Globulin:

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/myasthenia-gravis-links-and-news/discussions/messages/14494960

Many of us tolerate IVIG with few problems as long as we are careful to drink lots of fluids before during and after infusion and take our benadryl and tylenol. Some of us have had headache, migraine, flu like symptoms, and aseptic meningitis. As stated in the article, problems with infusion usually become apparent early and most can be managed with adequate hydration, slower rate, and premedication. Not everyone benefits or continues to benefit from IVIG, but it has put a stop to my recent deterioration and even those with problems often chose to continue the infusions as the treatment improves their functioning. b.

I get IVIG once a month, and this past month for the first time we tried it without the steroids (an infusion usually goes along with IV steroids for the purpose of decreasing the chance of side effects that bweeds lists), and I still didn't have any side effects at all. (With tylenol, benedryl, and drinking lots of water, of course.) So it is possible to have no adverse effects. The only thing is I get a little tired during the treatment, maybe from the benedryl, or maybe just because I'm having a bunch of 70 degree liquid dumped into my viens.

I started having either IVIG or plamapheresis almost 6 months ago, and the treatments are kind of compounding on one another; each treatment makes me feel even better than the last one. Then I decline a little between treatments but not much since I'm taking a lot of steroids. When I get an infusion, it takes about a week to kick in in full. So don't get scared if you still feel crappy a few days after the treatment. And now that I've been getting treatments regularly, I feel pretty close to normal (pre-MG) right now, so I love IVIG. BTW I get the brand Gamma Gard, which my nurse tells me has the lowest incidence of side effects that she knows of.

Thank you both of you! These are great resources of information! I will ask about that brand vieve. I'm so happy to hear that you feel that you are getting to a place where you were pre-MG. I'd love for that to happen for me! Hopefully with a couple of these treatments i can get there too.

Apparently patients can build up a tolerance so a headache after the first day may not mean you will get one after the third day etc. My IVIG was Flebbogamma 5% dif for what that is worth. I think according to this comparison chart, you have a 75% chance of getting at least a headache from GammaGard.

It is interesting to see what goes on with each brand including how the infusion rate is listed and how long the half life is etc. Since I am talking of GammaGard, it is possible that it could be the shortest half life of all brands. It also has the longest list of adverse effects and the lowest IGG percentage. We get what we can get, and I wouldn't know if we could get another brand if we wanted to anyway.

http://www.ashp.org/s_ashp/docs/files/DShort_IVIGsidebysideupdatedDec07.pdf

Here is another chart that is more basic:

http://www.medprorx.com/forms/MedProRx_IVIg_chart.pdf

Peace,
Troy

Gammagard has the longest list of adverse effects? I wonder why my nurse told me Gammagard has low incidence of side effects...except that later in the conversation she also was talking about how sometimes a patient can feel more side effects just at the "suggestion" of a doctor or a nurse telling them what they are. Unless a longer list of adverse effects doesn't imply they happen more frequently...either way, I am not gonna click on that link you provide to find out, because I want to continue to believe that the type of IVIG I get is like crystal-clear mountain spring water and it could never hurt me. Haha!! Is denial really finally working out to my benefit? (Of course, maybe I do get a headache and the Tylenol masks it; or maybe I really am in the minority.)

Vieve,

I think that is the right thing for you to do. I am sure all the IVIG is pretty good. The only reason I posted the charts are for everyone's benefit, especially ShanAlis who was mentioning to ask her Neuro about the brand. I don't even know if I would have the option to get another brand,

IVIG should be an effective treatment for us regardless of brand etc,

Also, I don't want to alarm anyone either. I don't believe I am reading the adverse effects correctly. These things can be tough for me to understand. There are some pros and cons associated with all these poisons we take and the different brands as well.

Probably each brand isn't really so different. And it seems that I don't have many side effects with any medication I take, so maybe I just tolerate these things well. But, I would feel bad if I accidentally gave anyone incorrect information, so, Shannon, I don't actually know much about Gammagard other than that it works for me, but I've also never had another kind (that I know of) so I don't really have a comparison. :)

That's okay Vieve! I will let the doctors determine which is best for me. I'm sure then after my first treatment i will be able to determine which brands work for me. We each need to experience them to see what side effects there are.