Ocrevous scheduled Yay!!!

[Sunshine]

How long until you saw help from IVIG Laz?

[Lazarus]

How long until you saw help from IVIG Laz?

Immediate. It acted the same way as the hour infusions of methylprednisolone. It helped with energy...eliminated fatigue...both physical and mental. The rituxan benefits have more depth. But both of them have been life savers for me.

[Virginia]

Linda, did you go every other week for IVIg like Sunshine does?

[Cherie]

Just finished my second day of IVIg this week. 60 grams in over 2 days. Feel much better this evening than I have in a few weeks.

[Virginia]

Cherie, when are you due for another Rituxan infusion?

[Lazarus]

Linda, did you go every other week for IVIg like Sunshine does?

Yes, I went every other week.. but the amount I got each time was enormous ..Perhaps some mathematician can calculate but it was significant. No side effects either.

Cherie got 60g over 2 days. I got 70 g in one day and then 70g two weeks later.

[Cherie]

Cherie, when are you due for another Rituxan infusion?

September. Tossed and turned all night aching and shaky. Temp is up to 100-101 from the IVIg. This has happened the last three infusion I have had. I just forget how intense the crappy feeling is.

[Howie]

Cherie, I hope you can get some sleep tonight, and start feeling better soon.

[Lazarus]

September. Tossed and turned all night aching and shaky. Temp is up to 100-101 from the IVIg. This has happened the last three infusion I have had. I just forget how intense the crappy feeling is.

Sorry you are having a rough time of it......I was wondering what they give you for premeds. I had 3 meds given before the infusion of I IVIg...one was a steroid which was also infused...I forget the others but will ask. Anyway, once when my nurse forgot to give me the premeds I had an extreme reaction. They stopped the infusion, administered the premeds and we continued. I was just wondering. If some premedication might ward off your reaction. I also remember that some people had trouble with one or another ‘brands’ of IVIg....and they switched to a different maker.

[Virginia]

Cherie, even though it was given over two days do you think the dose is too much for you? It seems that everyone is all over the place with this drug, as far as how much they take.

Also, I have heard Sunshine say that it takes 8 hours to give hers and I wonder if the amount of time over which it is given is a factor in side effects.

[Cherie]

Sorry you are having a rough time of it......I was wondering what they give you for premeds. I had 3 meds given before the infusion of I IVIg...one was a steroid which was also infused...I forget the others but will ask. Anyway, once when my nurse forgot to give me the premeds I had an extreme reaction. They stopped the infusion, administered the premeds and we continued. I was just wondering. If some premedication might ward off your reaction. I also remember that some people had trouble with one or another ‘brands’ of IVIg....and they switched to a different maker.

Tylenol and benadryl. Cannot do steroids. The reaction did not start till 12 hours after the second infusion ended. Temp is down to 100.

[Cherie]

Cherie, even though it was given over two days do you think the dose is too much for you? It seems that everyone is all over the place with this drug, as far as how much they take.

Also, I have heard Sunshine say that it takes 8 hours to give hers and I wonder if the amount of time over which it is given is a factor in side effects.

My Dr traditionally does three days. Because I have had it so many times and have not had a reaction during, they now do the infusion over 4-5 hours. Used to do it over 8.

[Lazarus]

Cherie, even though it was given over two days do you think the dose is too much for you? It seems that everyone is all over the place with this drug, as far as how much they take.

Also, I have heard Sunshine say that it takes 8 hours to give hers and I wonder if the amount of time over which it is given is a factor in side effects.

Virginia,
The time it takes to infuse depends on 2 things. The speed of the infusion and the amount given. As you can see from Cherie’s last post they make decisions about speed and quantity from the patient’s reaction.

I had a group of about 20 friends who were taking it when I was taking it. the reactions people sometimes have may be related to the manufacture of the IVIg and not the IVIg itself. One friend was allergic to one of the stabilizing elements that was part of the manufacture, a minor thing except to her, and I remember the hospital needed to access a different brand of IVIg for her. But none of us had any side effects at all. Remember, this is not a drug as we think of drugs. It is a product retrieved from blood of a thousand donors.


The years I took it were great. I was able to tolerate it running at top speed from the start of the infusion. If I had not they would start the drip at a slow rate and then ramp it up slowly until they got to full speed. That is how they do my rituxan.

[Sunshine]

September. Tossed and turned all night aching and shaky. Temp is up to 100-101 from the IVIg. This has happened the last three infusion I have had. I just forget how intense the crappy feeling is.

That’s why I lowered my infusion rate. Due to fever twice. And severe spasm once. My infusion rate is 30. I do 25G of Gammaguard over 7.5 hours, up to 8 hours if you count insertion etc, and if Center is swamped.

Also, Cherie, in rare cases IVIG can precipitate sepsis, aseptic meningitis.so be careful and monitor fever

[Virginia]

I was thinking of asking Doctor about it when I see him next month, but sounds very complicated. Maybe if I got into it I might feel differently.

I am going to ask if he thinks I can tolerate Rituxan.