Hi dl4plans,

I have had IVIG, but I have not had plasmapheresis before. Is there anything in particular you need to know? For me, IVIG has been quite helpful. Initially, I received it a number of times in the hospital when I had exacerbations of my symptoms that were quite bad. I had five days of treatment. I am receiving IVIG now, two days in a row every two weeks, on an outpatient basis.

Everyone is different. I have heard some people get IVIG and experience no side effects with the treatment. I do get side effects, and I think that happens pretty often for patients. I take medication before they give the immunoglobulin. I take tylenol, zofran (an anti-nausea medication), and also Maxalt (an anti-migraine medication, because unfortunately it also gives me a migraine). It is also common to give Benadryl with infusions, and sometimes a steroid medication like prednisone. These can lessen the chance of a reaction to the IVIG. If you will be receiving it, you can also help yourself by drinking water and being well hydrated the day before your treatment, and trying to drink the day you get the treatment if you can as well. If you start experiencing symptoms while you are getting the infusion, ask the nurses to slow down the rate of the infusion or even stop it for a few minutes. This can really help a lot. If they slow down the rate of the IV, it can make the side effects more manageable or even go away.

I hope this answers some of your questions. If you have other questions, feel free to ask. Maybe somebody else will be able to answer your questions about plasmapheresis.

Take care,
Erin