Started: Nov. 2013 at 150 grams/month. Now at 200 grams/month (plus Imuran). This course of treatment will continue until April 30. This is a bi-monthly IvIG at Kaiser. Is a six month loading dose a normal protocol? I have only had 1 kidney/liver function test. From my reading elsewhere, I've read the normal dose was over a 1 month period.
What was your loading IgG dose?
I was never on a loading dose. I have been on 252g per month for over a year.
My loading dose took place over 3 days. Everyone is different, but generally a loading dose is done over 3-5 days consecutively.
I received 20g for 5 consecutive days then 25g once a week.
bluemoody said:
I received 20g for 5 consecutive days then 25g once a week.
I started getting IVig at the end of June, 2013 - received 3 doses over 2 weeks - 24, 23 and 24 (I think) of Gamumex-C. I then started 70 grams every 3 weeks - 1 gram per kilo of body weight. I've noticed quite a few others here get the same proportion and the same timeframe. My home infusion service says they have most of their IVig patients on the same every 3 week schedule. I tolerate the infusion pretty well - premedicate with Benedryl and Tylenol. My BP goes up a bit when I'm getting maximum infusion rate but not terribly out of wack. [I've had BP problems since the CIDP reared its ugly head a little over a year ago with a traumatic brain event - PRES Syndrom that put me into a coma for a day while my extremely high BP was brought under control. Was also blind for about 3 hours as I came out of the coma.] I fight the drowsy effect of the Benedryl for the first 2 hours and then sleep the last 2 - my nurse wakes me to take my BP every hour. I sleep for a bit longer after the infusion is completed. I sometimes have to take some ibuprofen for a slight headache as bedtime nears but not every time. I do have an allergic reaction to the Gamumex-C which gives me eczema type inflammations around my neck from collars rubbin about a week after the infusion and my hands get a weird dryness. I take Benadryl every other day or so to keep it under control and use cortisone cream when needed.
I didn't get diagnosed with CIDP for another 4 months after the PRES episode. I had a lumbar laminectomy (that I'd needed for years) that was thought to be the cause of the foot drop in my right foot. I mainly had symptoms only in the right leg until recently when my insurance plan at work changed and the new plan didn't want to cover my IVig until the denial was appealed by having another EMG performed which caused me to miss 2 IVig treatments. I now have neuropathy in the left foot as well. I figure it'll probably take another 2 - 3 treatments to get back to where I was with recovery before I missed the treatments.
My loading dose was 40 grams a day for 3 consecutive days them 35 grams per week. The loading dose gave me the worst head ache I have ever had. A load of bricks were dropped on my head.