Side Effects of IVIg

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is a solution of plasma proteins containing antibodies normally present in human blood. These antibodies provide immunity against disease. IVIg is a therapy provided in a health-care setting and is used to treat many different disorders involving abnormal immunity. Numerous side effects are possible.

Common Side Effects

• IVIg side effects usually are minor. They include headache, chills, chest discomfort, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and muscle aches or cramps. Another relatively common side effect involves a group of symptoms including headache, stiff neck and fever (aseptic meningitis syndrome).

Prevention/Solution

• IVIg side effects usually can be alleviated by slowing the rate of infusion, but sometimes these effects last up to 24 hours. Patients may take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen for pain relief.

Serious Side Effects

• Rare serious IVIg side effects include difficulty breathing, chest pain, seizures and severe anaphylactic reactions.

Caution

• Patients with heart, kidney or lung disease must be closely monitored during IVIg therapy, because the treatment is stressful to these organs. It also can raise blood pressure and cause edema.

Considerations

• IVIg theoretically can contain viruses or bacteria, because it is developed from the blood of thousands of donors. All IVIg products, however, are tested for HIV, hepatitis, malaria, syphilis and many other diseases.