Niki - IVIG, as my doctor calls it, is immune globulin intravenous. The
manufacture calls it "IGIV" It is also known as pooled human gamma
globulin or, simply, gamma globulin. It's a blood product. Immune
Globulin Intravenous has multiple mechanisms of action, which vary
depending upon the therapeutic use of the product.  IGIV belongs to a
group of medicines that work by affecting a patient's immune system.
For decades IGIV has been used to treat a variety of infectious or
inflammatory diseases, as well as for the treatment of a variety of
autoimmune disorders. Its sometimes used for MS and rarely for RA.  I
am getting it because my IGG levels are so low that I was getting
chronic sinus infections that were unresponsive to antibiotics. After 4
months of abx and still no cure for my sinus infecctions, I went to an
infectious disease doc who put me on IV abx which after 6 weeks cleared
the infection. He ran blood tests on me and discovered my IGG levels
were all very low. He says I've probably been this way all my life
which explains my lifelong chronic sinus infections, bronchitis and
pneumonia which of course became problematic on Enbrel.  I get the IVIG
treatments every 3 weeks now and every other month he measures the IGG
levels. When I was getting it every 4 weeks the numbers weren't moving.
It's very expensive - about $7000 a month - so it doesn't make sense
to keep doing it if it's not going to help. He said it usually takes
6-12 months to start seeing an improvement. This was my 6 or 7
treatment. It wears off after 3-4 weeks so that's why he started at
every 4 weeks and then backed up to 3. If you want to read about IVIG
you can read it here at the manufactures website:

http://www.gamunex.com/Patient_World.cfm

What I have is called Common Variable Immunodeficiency or CVID for
short with all subclasses low as well.. You can read about it here if
so inclined:

http://www.primaryimmune.org/pubs/book_pats/e_ch03.pdf

It's very interesting how it may be connected to auto-immune disease.
I'm just really learning about this myself. Apparenly if you body is
lacking in the ability to make antibodies against foreign things like
bacteria, viruses and allergens, then the part of your blood, the IGG,
that should be busy doing that gets busy making auto-antibodies. That's
a very simplistic explanation but how the nurses explained it to me.
I'm sure there's a lot more involved. They say they see a lof of MS and
RA/Polyarthritis in folks with low IGG.  There are 4 subclasses of IGG.
Usually people have a deficiency in one or two of the four.  I am
deficient in all four. Lucky me.

My rheumy says we should be "cautiously optimistic" that the treatments
will help the RA. Of course it's not going to reverse any previous
damage even if it does. Oh and the treatments are given in an IV
infusion over the course of 4-5 hours. I have found that the longer the
infusion, the less side effects I get. So that's kinda it in a
nutshell!  Big nut!  LOL  

Cyberhugs. DianeW