 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Sinusitis / March 2005IVIG for specific antibody deficiency
Hi, I've been lurking for awhile but haven't posted. I would love to hear from someone who has been treated with IVIG for chronic sinusitis. I have had my first treatment, went off Avelox about two weeks later, and am now waiting with great anxiety to see what happens. I haven't been able to get off antibiotics for more than a few days in about six months. I have another treatment scheduled next week. Just so you know, I'm doing all the other regular stuff- irrigating with both saline & sporonox, allergy shots, Singulair & Allegra, daily oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. Hi. I have not been treated with IV IgG but have low levels and am in the process of being tested to see if I'm producing antibodies to vaccinations, such as tetanus and pneumonia. Since last May, I've had myriad sinus infections, at least two serious bouts of bronchitis and two rounds of pneumonia. I see online that IV IgG is the treatment of "choice" for people with low IgG levels, but I note that it is often not successful. I hope you will report on your experience with it. BTW, do you know which of your IgG subgroup levels are low, and how low your overal IgG is? My overall level isn't much below normal, but something sure is wreaking havoc on my immune system. Pell > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > with both saline & sporonox, allergy shots, Singulair & Allegra, daily > oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. My overall IgG is fine; I think that only four out of twelve subclasses were measured, and three of the four were low (IgG 3 was very low). My MD told me that the tests that measure IgG subclasses are not that great, and that the "acid test" is the response to vaccinations. I produced antibodies to tetanus, but the response to pneumovax was weak enough that my insurance co. approved a four month trial of IVIg. I am very hopeful that it will help, as not much else has. I had no side effects from the first infusion, although I was very tired the next day. I really don't notice much of a difference, but I will say that I have now been off antibiotics for five days and have not gone downhill, which is a record given my experience over the last six months. LJ > Hi. > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > daily > > oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. > My overall IgG is fine; I think that only four out of twelve subclasses > were measured, and three of the four were low (IgG 3 was very low). My > MD told me that the tests that measure IgG subclasses are not that > great, and that the "acid test" is the response to vaccinations. I > produced antibodies to tetanus, but the response to pneumovax was weak > enough that my insurance co. approved a four month trial of IVIg. My immunologist had a different testing protocol: Instead of tetanus, she specially ordered a special vaccine called PRP. PRP consists of killed Hemophilus influenzae bacteria (that's a common cause of sinus infections). She ordered that because my initial count of H. influenzae antibodies was so low. Given how many times I've had sinus infections, I should have had more antibodies to that thing. But I reacted well to the PRP so she decided I didn't have an antibody deficiency. If you're having repeated infections indicating an immune deficiency, you ought to be tested for HIV if there's any chance at all you might have become infected.  SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. Thanks- I've been tested for HIV. IgG subclass deficeiency is considered a primary immune deficiency; I've discovered that there are quite a few of them- most of which I don't have, thank God. > > My overall IgG is fine; I think that only four out of twelve subclasses > > were measured, and three of the four were low (IgG 3 was very low). My > > MD told me that the tests that measure IgG subclasses are not that > > great, and that the "acid test" is the response to vaccinations. I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > she specially ordered a special vaccine called PRP. PRP consists of > killed Hemophilus influenzae bacteria (that's a common cause of sinus > infections). She ordered that because my initial count of H. influenzae > antibodies was so low. Given how many times I've had sinus infections, > I should have had more antibodies to that thing. But I reacted well to > the PRP so she decided I didn't have an antibody deficiency. > > If you're having repeated infections indicating an immune deficiency, > you ought to be tested for HIV if there's any chance at all you might > have become infected. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. On 2/20/05 7:38 AM, in article 1108913892.231238.178520@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, > she specially ordered a special vaccine called PRP. PRP consists of >> killed Hemophilus influenzae bacteria (that's a common cause of sinus > >> infections) Please ask your doctor where she gets this vaccine PRP and to please let me know. Once upon a time there were dozens of these available and I haven't been able to lacate any recently. Thanks. Murray Grossan, M.D. > On 2/20/05 7:38 AM, in article > 1108913892.231238.178520@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > able to lacate any recently. Thanks. > Murray Grossan, M.D. Why don't you contact her directly. Her name is Dr. Maria Castells at the Allergy Department of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Chestnut Hill Massachusetts, 617-278-0300 SignatureSteven D. Litvintchouk Email: sdlitvin@earthlinkNOSPAM.net Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. Dear Pell, Have you heard yet about your response to vaccinations? I'm happy to report that after two months of IVIg, I have been able to get off antibiotics (and stay well) for the first time since August. Actually, I discontinued the antibiotics two weeks after the first treatment. Still have chronic sinusitis, but no infection. I have had no side effects from the treatments, although I did feel a bit woozy for about 30 minutes after the second treatment. Hope you are feeling better. > Hi. > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > daily > > oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. Thanks for asking! I'll probably hear Monday about whether I seem to have made antibodies to the tetanus shot I got in August. I don't know how much the data will tell the doctor, since we didn't have a before-shot measurement of my tetanus antibody levels, but at least there's data on that. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to stay well long enough to get the pneumonia vaccine. Three days after the last bout of bronchitis, I got another cold. The doctor is trying to prevent that from becoming another bronchitis by having me inhale two squirts of my "rescue" inhaler every four hours until the sinus drainage goes away. Between the inhaler and irrigating 3-4 times a day, the chest infection is being successfully kept at bay. The sinuses still feel assaulted, but maybe that will be little enough body problem that I'll be allowed to get the pneumovax at my appointment Monday. I'm glad you're successfully off antibiotics. Can you explain how you can have sinusitis but no infection? I thought the -itis ending meant infection of whatever is at the beginning of the -itis word. Does it just mean inflammation and not infection? > Dear Pell, > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > daily > > > oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. Yeah- inflammation without infection. I have a lot of allergies, especially to molds, and get shots as well as medications for that. Once the sinus membranes have been inflamed for a period of time, they thicken and become hyper-reactive to just about anything- cold air, stress, etc. It never really goes away but some days are better than others, and the measures I take seem to help overall. > Thanks for asking! > [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] > > > daily > > > > oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. Hey! I got the pneumonia vaccine today. Looks like I might not have IgG subclass deficiency, since I'd not only made antibodies to the August tetanus shot but even had some antibodies to pneumonia before the vaccine. (So why have I had pneumonia twice in the past year? Ugh.) Anyway, I guess I'll have results for the pneumonia antibodies in 6 weeks or so. The rescue inhaler and frequent nasal rinsing kept that cold from getting into my chest. Oh, I used hot rice packs to break up the sinus congestion too. I'm gonna remember that procedure next time I get a cold! > Yeah- inflammation without infection. I have a lot of allergies, > especially to molds, and get shots as well as medications for that. [quoted text clipped - 91 lines] > > > > daily > > > > > oral fluconazole, nasal steroids, etc. Thanks. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.