Re: Re: Itchiness after Sub-q

[Guest guest]

Thanks, for the information Terri.

After we last emailed, I asked our infusion nurse about switching to the

sof-set infusion needles. She was adamant that the metal needles were

better because they were shorter and easier to insert. Since only

has them in for less than 2 hours, she didn't feel it was worth the

change. Since I've been fighting enough battles lately, I let that one go.

I'm thinking you're right about the histamine reaction and just living

with it. I'll pass on your experience to him.

As for an improvement in his health ... we haven't seen anything yet.

It's only been 5 infusions and I think it will take a long time. I

managed to learn the procedure, however, without a nervous breakdown --

for which I am grateful.

Sue

" Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. " --

Yeats

cerdaclan wrote:

>

> Good Morning Sue!

>

> Good to see you....I was going to e-mail you today and see how things

> were going for you. Our e-mail addy that is connected to this site

> is back up and running again. I was wondering if your little guy is

> improving?

>

> I wanted the share with you about the itching thing. All 3 of us

> have infusion site itching for 2 or 3 days post infusion......5

> months after starting. I attribute it to a couple of things. On

> thing we did that made a huge difference is to change to the minimed

> sof-set infusion needles with the norfolk extension. Some people can

> easily react to the metals and teflon used in stainless needles.

> BUT, despite the change, we still itch. It is like a bee

> sting....which I am allergic too...and perhaps that is why I have

> come up with the second conclusion...and after research......as with

> IVIG....there can be or is a bit of a histamine response to the

> product....hence the reason for benadryl. Then when you pair the

> fact that you are infusion immunoglobin .....producing an antibody

> response (which is what a histamine response is) to antibodies.....it

> is really pretty unavoidable to have " some " itching. I have to

> really work to keep the girls from scratching BECAUSE.....if you

> scratch at the area where you got the infusion.....just like if I

> were to scratch where I got stung by a bee over a period of several

> days.....you re-aggravate the area and spur on another histamine

> response. If I take an infusion area from 2 days ago and start to

> scratch....I will get a big raised welt....like a bee

> sting.....because there is still residual product...enough that by

> scratching you can spur on another histamine response.....two days

> later.

>

> SO.....I would try to discourage him from scratching as much as you

> can...the more you scratch it, the worse it itches.....and the bigger

> the bump gets ....and the redder it gets....two days after an

> infusion. Not sure it will ever go away....because, after 5

> months....we still have it.....but if we don't scratch.....it stops

> itching......better than benadryl.

>

> Good LUck! I hope that helps!

>

> Terri

>

>

> >

> > Hi everybody,

> >

> > My 12-year-old son has just had his fifth sub-q vivaglobin

> treatment.

> > The treatment itself is pretty painless for him and he doesn't even

> have

> > much reaction on his skin afterward. However, the four injection

> sites

> > are very itchy for a couple of days. I am giving him benedryl

> during the

> > treatment, which helps. Any other suggestions? I haven't used an

> > anti-itch cream because there's nothing to put it on (the skin is

> not

> > red). We're the first family in our doctor's practice to use the

> sub-q

> > treatment, so I thought I'd check with you guys before we see the

> doctor

> > on Thursday.

> >

> > Thanks for the help.

> >

> > Sue in Phoenix

> >

> > (Mom to , 12 with CVID, asthma, celiac)

> >

> > --

> > " Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a

> fire. " -- Yeats

> >

>

>