Advice about chest pain post-IVIG? (+edema?)

[wisdom_seeker]

My DS17 just finished HD IVIG (+solumedrol). Just as in the first cycle, by the 3rd day he developed painful pressure on his chest. He describes it as rubber bands keeping his ribs from expanding. But he puts his hand on his sternum and winces as if with gastric reflux, and says it "feels like if he's not careful he's going to vomit the air he'd breathed in".

 

Could this be from edema? I am wondering because when I pressed in the skin near his ankles, there was a blanched thumb-print for a couple of seconds. Should i be concerned about that?

 

The other IVIG side effects are:

• metallic taste in his mouth (? from heparin) -- so lots of fluids taste off
• pain all over
• gassiness (burping)

He's had mild diarrhea ~ 2 wks, since starting Malarone + Alinina for babesia, and is sick of fluids post-IVIG, so tonight I'd recommended salty foods to reduce fluid loss. But if the issue was actually edema, did I make things worse?

 

 

[mmw]

My daughter had the same thing. The nurse doing the infusion said it was pretty normal- something about the fluids pooling up. She had her walk around for a few minutes and it got better. It still hurt a little the next day but not much.