Can IVIG be done with an active strep infection?

[Debbie1]

We are scheduled for IVIG tomorrow and Thursday. ds8's OCD has ramped up a little in the last few days and this morning he was complaining of headache and stomach ache. He is currently on full strength zith, but it doesn't seem to work as well as Augmentin and Omnicef did for him (not that he was perfect while on either of those, but somewhat better). I just took him to the doctor for a throat culture. The rapid was negative. They are sending a second culture out to the lab, but won't have the results for a few days. His sister is sick with a cold and very congested so maybe it is just the exposure to her that is causing symptoms. I spoke to his teacher at school and she is not aware of any strep recently in the classroom.

 

My question is: if there actually is an active strep infection going on, is it ok to do IVIG? (maybe an ignorant question, but I am just not sure).

 

Thanks,

Debbie

[EAMom]

I don't really know the answer to your question...but we did postpone our first IVIG (orig. scheduled June 09) b/c our dd got H1N1. The doc didn't want to do IVIG if she was already sick, esp. since the IVIG can make them feel crummy (headache, flu-like symptoms) and he also wanted her well hydrated b-4 the procedure.

 

How does your doc feel about doing IVIG with a sick kid (assuming it's not strep)? I think it's quite possible the ramp in behavior is from a non-strep illness (eg. viral).

Edited April 20, 2010 by EAMom

[sf_mom]

We have seen our son respond to other family members with colds.

 

Oftentimes kids that are very ill and in the hospital are administered IVIG to abate symptoms. It isn't a problem to move forward with IVIG but I would be mindful of other children also VERY sick in the Dr.'s office environment in case he does have an active strep infection.

 

-Wendy

 

 

 

We are scheduled for IVIG tomorrow and Thursday. ds8's OCD has ramped up a little in the last few days and this morning he was complaining of headache and stomach ache. He is currently on full strength zith, but it doesn't seem to work as well as Augmentin and Omnicef did for him (not that he was perfect while on either of those, but somewhat better). I just took him to the doctor for a throat culture. The rapid was negative. They are sending a second culture out to the lab, but won't have the results for a few days. His sister is sick with a cold and very congested so maybe it is just the exposure to her that is causing symptoms. I spoke to his teacher at school and she is not aware of any strep recently in the classroom.

 

My question is: if there actually is an active strep infection going on, is it ok to do IVIG? (maybe an ignorant question, but I am just not sure).

 

Thanks,

Debbie

[Debbie1]

Thanks for the replies, Wendy and EAMom. He really is not feeling sick and doesn't look sick. He is not congested and the doctor said his throat did not look red. He complained of headache and stomach ache this morning, but when he came home from school he said he felt fine all day. He said he has not had a headache since this morning. He does continue to complain of stomach ache and has for the last several weeks. We did find that dairy is big offender for him and that some of his stomach aches have been OCD/anxiety related (afraid we are going to have a fire in the house). However, when he complained of both stomach ache and headache this morning, together with his recent ramp in symptoms, I got worried. We went for the throat culture as a precautionary measure. I was glad the rapid was negative, but was wondering if the 72 hour came back positive, would it have been wrong to do IVIG. I suppose even if the cultures came back negative, any of our kids could have strep hiding out in their bodies somewhere - hence rising titers (in some) without a positive culture. Isn't that is one of the reasons people do IVIG??

[sf_mom]

YES, that is why we do IVIG. If your son has been on antibiotics for a while the stomaches/headaches could be from Herxing 'elimination of toxins' or it could be strep in the gut. We had daily complaints of stomachs, headaches, diarrhea and yellow poops until we started gut flora repair. No complaints since but occasionally still have yellow poops that I attribute to toxins being eliminated.

 

GOOD LUCK.... I look forward to hearing of both your kids recovery!!!

 

Thanks for the replies, Wendy and EAMom. He really is not feeling sick and doesn't look sick. He is not congested and the doctor said his throat did not look red. He complained of headache and stomach ache this morning, but when he came home from school he said he felt fine all day. He said he has not had a headache since this morning. He does continue to complain of stomach ache and has for the last several weeks. We did find that dairy is big offender for him and that some of his stomach aches have been OCD/anxiety related (afraid we are going to have a fire in the house). However, when he complained of both stomach ache and headache this morning, together with his recent ramp in symptoms, I got worried. We went for the throat culture as a precautionary measure. I was glad the rapid was negative, but was wondering if the 72 hour came back positive, would it have been wrong to do IVIG. I suppose even if the cultures came back negative, any of our kids could have strep hiding out in their bodies somewhere - hence rising titers (in some) without a positive culture. Isn't that is one of the reasons people do IVIG??