hi kate

[FONT=”Microsoft Sans Serif”]hey there– for what it’s worth, a friend of mine who had received ivig in the last 6 months came up positive for hepatitis b [B]core[/B] antibodies… although ivig is typically considered safe, it is a blood product (from over a thousand donors) and therefore has some risks (unknown viruses not yet identified, etc). while one might argue that hep b or c core antibodies are not dangerous– they do have the potential of being reactivated. this you can google to read the different ways that can and has happened. (fwi, the friend to which i refer tested negative for these antibodies prior to the administration of ivig, hadn’t been exposed to any other possible means of infection, and then tested positive; also, he is now going through the stem cell transplant program that i completed 4 months ago.)

also, know this– while ivig does wonders for some, it does nothing for others, like me. in my case i had a stem cell transplant that, thus far, has cured my cidp. i realize many don’t believe in the word cure here– an earlier debate of no consequence. but just as an example, combination chemotherapy is one of many ways to potentially reactivate core antibodies.

my 1st neurologist, jonathon katz, who is recommended by this foundation as the guy to see in the area i live, states that ivig is only efficacious in approximately 40% of cidp cases.

i didn’t spend enormous time googling but did find this abstract for your benefit: [url]http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(05)83296-2/abstract[/url]

best of luck to you!
alice[/FONT]