IVIG Reactions on BOLUS

OK, so what is a bolus? That’s what I wanted to know when my Mayo clinic specialist’s notes said he preferred not to use a bolus. So, I looked it up.

In my own words, a bolus is a single large dose of medication intended to raise the desired medication concentration rapidly to a very high level.

Consider the comparison. I was taking 3 days IVIG every 3 weeks. Mayo put me back on 1 day every week. What’s the difference?

Some might say, not much, or, none at all. Well, in fact the difference, from my perspective, is that during the bolus I got worse during the 5 months I was using the bolus treatment.

After I went back on 1 dose every week, I improved. Improved what? The grip strength in my right, and weakest, hand improved from average 7# to 8#. May not seem like much, does it? Yet, that is a 14% improvement, isn’t it? Left hand only improved 4%. But, it had not declined as far either.

You asked for ideas preventing your issue(s). My idea is that I would abandon 5 days every 12 weeks and ask for 1 treatment, infused very slowly, every two weeks.