Gammaguard vs Gammunex

    • Anonymous
      July 21, 2008 at 7:29 pm

      I was going to get a treatment of IVIG last week to try and bump me a little bit. I was doing well, but my dr wanted to get me to the best place she could. But then I got a sinus infection and she didn’t want to give me ivig until it was gone. Now the sinus infections is gone, but the tightness in my legs has gotten worse and moved up into the back of my thighs. I’m scheduled for Ivig on Thursday, but now they tell me I will be getting Gammunex instead of Gammaguard. Every treatment I have had up until now has been Gammaguard and my reaction has been minimal, a little nausea and fatigue and thats it. I know I have been lucky.

      So now, any idea if my reaction would be different from gammunex? The dr assures me it won’t, but I’ve learned to ask here as well……

      What is the difference between Gammunex and Gammaguard?

      Thanks for your help

      marjie

    • Anonymous
      July 21, 2008 at 7:51 pm

      Marjie,

      There is no way of knowing 100% for sure. Because of the scarcity of IVIG at times, they usually have to occasionally give me other brands also. Gammaguard has always been the one I do best with, Gammunex usually agrees with me as well. They will infuse you slower to check for any reaction you might have. Make sure and pre-med with Tylenol and Benadryl also.

      Jerimy

    • Dawn Kevies mom
      July 21, 2008 at 8:24 pm

      Hi Marjie,
      Are you having it at Rush or home? The pharmacists at Rush are really nice, try to ask them if they can swap with another hospital, they did that for Kevie when he was in. Are you with a home health care co.? We use Coram, they ALWAYS have gammaguard for us. FYI for the future, sign up with baxter (gammaguard) for the gamma assist program, it puts you on a special list that assures you will always have ivig even in the event of a shortage. They also allow you to submit how much ivig you use and should you ever loose insurance, they give you a certain amount free based on what you have used in the past. more technical explanation than that, call them, they are in Deerfield.

      About the different brand, if you can’t get gammaguard, you can’t , gammunex and gammaguard ARE pretty close. They both use glycine and do not contain sucrose. Bettter to get something. I have read that it is adviseable to stay with the same brand for constant results, so try to sign up for the gammaguard program.

      I suspect you guys get weaker when you get sick because you have turned on your immune systems to fight off the infection and now it is not shutting off again. You are using the ivig at a faster rate. (my mom view on things, who knows?) So how great that the doc is giving iot to you sooner!!! Hope things go well.
      Dawn Kevies mom

    • Anonymous
      July 21, 2008 at 9:01 pm

      Thanks for the input, I will look into the gammaguard program Dawn.

      I am having it outpatient at Delnor. It is closer to home and its my impression according to my neuro that there is not an outpatient infusion center at Rush. I know when I was admitted to Rush and they were out of IVIG I had to wait a day for treatment because the area hospitals weren’t willing to share, must have been a tight supply at that point.

      I guess Delnor used to use Gammaguard, I had IVIG there the first time, but now they have switched to Gammunex, I don’t know if it is a supply issue or some other reason for the change.

      I’ll pre medicate, I have to call the neuro to remember how many tylenol and how many benadryl. Hopefully I won’t have side effects.

      If this doesn’t work out I’ll look into my insurance coverage and see about using Coram at home. I’m just a difficult stick for an iv and its nice to know there are others that can do it if the first nurse can’t.

      marjie

    • Anonymous
      July 21, 2008 at 11:11 pm

      Marjie-the last sentence you wrote is an issue I am having problems with at home, but my co. has a policy of so many sticks and they still call another nurse in, you just have to wait for her to get to your home.
      As to your premeds-the out pt dept at Delnor probably opens before your neuro does, and they would have a record of what you premed with.
      Emma

    • Dawn Kevies mom
      July 22, 2008 at 9:49 am

      Hi Marjie,
      You are correct, Rush does not have out patient, I thought you meant you were being admitted. Just so you know, gammunex has the same program, Kevie is registered at both. Since the new co. is using gammunes I would make sure I sign up, because gammunex usually has supply issues and it is not good to continuously switch, so I have read. Coram is mostly an infusion co., all they do is stick!!! If they don’t get it after 2 sticks, they call another nurse. Kevin was an awful stick, but a nurse named Joe and Mary ALWAYS got KEvie. You can’t have Joe, he is all ours!!! LOL. What about a port? It is so much easier for Kevie now!!! No worrying about the stick, a blown vein. Well, if ou would like to talk, pm me.
      Dawn