Anybody else get 'motion sickness' type effects after IVIG?

[s162216]

Hi,

This might not be something that anybody else here has experienced, but does anybody get 'motion sickness' type effects a few hours after having IVIG?

When I was at university I used to infuse at Addenbrookes during the holidays, which meant about an hour and a half of travel on various buses as it was the nearest place that did IVIG. After a couple of times having it there I noticed that I tended to feel much worst (headaches, diziness, feeling a little nauseous) after than when I did at the QMC, Nottingham where I normally had it (and nearly always was fine afterwards), but at the time couldn't think why...

Anyway, a few months ago I suddenly became unconsciously aware of the reason: when I had it at the QMC I never usually travelled anywhere in the few hours after having the IVIG, but at Addenbrookes I pretty much immediately had a prolonged bus trip back! Then thinking about it, I realised that I had felt similarly worst on the few occasions in Nottingham where I had taken the bus to my university campus a few hours after having an infusion; it was like a sort of 'motion sickness' as only moving in a car etc tended to trigger it. I've now finished university and am having it at Addenbrookes all the time now, so I intended to mention it at my appointment with the immunologist when I saw her in Decemeber, but stupidly managed to forget!

However, as luck (or bad luck!) would have it I developed appendicitis in early January as some of you know. When I was in I experienced nausea for quite a few days which they gave me anti-emetics for, and when I was discharged they gave me a supply of the Cyclizine tablets in case it should return. I then remembered that Cyclizine is very effective against motion sickness (it was incidentally what NASA selected for use against 'space sickness' during the Apollo landings), and when I went for my next infusion at Addenbrookes one of the immunology registrars came to see me about what had happened when I was in for the appendicitis (very long story!); I mentioned to her that I had been getting 'motion sickness' style effects, and that incidentally I had a supply of Cyclizine which had previously been effective against nausea. She thought it would be a good idea to try, and if it was effective to mention it to them during my next clinic appointment and they would get my GP to put it on my repeat prescription. For the last 3 infusions I've taken it a few hours before, and towards the end of each infusion, and I've felt so much better than previously with none of the effects that I previously experienced.

Don't know if my experience might apply to anybody else, but hope some of you might find this useful,

Sam

[mimi1]

The "motion sickness" component is very interesting. I have not noticed it post infusion. BUT
I have noticed it on the front end of a sinus infection before I actually get symptoms that would
make me go to a doctor's visit for antibiotics. I use the "motion sickness" as a pre symptoms of a sinus
infection.

I have been very fortunate not to have a encapsulated bacterial infections, until now. I had a dark demateacious
mold in my sphenoid sinus cavity in 2004. It grew so big into a fungus ball I had it removed along with all the sinus
compartments on the right side 2004. To make a long story short every six months I go to the ENT to have the right side
scoped for follow-up. I am on a maintenance dose of fluconazole 400 mg monthly to keep the yeast and fungus at bay. I am Diabetes II and have a tendency to have thrush. 2013 we moved and I went to a new ENT for my follow-up, she scoped me and gave me a good report. However in a month I came down with a Klebsiella sp. infection in my sphenoid sinus. It took 3 regimens of antibiotics to rid myself of this encapsulated bacteria. We deducted there must have been some contamination of the equipment however tiny. I am a clinical microbiologist, so I am not squeamish about infections, I have rather a more preventive perspective and how to treat them once there.

Looking back, in hindsight I must have been terribly lucky not have been contaminated before I moved considering the amount of scopes I have had in the past.

During this pre-and period of infection, I was motion sickness all of the time in the car. I can thankfully say that at last I am free of motion sickness once the infection was eradicated.

However it is good to know that an agent could be helpful, as the motion sickness can be very debilitating on a road trip.

Thank-you for this tip.

[s162216]

mimi1 its good to know that what I've said might be helpful! I don't know about in other countries, but in the UK you can buy Cyclizine 50 mg from pharmacies without a prescription if you ask for it, so that might be helpful if you ever get the motion sickness again. You just need to remember to take it 1 - 2 hours before travelling and then again every 4 - 6 hours to a maximum of 3 tablets in 24 hours; I find it very effective.

That sinus cavity fungal infection sounds really uncomfortable! Getting that Klebsiella sp. infection as well must have felt like really bad luck considering how many courses of antibiotics it took to clear it. I suppose that being a clinical microbiologist does put a different perspective on it (I'm from a pharmacology background, and whenever I get given a drug etc I'm always unconsciously thinking about what I know about it e.g how it works, possible side effects etc)!

Sam