Immune Globulins and Autism Ranking:

Risks and Safety

Hazards

Immunoglobulin therapy can cause a wide range of side effects. For example, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (2017), immunoglobulin therapy can cause minor side effects, such as

• Diarrhea, stomach pain or upset
• Low fever
• Mild headache or back, joint, or muscle pain
• Pain, itching, burning, redness, swelling, warmth, or a lump under your skin where the shot is given
• Stuffy or runny nose

It can also cause more significant side effects, such as

• Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
• Blistering, peeling, or red skin rash
• Blue lips or fingernails, trouble breathing
• Change in how much or how often you urinate
• Chills, cough, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting during the infusion
• Confusion, weakness, muscle twitching

It can also cause potentially life-threatening side effects such as 

• Serious kidney problems
• Blood clots in your heart, lungs, or brain
• Haemolysis (bleeding) or haemolytic anemia
• Aseptic meningitis syndrome (AMS)
• Serious lung problems
• Low sodium or high protein levels in your blood

For a full list of potential side effects please see University of Maryland Medical Center (2017) Immune globulin (Injection) . Baltimore, MD:  University of Maryland Medical Center.

Contraindications

There are some contraindications (something which makes a particular treatment or procedure potentially inadvisable) for immunoglobulins. For example, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (2017), immunoglobulin therapy may be contraindicated for individuals with “… kidney problems, anemia or blood clotting problems, diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, a history of heart attack or stroke, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), or protein problems such as paraproteinemia or hyperproteinemia”. 

Notes

Aseptic meningitis syndrome (serous inflammation of the linings of the brain not caused by bacteria); atherosclerosis (build-up of fatty material inside your arteries); haemolysis (internal bleeding); haemolytic anaemia (anaemia caused by bleeding hyperproteinemia (increase in the concentration of protein in the bloodstream); idiopathic (relating to or denoting any disease or condition which arises spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown); thrombocytopenic purpura (blood disorder characterized by clotting in small blood vessels of the body); paraproteinemia (excessive quantities of paraprotein present in the blood).
 

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

31 May 2018

Next Review

01 Jun 2024