Connect
← Return to Treatment for (low) IgA deficiency
Discussion
Treatment for (low) IgA deficiency
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: May 8 12:59pm | Replies (19)Comment receiving replies
Hello @happyccl8. I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled, "Medications for Low IgA" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/medications-for-low-iga/.
Members @levidog, @johanhead, and @elias93 posted about their treatments or diagnosis of Low IgA and may have some insight to share with you and your son.
@happyccl8, how is your son doing with the treatments he is currently receiving?
Replies to "Hello @happyccl8. I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled, "Medications for Low IgA" -..."
Connect
Ivig has helped with Igm and igg levels. It has done nothing for his zero iga levels.
The only reactions he has to ivig is rash, and aseptic meningitis. That’s it. Takes about a week to recover.
However he did get pneumonia causing virus recently that caused him to be ill over 14 days and that’s concerning since rarely gets sick except for occasional high fevers of 104.5 and leading to major seizure and altered mental status about a week after. Some kind of post viral encephalopathy. That’s his first protracted illness and ucsf was calling us daily over the weekend and after checking on him. No meds can be given. Just watch and monitor.
They are saying his Encephalopathy and seizures are immune related since he has responded to Iv steroids and Ivig.
My main concern is raising his iga levels to decrease illnesses and inflammation to keep his encephalopathy in remission and decrease seizures.
Now I was reading somewhere that Iga, Igm and igg are made in the digestive system. So my guess I need to do something with his micro flora . I have to agree because at his worse— his stomach was severely bloated and major gas, diarrhea and constipation and he was diagnosed with SIBO and the docs wanted him on some $20,000 antibiotics. So instead of giving him that I chose to go to a functional medicine doctor to use herbs and gentler antibiotics first before using the big guns, that seemed to work well, and all digestive issues are gone now . Functional medicine doc recently dropped us due to covid laws lifting and previously we were seeing the group remotely as they were out of state. California has some strict rules about seeing doctors remotely out of state.
But iga still remains low.
He takes beta glucans and Sbi protect which is bovine based igg . And read that colostrum can help with further gut repair in the hopes of increasing iga immunoglobulins. I am doing all the research I can and reading everything I can to improve his quality of life.
I want my son to be able to go to group environments with other kids without getting so sick like he was recently. He is homeschooled currently to keep him healthy and seizure free.