IVIG and skewed Hepitis test results

My Dr. was set to start me on Rituxin but said I needed a test for Hepatitis B to be sure I didn't have it because Rituxin could affect t it .I had the test and the results were positive for Hepititis A but not B or C. She will not give Rituxin til she sees if IVIG caused a false positive.She won't repeat the test for Hep for 3 months.Anyone have experience with this issue?Thanks for any input.

I haven't seen anyone post about it. Doctors so rarely do the Hep test before Rituxan that it isn't reported here much.

Here's an article about false Hep B results.

f1000research.com/articles/2-249/v1

Curious packh1. How did that Dex pulse go? Counts fall off too quickly to justify another pulse, or ?

I had a similar issue, they just put me on the hep B drugs and started the Rituxin a week or two later. I am glad I didn't have to wait the additional 3 months. I was on the drug for 1 month after the Rituxin was done.

I did some internet searching and it seemed like IVIG can cause false positives.

I tried to get into a Rituxin trial many years ago, but was rejected because I tested positive for hepatitis B. My family doctor was never able to reproduce the result and later the study authors wrote an article about how many people tested hep B positive and IVIG. The trial specified that you had to be treatment free for a month, so if your counts were low, the doctors would treat with IVIG, which lasts 3 - 4 weeks and then do the tests for the trial.

Thank you for your response.I went for 2nd opinion and 2nd dr agreed with my hematologist.Said IVIG didn't cause a false positive.Told me I should avoid Rituxin (although I had 8 years remission on it) due to possibility it could cause a major flareup and I could ger Hep C which would be bad news.They both want me on Promacta.It is quite upsetting -especially the cost.Our income is too high (and believe me we aren't wealthy).To be stuck on it forever concerns me.Still unsettled and have to make a decision soon.

Thanks Sandi.I may show this to my dr. Another unrelated qestion. I noticed there is a flag adjacent to my post on the discussion topic page.Could you please explain what this means to me.Thanks

I am going to bring up the treating for Hep B then doing Rituxin.Sounds good to me!

Pack - I really don't know why the flag is there, but it seems to be next to most of the posts. Nothing to worry about.

Before you ask to be treated for an illness that you may not have, research the drugs and potential side effects first. I don't know that they would treat you for Hep B when you tested positive for Hep A. Some of those are pretty serious drugs. If you do have it, did treat it and then used Rituxan, it could cause problems like they said. That warning is there for a reason. It's good that your doctors are being thorough. Just my opinion.

People have had remissions after taking Promacta for a few months or years, so I wouldn't assume that you'd be on it for life. It should be prescribed at the lowest possible dose to maintain counts around 50k, so maybe a low dose would work for you which wouldn't be as expensive as a high dose. If it gets to be too much for you, you could always stop the drug and get the Hep tests again.

Sandi,Thank you, Your advice makes sense.I have decided I will go forward with Promacta and at the same time meet with a liver specialist to go over screening result and see if he clears me for Rituxin.The liver failure due to Rituxin has only 2 known cases.Since I had Rituxin in the past I don't think it will be an issue.The first time i had it I wasn't screened for Hep B.

Appreciate the flagging clarification.
This site is proving to be a big help with decision making and getting input from others on a similar path.I'm grateful.

If it's the flag I'm thinking of, it means you have made a comment on that thread.

Haha, I didn't know that. I honestly never even noticed them.

Here's a follow-up to my first post.Dr. finally, agrees IVIG must have skewed the results.They think I may have had a Hep B shot somewhere along the way.

Was cleared for Rituxin and had 3 round today-one more to go.Good counts last week138 today 72 (still out of danger zone).Not too concerned.I am confident they will rebound.
Going on vacation in 2 weeks-need picc line gone.

Wait - you had THREE rounds in one day?

No-meant 3rd round of 4 weekly rounds.Sorry for the confusion.