Hepatitis B immune globulin, also known by its brand name HepaGam B, is an immune globulin that's used to help prevent hepatitis B infection after you've come into contact with the hepatitis B virus. HepaGam B isn't considered a vaccine, and it also isn't meant to treat hepatitis B. HepaGam B is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion through the veins or as an injection into the muscle. Side effects are rare, but can include low blood pressure and nausea.
Prevention of hepatitis B re-infection after a liver transplant in people who test positive for hepatitis B virus (i.e., they're infected with the virus)
Prevention of hepatitis B infection after exposure to the hepatitis B virus
HepaGam B is an immune globulin. It's a lab-made protein that attaches to the hepatitis B virus in your body and destroys it. This prevents you from getting sick with hepatitis B after you've come into contact with the virus.
Source:Â DailyMed
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Blurred vision
confusion
dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
sweating
unusual tiredness or weakness
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Back pain
general feeling of discomfort
headache
muscle aches or pain
pain at the injection site
Less common
Abdominal or stomach cramping
burning, heat, and redness at the injection site
feeling as if you are going to vomit
joint pain
Incidence not known
Bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site
cold sweats
feeling cold
flu-like symptoms
upper abdominal or stomach pain
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Works well to prevent hepatitis B infection after exposure
Few side effects
Can get inactivated vaccines (e.g., hepatitis B vaccine, flu shot) while you're getting HepaGam B injections
Only given as an injection
Must be given by a healthcare professional at a hospital or clinic
Might need to get several doses if you're getting it after a liver transplant
Mark your appointment dates on your calendar for all your HepaGam B injections. Getting your injections on time helps make sure you can stay fully protected against hepatitis B.
Don't get any vaccines, especially live vaccines, without talking to your provider or pharmacist first to make sure it's safe for you to get them.
If you have diabetes and usually check your blood sugar regularly, check that your blood glucose monitor and test strips are okay to use while you're taking HepaGam B. This medication can cause falsely high blood sugar levels because it has maltose in it. You should only use testing systems that are glucose-specific. Ask your local pharmacist for help checking on this if you're not sure.
Get medical help as soon as you can if you think you've been exposed to hepatitis B. Often times, it's best to give HepaGam B as soon as possible after you've been exposed, ideally within 24 hours.
HepaGam B can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk factors: Antibodies to IgA
There's a rare chance that you might have a severe allergic reaction to HepaGam B. Your risk is higher if you have antibodies to IgA because HepaGam B contains a low amount of IgA, which might trigger a reaction.
Your provider might ask you to stay at the hospital or clinic for a short period of time after you've gotten your dose of HepaGam B to make sure you can get proper care in case of a serious allergic reaction. Sometimes, these reactions can happen after you've already left the clinic. Get medical help right away if you notice symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as feeling faint, swelling of the face, closing of the throat, difficulty breathing, hives or rash, dizziness, shaking, nausea, or chest pain.
Risk factors: Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes | Using insulin | Using glucose meters that use GDH-PQQ
HepaGam B contains maltose. This particular type of sugar can cause your blood sugar readings to be falsely high if you use certain glucose monitors that use a substance called GDH-PQQ in test strips. This puts you at risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) if you use insulin to correct the inaccurate blood sugar reading. Contact your local pharmacist or the manufacturer of the glucose monitor you use if you're not sure if it can be used with products that have maltose in them.
HepaGam B is made from human plasma, which is taken from human blood. Although very rare, there's a possible risk that viruses can be passed on to people who take this medication and put them at risk for infections and conditions such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Please note that this risk is only a theory and there haven't been any known cases reported in real life with HepaGam B yet. Contact your provider right away if you think you might have an infection. Your provider will examine you and report any suspected infections to HepaGam B's manufacturing company.
HepaGam B is given as an injection only into the muscle if it's being used to prevent hepatitis B infection after exposure to the virus. Talk to your provider before you get HepaGam B if you have a history of a low platelet count or a coagulation (clotting) problem. Injections into the muscle aren't usually allowed for people with these conditions for safety reasons. HepaGam B should only be given to you if the benefit is greater than the risk.
Risk factors: Atherosclerosis | High triglycerides (fat) levels | Risk factors for heart problems | Heart failure | Clotting problems | Older adults | Not moving for long periods of time | High blood thickness (viscosity)
There's a risk of clots during or after treatment with IV immune globulins like HepaGam B. Your provider will check for any risk factors for clots listed above, such as atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in the arteries) or other risk factors for heart problems. Also be sure to tell your providers about all your medical conditions. If you're at risk for clots, you can still get HepaGam B; your provider will just need to infuse it slower if you're taking the medication as an IV infusion.
Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
---|---|---|---|
1ml | 1 vial | $210.55 | $210.55 |
For preventing hepatitis B re-infection after a liver transplant:
Each dose contains 20,000 international units (IU) of HepaGam B. It's given as an IV infusion (into the veins).
During liver transplant: One dose given just once
1st week after transplant: One dose given daily
2nd week to 3rd month after transplant: One dose given every 2 weeks
4th month after transplant and onward: One dose given monthly
Your provider might change the dose based on your hepatitis B antibody levels.
For preventing hepatitis B infection after exposure to the hepatitis B virus:
Typically, HepaGam B is given as an injection into the muscle once by a healthcare provider. The dose and when HepaGam B is given depends on how you were exposed to the hepatitis B virus. The dose is also sometimes calculated based on your weight.
Your provider might also give you a hepatitis B vaccine at the same time as HepaGam B. And for certain situations, your provider might give you a second dose of HepaGam B later on.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
History of severe allergic reactions to other human globulin products
A lack of immunoglobulin A in the blood
People with a history of a low platelet count or a coagulation (clotting) problem (for injections into the muscle only)
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