Question 1

whats serum sickness?

Accepted Answer

Systemic allergic : Systemic allergic response in which antibody-antigen reaction in the blood stream causes systemic problems.

Question 2

can serum sickness be cured?

Accepted Answer

Yes: The most common treatment for serum sickness is discontinuation of the offending drug, combined with the use of both antihistamines and glucocorticoids. Withdrawal of the drug by itself is usually sufficient treatment for patients with mild symptoms. Fever and joint pains resolve within 48 hours. To prevent recurrence, the culprit drug should be avoided in the future, if possible.

Question 3

how can i treat serum sickness?

Accepted Answer

Avoidance: Not much can be done specifically to treat serum sickness, other than avoiding the antigen that caused it in the first place. If there is significant joint or other inflammation, steroids can help reduce the symptoms while waiting for the reaction to go away.

Question 4

can you die from serum sickness?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately...Yes: Serum sickness got it's name from reactions after treatments with high doses of horse serum given for treatments snake bites or tetanus. Antibiotics can also cause this. The persons antibodies clump with the foreign serum proteins.  These clumps (immune complexes) can clog small blood vessels in the skin, mucous membranes, joints, kidneys and intestines. Fulminant severe reaction can be fatal.

Question 5

has anyone else had  serum sickness?

Accepted Answer

Serum Sickness: Serum sickness is a reaction that is similar to an allergy. The immune system reacts to medications that contain injected proteins used to treat immune conditions. Or it can react to antiserum, the liquid part of blood that contains antibodies given to a person to help protect them against germs or poisonous substances.

Question 6

are the symptoms of serum sickness bad?

Accepted Answer

Can be: Serum sickness usually causes fever, lymph node enlargement, arthritis, muscle pain, weakness, renal disease,  severity of the disease would determine the severity of symptoms.

Question 7

has anyone ever heard of "serum sickness"?

Accepted Answer

Systemic allergic : Systemic allergic response in which antibody-antigen reaction in the blood stream causes systemic problems.

Question 8

can i die from serum sickness if i ignore it?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Serum sickness can lead to organ damage and vascular collapse if the offending agent is not stopped.  Normally however it is a self-limited syndrome which resolves after the offending agent is removed.

Question 9

are some people more prone to getting serum sickness?

Accepted Answer

Serum sickness: Classic serum sickness is caused by administration of a protein antigen from a non-human species. There have been some case reports implicating the drugs Rituximab and Infliximab (used to treat chron's disease and rheumatoid arthritis). Rarely, repeated blood transfusions, insect stings, and mosquito bites can cause serum sickness-type reactions.

Question 10

what is the definition or description of: serum sickness?

Accepted Answer

Hypersensitivity: Serum sickness is a type of hypersensitivity reaction (type iii immune reaction) that occurs when the immune system develops antibodies to a foreign protein.  The antibody and the foreign protein combine to form an immune complex (ic) that can settle in areas of the body such as the joints or the kidney.  The ic can damage these areas and cause arthralgias and glomerulonephritis for example.

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Serum sickness syndrome

A member asked:

Whats serum sickness?

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Can serum sickness be cured?

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How can i treat serum sickness?

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Can you die from serum sickness?

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Has anyone else had serum sickness?

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Are the symptoms of serum sickness bad?

A member asked:

Has anyone ever heard of "serum sickness"?

A member asked:

Can i die from serum sickness if i ignore it?

A member asked:

Are some people more prone to getting serum sickness?

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: serum sickness?

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