Infusion Experience
OCREVUS is an infusion that is given every 6 months.
These infusions can be given at an infusion center, your doctor’s office, or at home depending on what you and your doctor decide is right for you. Your first dose will be split between 2 treatments, for a total of 3 treatments your first year. Take a closer look at what you can expect.
Watch Jill, a nurse, talk about OCREVUS infusions with James and Martha.
How OCREVUS is given
OCREVUS is an infusion therapy—also known as IV therapy—that is given through an IV placed in your arm, administered by a healthcare professional 2 times a year. Your appointment may take 5-6 hours due to premedication before your infusion, as well as 1 hour of monitoring post infusion.* Infusions can be given at an infusion center, your doctor’s office, or at home depending on what you and your doctor decide is right for you.
Here’s what the infusion experience may look like:
Total appointment time for your infusion: 5-6 hours
30-60 Minutes: Pre-Infusion
- Your healthcare team will check your vital signs, evaluate for
active infections, and ask questions about your overall health
- 30-60 minutes before your infusion, you will be given medications, such as corticosteroids, an antihistamine, and antifever medication to help reduce possible infusion-related reactions
3.5 Hours: During Infusion
- You'll be seated in a supportive chair along with all of your belongings
- Be sure to have some entertainment and snacks on hand to pass the time
- Once you're settled, an IV infusion
needle will be placed in your arm and connected to an infusion
pump
- Your infusion will last about 3 hours and 30 minutes
- If an infusion reaction occurs, your healthcare team may stop or slow the rate of your infusion
- Your healthcare team will monitor you closely from start to finish
1 Hour: Post-Infusion
- For at least 1 hour after your OCREVUS infusion, you will be monitored for any side effects or infusion-related reactions
- It's important to call your healthcare provider right away if
you have any signs or symptoms up to 24 hours after your infusion.
See side effects listed below for a list of possible infusion
reactions
*The duration of an infusion could be longer if an infusion reaction occurs.
The better prepared you are for your infusion, the better your experience will be. The OCREVUS Infusion Checklist offers tips and suggestions to help you.
- itchy skin
- rash
- hives
- tiredness
- coughing or wheezing
- trouble breathing
- throat irritation or pain
- feeling faint
- fever
- redness on your face (flushing)
- nausea
- headache
- swelling of the throat
- dizziness
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
- fast heart beat
You will receive 3 infusions administered by a trained healthcare professional. Your first dose will be split into 2 infusions, 2 weeks apart. Each infusion will last about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Your third infusion will be 6 months later and will last around 3 hours and 30 minutes.
You will receive 1 infusion every 6 months, each lasting about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
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