Recalcitrant sinsusitis for years. Antibiotics more than not ( surgeries etc). CT scans all clear--yet always sick. Last bout began in Novemeber. Antibiotics ( long course of previously effective , and cultured for) not working much.Finally more blood work. IgM 40. Referral to infectous disease MD -- going July 12. Immunoligist , going Aug 1 ( concerned about time lag). Now taking Cleocin 300mg 3x ( covers gram negative microbes, but I can tell I am not " better" ) . Not as sick . But not well. Weak. I read in this site to request anti-body tests and subclass Ig tests. Seems odd to just have low IgM ( secondary to what ?) . I am 52 . Mild hypothyroid 10 years , on meds , TSH is fine . Sinus issues began 12 years ago. Childhood was never sick, albeit not robust atheletically. Had Brucellosis ( connection ?) at 20 years old . Not to whine, but the sinsus thing has been bad enough to be near disabling last five years. I try to work out etc. Within a few weeks, sick again. Were I not in flexible job ( for now) I fear I actually could not be employable.
Thoughts?

I find it very unlikely that your doctor would havge run just an IgM on you. That doesnt make any sense. The doctor ran IgM testing to look at your immune system, when you geta lab work up on your immune system the doctor looks at your total Igg, Igg subclasses (1 - 4) IgA and IgM. Or, at least thats what should have been ordered. Demand a copy of your lab results from your doctors office so you may review what labs were done and get familliar with the results. It is completely plausable that you do indeed only have an IgM deficancy and not any other antibody deficancy. Just hang in there and ask your doctor to explain everything, and how they came to that diagnosis.

All Ig s were run. M was the lowest at 40. I subsequently learned the others are a little low . I am guessing the infectious disease MD will run myriad tests including antibodies and subclasses (?). THis I know, immune system is crashing. And I feel it. I could not have primary selective IgM . I would have known by now , I suspect.

I was diagnosed early last year with low IgM (ranged from 10 - 27 over the course of the next year). I'd been sick over 20 years with sinusitis, bronchitis etc. I was getting to the point where I was not sick every other month (really sick two months, well two months), I became sick only 3 days after I completed my 3-week course of antibiotics.

My doctor put me on antibiotics continuously (z-pak 2 days on 11 days off, which was shortened to 2 days on 7 days off, and now when I've been really sick 2 days on and 5 days off). I've been told there are only about 30 known incidences of IgM deficiency. Alas, the other shoe dropped and about a month ago I was found to have almost negligible antibody responses, which now makes me CVID (Common Variable Immuno-Deficiency). That's the bad news. The good news is that I am now eligible for IVIG which should make all my symptoms much better.

So, please keep regular updates of all you Ig's...you might be transitioning to another level. Best of luck.

Suzanne,Duke and Zephren I have also been diagnosed with low IGM do you have any ideas about the cause of this condition. Also have any of you been treated with Beriglobin P injections by ZLB Behring GmbH.

I have been off this site for about a year or so. I found out I have primary IgM deficiency back in June 2006. I am to repeat my antibodies tests (forgive me I have forgotten all the terminology) this month and on my birthday month for the rest of my life if nothing changes. My IgM's were 11 when they tested me. But everything else is OK. They did the titers on the tetanus and they came out fine. I suffer from lots of sinus infections, ear infections, etc. I am just glad to find someone else to have this. I almost hope that something else does turn out to be low just so something can be done about this. Would love to talk with you all more about your experiences.

Stacy

I also have low IgM. It is sometimes normal. I have sometimes normal, sometimes deficient total IgG, IgG1 and IgG3. I have enjoyed a near miraculous recovery on IVIG and lately, subcu IgG. I have no antibodies at all to Cytomegalovirus and vanishing IgM and IgG antibodies to parvovirus B19. Upon beginning IVIG, I developed the characteristic reticular rash of parvovirus B19 which occurs as the immune system is clearing the infection. I still have the rash three years later.
History of chronic sinusitis, but no known infections with haemophilus influenza or strep pneumonia. Rather, we found sequential infections of corynebacteria, strep epidermidis and staph veridans in my sinuses. I have recurrent HHV6, varicella, EBV and HSV also. History of low NK cell count and function which now seems to have returned to low normal.