Treatment

There's no cure for XLA. The goal of treatment is to boost the immune system, preventing infections and aggressively treating infections that occur.

Medications

Medications to treat XLA include:

• Gammaglobulin. This is a type of protein found in blood that contains antibodies against infections. It's given by infusion into a vein every two to four weeks or by weekly injection.

  Reactions to gammaglobulin can include headache, chills, backache and nausea. Reactions are more likely to occur during a viral infection.

• Antibiotics. Some people with XLA receive continuous antibiotics to prevent infections. Others take antibiotics for bacterial infections longer than people without XLA do.

Your doctor will likely recommend that you have follow-up visits every six to 12 months to screen for complications of XLA. You'll also likely be advised to not get live vaccines, such as live polio, measles-mumps-rubella or chickenpox vaccines.