Reply To: Ivig vs. PE

September 21, 2017 at 11:19 am

When I switched to plasma exchange my strength, balance and endurance improved very quickly. Initially, I was given five consecutive days of PE, then weekly until I was back to pre-decline levels then tapered down to twice a month, then monthly for several months, then stopped. My CIDP is relapsing, which is why I have been getting PE over the years (my dx was 1996). It has been the one treatment that has been able to manage my symptoms. I have been taking 2000 mg of mycophenolate mofetil daily for many years. My positive experience with PE may not be the same for others. I get 1000 mg IV prednisone after each PE.
The other measure to know if the treatments are helping is to compare nerve conduction studies. Once an initial study is done, this becomes the benchmark that future studies can be compared to which will show if there is any reduction in nerve conduction or if there is further damage to the nerves.