Reply To: Relapsed-any suggestions

A rapid onset of CIDP symptoms and worsening conditions are best treated (in my opinion and based on my experiences with the disease) first with 3-4 days of Plasma Exchange, followed by 8-10 days of IVIg or SCIg. Sometimes an immunosuppressant drug may be needed to help the treatment to work.

It should be noted that PE will cancel out IVIg/SCIg and Rituximab. Ig will cancel the effects of PE and seriously reduce the benefit of Rituxan. So the order of treatments would be important for best results.

IVIg never worked for me. I kept getting worse while on it. Then I transferred to a center of excellence where the neurologists had extensive experience with GBS/CIDP. They put me on a combination of Plasma Exchange and Prednisone. Within 2 days I felt improvement.

Unfortunately, Prednisone can have many side effects and I seemed susceptible to most of its side effects. If I had to do this again I would get an alternative to Prednisone, I have since learned there are many.