Reply To: questions from recently diagnosed CIDP

As I wrote, I transitioned from prednisone to mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept). MM is a long-term replacement for prednisone, whicj I took for only a year. My neurologist does not like to use prednisone for a long term, because of the side effects. MM is an immunosuppresant drug.

A “typical” pattern is for muscle weakness to be bilaterally symmetric, and to begin in the legs and progress upwards. Any diversion from this could be called “atypical.” Rate of progression also figures in. GBS reaches its maximum extent in eight weeks or less. CIDP tends to be much slower, typically developing over several months, and following either a relapsing course, alternating between weakening and recovery, or a long, weakening progression. My case is atypical in that I reached maximum weakness in eight to ten weeks (I was originally diagnosed with GBS), then have recovered steadily for about two years without relapse. There is a great deal of variation, and treatment must be individualized.