Tragedy on Prednisone

Hi Mongo,

Like you, my problems started many years ago, but these symtoms were so mild (unlike you) that the signs and symptoms did not directly point to CIDP until the last few years when the symptoms were more pronounced. My current neuro does not like to put his patients on prednisone, but prefers IVIG as the preferred treatment. I like that approach due to a personal tradegy. My father had an autoimmune disorder (Rheumatoid Arthritis). It was very agressive causing a lot of deformities. Anyway, he was put on large doses of cortisone and developed all of the side effects that you mentioned. One particular side effect actually caused his premature death. As I am sure you know, bleeding under the skin (bruising) is seen in many who are on steroids. Well his vessels became so fragile that he bled to death because his arteries actually ruptured in the abdominal area. With this family history related to cortisone, you can see why I am reluctant to take high doses of the stuff. Many do not see that extreme symptom, but it was a wake-up call for me.