Myasthenia Gravis Support Group

I have had IVIG which lasted 3 months. And Plasmaphersis which at first was 3 times a week and is now every 9 or 10 days.

Feel free to ask me any questions on either one.

My husband had both and the Plasmaphersis was given when he was first diagnosed and then given when his antibodies count were high, he did take mestinon and Cellcept to supress the amuin system

Im kinda new to all this and I wante to get a bit more Educated on all the treatments wgat is cellcept and ivig and ho wis it administered

Yeah...I don't know much about these drugs either...Interesting

cellcept is a immunine suppressand pill
ivig is like having an iv mine lasted for 5 days and it suppressed and helpped for 3 months but because i had a severe kidney reaction it cannot be repeated. Therefore i do plasmaphersis on a weekly basis right now, it was every 9 or 10 days but i burned my hand pouring hot water out of a pan. ;( but all is good now.

plasmaphersis you are hooked up to a machine which filters out your plasma and they throw it away and give you albumin (what i get) or some blood product. most get albumin. it's effects last varing time for people. i've met some that only get it every 3 or 4 months.

Its a dialisis treatment. The woman I care for has had it many times. the last time they did 5 rounds and it lasted for a month. She has a very very severe case of MG. They either run the line through your chest to your heart or from the abdomen area. It doesnt hurt.

Plasmaphersis is similar to Dialysis but is a different machine and has a different effect on the body

My daughter has had MG since she was 19. She was 33 yesterday. She has had well over 200 plasma exchanges or plasmapheresis. She is on an as needed basis right now. Her last series of 5 only lasted about 6 weeks. She has had lots of difficulty with scar tissue and they have trouble getting her line in now. She had a fistula made last November, but it has never worked. She had another one created the last week of June. We have not used it yet. I am expecting her to need another exchange any day now. They have been about the only thing that has worked. She had a thymectomy after diagnosis. She had a 3 year almost remission after taking Imuran for several years. Imuran no longer works for her. She is currently on prednisone (for 3 years) and mestinon with lots of difficulty. She is the mother of a 2 year old girl and a 5 year old boy so it is very difficult for her to keep up with them. If you have any questions about the plasma exchanges, feel free to ask.

I have had Plex done MULTIPLE times. Matter of fact, I was sitting her with my head back so far my neck aches trying to see one screen; thinking "boy I'd love to go for a round of Plex soon!" For me, that is the instant, almost, fix for my weakness. Wish I had a machine of my own.