Myasthenia Gravis Support Group

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Although myasthenia gravis may affect any voluntary muscle, muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, and...

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What is a good starting dose for prednisone

trinity419
trinity419
I will be staring prednisone this week once I visit my neurologist on Friday beacuse of swallowing difficulty. I have only had to use mestinon for 13 years but now require a more aggressive maintenance to deal with this issues and I am terrified. I dont want to start high due to the fear of weakness or crisis that may happen in the beginning with high dose start up. Has anyone started low?
bweeds
bweeds
I started at 10 for a month and went up to 20 a day which controlled my MG until I had an exacerbation late last fall when I was tapering. I suppose it depends on your symptoms and history. This is why we do best when our doctor understands our individual needs and has seen a lot of MG patients.

I went up to 30 with very little response, now on IVIG and tapering again. b.
mermaid3
mermaid3
I too, started at 10mg/day for a month, then 15mg month, next jumped to 25mg due to increasing Mg symptoms. I am back down to 15mg, with mestinon and cellcept.

My neuro believed it easier to slowly increase than to start high and have to slowly wean due to prednisone effects. This is unless you are in crisis, then you need to start with higher dose.

Also good to see how you respond to prednisone some can tolerate a higher dose. At 25mg I atarted having tremors, weight gain, mood changes etc, so aafter 3 months started weaning, all under doctors advice.