Side effects include diarrhea, and increased nasal secretions. Back to Top Corticosteroids Corticosteroids are drugs that suppress the activity of the immune system. In MG patients, they attack the antibodies that are causing damage to the ACh receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Prednisone is the most commonly used agent. It is given orally, usually starting at doses of 60 to 80 mg a day.
Most people show signs of improvement within a few weeks.
When the improvement is stable, the dose is slowly decreased. Many MG patients are maintained on low dose steroid treatment indefinitely. However, there are many side effects of long term steroid usage. Immune System Suppressants Other drugs like the corticosteroids that work by suppressing the immune system and can be helpful in treating MG include cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide and aziathiaprine. These can be effective in patients who don't respond to any other treatment, but they can have potentially dangerous side effects including a lowered white blood cell count, liver dysfunction, nausea, vomiting and hair loss.