Improvement is usually sustained for a period of time, but in most patients other forms are therapy are required for long term maintenance of the disease. Most patients who initially present with ocular MG will be treated with this form of therapy to see if improvement occurs. 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.