Steroid therapy is not without dangers. While these drugs often have a rapid effect, patients must be closely monitored and the side effects may be unpleasant. In the more severe cases treatment may involve the use of immuno-suppressant drugs such as cyclophosphamide, methotrexate or azathioprine. Since these drugs may also damage rapidly dividing tissues, such as bone marrow, their use must be monitored. Others Other treatment options include total lymph node irradiation.
Most lymphocytes are very sensitive and easily damaged by x-rays.
Such treatment reduces the number of lymphocytes in the blood and alters the immune system's interactions and responses to antigens. Patients undergoing this treatment also suffer side effects including fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, weight loss and occasionally shingles. This is due to the auto-immune destruction of pancreatic beta cells which usually begins between ten and 20 years of age. Treatment is usually by injecting insulin. Type 2 diabetes is not thought to be auto-immune in origin.