Your individual CIDP treatment plan will depend on factors such as symptom severity, nerve damage, and what your doctor thinks will work best to preserve and restore function.
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“In CIDP, there are three approved and well-evidenced interventions: plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulin, and corticosteroids,” says Michal Vytopil, MD, PhD, vice chair of neurology at Beth Israel Lahey Health’s Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Corticosteroids
While these medications can effectively reduce inflammation and improve symptoms in many people with CIDP, they can cause serious side effects such as increased risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes if used long term. For this reason, they aren’t a viable option for continued use to treat this chronic condition.
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Plasma Exchange (Plasmapheresis)
This treatment involves taking blood and using a machine to remove the plasma (the liquid component of blood, which, in people with CIDP, contains harmful antibodies that attack the nerves). It is then replaced with healthy plasma from donors and the blood is put back into the body.
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“Plasma exchange is a laborious process, especially if you have to do it chronically,” says Gil Wolfe, MD, SUNY distinguished professor of neurology at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. In addition, it generally reduces symptoms for just a few weeks at a time.
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Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy (IVIG) or Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin Therapy (SCIg)
This treatment involves intravenous (IV) infusions or injections of immunoglobulins, proteins your body makes to protect against invading organisms such as viruses and bacteria.
IVIG or SCIg can help reduce your immune system’s attack on peripheral nerves, but as with plasma exchange, the effects last for only a few weeks, and you’ll need consistent ongoing treatments to manage CIDP.
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