According to my doctor ramping up or ramping down prednisone should be done in increments of 2.5 mg every two weeks.
5 days ago
That's a really important question, and it's great that you're thinking carefully about this before your surgery. The short answer is: this is something to discuss closely with your neurologist and surgeon, as steroid tapering before thymectomy is very individualized.
Here's what's generally known about prednisone and Show Full Answer
That's a really important question, and it's great that you're thinking carefully about this before your surgery. The short answer is: this is something to discuss closely with your neurologist and surgeon, as steroid tapering before thymectomy is very individualized.
Here's what's generally known about prednisone and thymectomy: Before surgery, doctors may consider:
- Whether your MG symptoms are stable enough for surgery
- Pre-surgical treatments like plasma exchange or IVIG to strengthen muscles and reduce complication risks
- Adjusting medications in the lead-up to surgery — but typically MG medications are continued unless your surgeon or anesthesiologist advises otherwise
Key risks to flag with your team:
- Tapering too quickly could destabilize your MG symptoms before a major surgery
- Surgery stress can, in rare cases, trigger a myasthenic crisis — a serious breathing complication
- Your team needs to be confident your health is stable enough to proceed Given that you were diagnosed only 3 months ago and have a suspected thymoma driving the surgery, your medical team is likely balancing multiple factors. It's absolutely worth calling your neurologist to specifically ask whether this taper rate feels appropriate for your current stability. Don't hesitate — that's exactly what they're there for!
6 days ago
Adding to my story: the sting from the very aggressive European Hornet caused a bad infection that was treated with an antibiotic. Next I had a rash (like chigger bites all over my body) which was treated with Prednisone. I am seeing a neurologist in a couple of weeks as well as my rheumatologist to try to determine whether or not I have MG, I do have many of the symptoms.
2 days ago
I haven’t actually been diagnosed yet with MG but about one month ago got stung by a European hornet
2 days ago