What is a steroid induced exacerbation?
In addition to the usual side effects of corticosteroids, patients with Myasthenia gravis may become acutely weaker 1 to 3 weeks (average 5 to 7 days) after initiation of oral prednisone therapy (steroid-induced exacerbation) for 24 to 48 hours.
Pretreatment with PE and/or IVIG or, alternatively, gradually increasing doses of oral prednisone, from 25 mg orally every other day to 100 mg orally every other day, may alleviate this phenomenon.
Consequently, respiratory functions should be carefully monitored during the acute phase of steroid induction.
