Nov
18
For those of you who ask about CIDP the below information is the best and simple way to describe it that I have found on the internet. It is very complex. I hope this helps make it simpler for everyone
Causes
CIDP is caused by a person’s immune system. The immune system is supposed to fight off bacteria and viruses, but in some people their immune system may start to attack their own body. In CIDP the immune system starts to attack the insulation around the nerves, which is called myelin. Hence the neuropathy received the name demyelinating. As the myelin around the nerves is damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electricity worsens. Frequently patients will recall a preceding viral infections a few weeks before the onset of their nerve disease. In some cases we can identify specific antibodies in a patient’s blood which will allow us to classify the CIDP more specifically. We also believe that CIDP may be more common in certain other disease such as diabetes and some forms of cancer
Cure
Once the process begins in CIDP there does not appear to be any way to cure it. There are however many form of medical therapy to treat the disease. The disease also may have periods of remission and then have periods of relapse but in most patients they will require some form of therapy for life
Treatment
The mainstay of therapy for CIDP is corticosteroids. While steroids have many side effects they are very effective in treating CIDP. Patients will often see an improvement in a matter of weeks. In patients who do not respond completely to steroids or who have severe side effects to steroids there are a number of steroid sparing drugs. These include mycophenylate, azathioprine, cyclosporine, or cyclophosphamide. In addition patients often have a very dramatic improvement to therapy with intravenous gammaglobulin. In severe cases patients may also be treated through a process called plasmaphresis.
CIDP can frequently follow a relapsing/remitting course. That is to say a patient may do very well for months or years and then for no clear reason experience a relapse. For this reason it is very important to follow closely with a neurologist who is familiar with the various treatments available for this disease.
Most patients (80%) make a total recovery but it may take weeks to years to see a maximal recovery. Some patients do not recover completely and have residual weakness, numbness and occasional pain. A small number are unable to resume their normal occupation. Death resulting from CIDP is highly unlikely.
