Use of steroids (oral or pulse therapy) and their adverse events in patients with myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Steroids are one of the primary therapies for myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. Oral or intravenous pulse administration of steroids should be recognized as having different effects on MG. Intravenous methylprednisolone therapy (IVMP) is used in the early stage as a fast–acting treatment. Oral steroids should be kept to small doses because higher and longer steroid treatments do not ensure better outcomes. Initial exacerbation induced by IVMP is a possible event, but IVMP considering the characteristics of effects and the adverse event can lead to improvement of symptom. In this review, effective steroid use, mainly IVMP, and its adverse events will be discussed.