Mednet Logo
CommunityHospital Medicine

How do you recommend tapering IVIG in patients whose inflammatory myositis has achieved remission?

Community PollStarted

Do you prefer to extend interval between doses or decrease dose when tapering IVIG?

62 physicians have voted

Join Mednetto vote and see how they answered.

4 Answers
Mednet Member
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Rheumatology · The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)
Answered on

This is a very good question without any right or wrong answer. My practice is to start tapering the IVIG 6 months after the patient has achieved clinical remission. I usually start decreasing the dose of the IVIG, but the other option is to extend the interval between the patient's infusions. The e...

Join for free or sign in to see the full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Rheumatology · Johns Hopkins Medicine
Answered on

This is a challenging question since each provider does it differently, similarly akin to steroid tapers. There are several options including spacing out the frequency of IVIG from every 4 weeks to every 6 weeks, then every 8 weeks, then every 12 weeks, then stop; or you can also lower the dose firs...

Join for free or sign in to see the full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Rheumatology · Wright State University
Answered on

I have discontinued it after the patient gets his muscle strength back and started them on MTX or Azathioprine and they have done well.

Join for free or sign in to see the full answer

Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Dermatology · Epiphany Dermatology
Answered on

I have seen too many patients do poorly on reduced dose IVIG. I do not recommend reducing dose, but rather I space the frequency. If patients are stable receiving IVIG at q3-4 months after a couple of cycles, I try to discontinue that part of the multiagent therapy. Many patients simply cannot be sp...

Join for free or sign in to see the full answer