Debra,

A couple of things to consider:

Mestinon is not particularly dangerous - though one can overdose on it

Pred can cause all kinds of side effects if taken for a long period of time.

Immuran or Cellcept also have a bunch of side effects, but have the potential of putting MG into remission (usually used after a thymus resection). It takes many, many months of treatment and there are no guarentees it will effect remission.

If someone goes on Immuran or Cellcept, they may be weaned off pred gradually. (You must never, ever, decide to just stop taking pred).

IVIG and/or plasmapheresis are frequently done when someone is in or has had a crisis event. Some folks will do these treatments as maintenance (like monthly or bi-monthly etc.) and don't use any drugs. Some may still take Mestinon.

There are people who attain remission - but most work to discover the optimum combination of treatments that work for them. From what I can gather, there is no 'one size fits all' treatment for MG. Just a bunch of possibilities to be weighed for their advantages and disadvantages. But, unfortunately, no magic bullets.

We all look to find the 'perfect' medical partner to help us with the choices and pros / cons of specific treatment plans. And most of us here do a lot of searching for answers through sites like this and internet research so we can take an active part in understanding and deciding upon what we want.

Find your medical partner, ask questions, get copies of all your test results, teatment plans, etc as you go along. Most of us keep our own medical files. If you 'build as you go', you will always be able to seek another opinion easily.

One last thought - - give meds a fair chance before trying alternative options (assuming there is no crisis situation). The worst thing - at least for me - is the 'being patient' requirement with MG. I can't 'will' it to behave when it wants to be heard!!

Sue