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Myasthenia Gravis

MG?predinsone and depression

04/19/2005

Question:

My sister has MG. She has had a thymectomy and is on Mestonin and Prednisone to help manage the disease. She is suffering from major depression. Much has to do with the stress of the disease, but I am convinced that Prednisone is contributing to her depression. Is there anything medically that can be done to help treat, or at lease minimize that side effect of the Prednisone? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer:

Depression can be associated with prednisone use. There are other immunosuppressant medications, like azathioprine and mycophenolate, that may suppress your sister's disease without as high a risk for depression. This is a question to bring to your sister's neurologist. Does your sister need long term immune system suppression? Long term, what is that physician's preferred drug? If the depression is a side effect of the prednisone, can that physician either decrease the prednisone safely, change the medication, or continue to use the prednisone but treat the depression? Depression also can be linked to the stress of her disease. Counseling and appropriate medicine therapy for her depression may be warranted. The depression will only make recovery from her myasthenia harder.

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Response by:

University of Cincinnati Robert W Neel, IV, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Department of Neurology
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Robert W Neel, IV, MD

University of Cincinnati John G Quinlan, MD
Professor of Neurology
Department of Neurology
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati
John G Quinlan, MD