My Experience Taking Mycophenolate Mofetil (CellCept)
Just after getting diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, I started taking Mestinon. It quickly made an amazing difference. A few months later, I started into an exacerbation, so my neurologist started me on mycophenolate mofetil (generic CellCept) along with prednisone.
I was scared to death. I just got over the diarrhea from my body getting used to the Mestinon. I had already told my neurologist that I didn't want to be on prednisone. Not that I'd ever been on it, but I had heard it was some really bad stuff. So here I am, I was desperate enough for some relief, and I agreed to take the prednisone.
It is a major immunosuppressant
The mycophenolate mofetil ... that's a whole other ball game! Even after starting, it took a while to wrap my head around the fact that it was a major immunosuppressants.
Now don't get me wrong, I knew the prednisone was an immunosuppressant as well. I knew this neurological condition that I had lived with pretty much all my life was serious. But I had no idea I would need to be on medications like this!
Before prescribing medication, my neurologist and I discussed a few different treatment options. But in the end, we both agreed that the mycophenolate mofetil would be a good place to start.
Starting on a low dose
When I started taking the medication, I knew that it could take quite a few months to notice any difference. For me, it was about 8 months.
I'm on a low dose of mycophenolate mofetil - 500 milligrams twice a day. My neurologist decided to start with a low dose, explaining that he would rather have it take longer to start working than to push my blood pressure higher. I was already on medications for high blood pressure.
My side effects
Unfortunately, I still ended up needing 2 different insulins. Between already being type 2 diabetic, the prednisone and the mycophenolate mofetil, my blood sugar was bad for a while. I found out the hard way that both prednisone and the mycophenolate mofetil can increase your blood sugars.
When I first started taking the mycophenolate mofetil, I started having some daily stomach pains, mainly with the second dose. This usually occurred about an hour after I took it. But after about a month, that pain went away. Occasionally I still do get stomach pain, but it's usually when I'm extremely hungry.
As far as any other side effects that can go along with this medication, I have not experienced them and hopefully never do! I go through a lot of regular blood testing while taking this medication. Hopefully that will catch any bad stuff before it gets too serious.
How I am feeling now
Now almost a year and a half later of taking mycophenolate mofetil, there is a huge difference! I'm still not 100 percent compared to what I was before. But I can tell you from experience, after living with undiagnosed myasthenia gravis for 48 years and having exacerbations with no medication, it took me a good 5 to 10 years just to be in the same place where I am now!
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