I had all the symptoms of CIDP but the Dr. thought it was just something else and that it could go away with Tylenol. After a couple of weeks I noticed that just a simple walk was getting harder to accomplish, I could not even stay on balance. I lost a significant amount of sensibility in my hands and feet. I could feel the tingling and numbness in my feet all the way to my knees and also in my hands all the way to my elbows.
I went to the same medical facility and one of the nurses didn't take much time to find out that I was in big trouble. She rushed me to the office and got me a another Dr. After checking my reflexes, this physician suspected it was CIDP or something similar. That day in the afternoon I was sent to the Hospital and spent three days hospitalized with doctors running all kinds of tests imaginable. The Neurologist diagnosis was mild CIDP affecting my legs and arms.
I had to see the Neurologist again in 4 months and to my horror, no treatment was recommended until then. I knew that a treatment was needed right away so I did an extensive research in the internet and found out that the most common treatment was with Prednisone. To my surprise I also found out that I could not buy Prednisone without a prescription. Not even in Canada! So I decided to drive all the way to Tijuana and get them there. I did not want to get to my next Doctor's appointment in a wheelchair.
Some friends told me that Tijuana was not trustworthy and safe so I resorted to call my family in Peru (I am Peruvian living more than 25 years in California) and ask them to get some Prednisone for me, which they did. Back in Peru you do not need a prescription, just the money. I bought a box containing 100 pills of 50ml each for 70 dollars. So my auto medication began. 50ml the first month (last October) and 75ml from November thru December. I noticed some help with the tingling and nothing more but around January 2015 things changed dramatically.
Right now I have no tingling or numbness in both hands and feet. I can climb the stairs with no difficulty. My knees are way much stronger and I can tie my shoes, bottom up my shirt or pick coins with my fingers. However all of that came with a price tag attached. I have gained 25% more weight. My feet retain fluids. I got some problems with my vision and something resembling cataracts have appeared in the corner of my left eye while the right eye is always flood with extra lacrimal fluid.
I could finally see the Neurologist and he told me to reduce the amount of Prednisone I was taking to half, meaning 25ml. He also said that IVIG treatment was way much better than Prednisone. I reduced Prednisone to 12.5ml independently to what he said because it was the norm in most of the treatments I read. Every Neurologist recommends to reduce the amount of Prednisone little by little until you get off the hook. I do not support auto medication but I was in a desperate situation and had to make an exception. Thanks God I am almost 90% recuperated and only dealing with swollen feet.
I hope my experience with CIDP help you guys somehow.