Jude, Plasmapheresis, or PLEX, is a dialisis of the blood, removing plasma and replacing the plasma from a donor.
PLEX, or plasmaphereis, is on the John Hopkins website http://www.hopkinsneuro.org/tm/disease_and_condition_detail.cfm?condition_id=8 "Intravenous Steroids: This method is often used for patients with acute transverse myelitis. We routinely offer intravenous steroids for three to five days unless there are compelling reasons not to. The decision to offer continued steroids or add a new treatment is often based on the clinical course and MRI appearance at the end of five days of steroids. Plasma Exchange (PLEX): This is often used for those with moderate to severe TM who dont show much improvement after being treated with intravenous steroids. PLEX has been shown to be effective in adults with transverse myelitis or other inflammatory central nervous system disorders. Patients treated early (less than 20 days from the first symptom onset), men and those with a clinically incomplete lesion (i.e. with some motor function in the lower extremities, intact or brisk reflexes) tend to respond well to treatment with PLEX." Why PLEX is effective in one and not another? Perhaps it is because the lesion was incomplete? Why TM strikes some and not others? The wonders of TM! Candy K. Candis Kalley [EMAIL PROTECTED] EarthLink Revolves Around You. ----- Original Message ----- From: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED];[EMAIL PROTECTED];[email protected] Sent: 5/26/2007 3:22:50 AM Subject: Re: [TMIC] Reason for TM In a message dated 5/25/2007 6:48:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Yes, I had plenty of steroids while in the hospital, and I also had plasmapheresis. The plasmapheresis helped me gain partial movement on the left side of my body. Right side still paralyzed At the risk of sounding ignorant, will someone please explain what plasmapheresis is, and why it works for some people. Why isn't it a mainstream mode of medicine at the onset of TM? "Our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great Glory that will last forever" 2 ACorinthians 4:17 NLT See what's free at AOL.com.
