Does anyone know about Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)?
Sorry if you have read this already. It is an underdiagnosed condition as it occurs mainly in the elderly with multiple comorbidities and is frequently misdiagnosed as polymyositis and wrongly treated with steroids. Treatment-resistant ‘polymyositis’ in the over 50s is often. Theories have proposed it as an autoimmune or viral-induced disorder. There is no effective treatment for the disease but high quality RCTs (randomised clinical trials)are few. Many therapies have been tried, unsuccessfully.Consensus is that steroids and conventional immunosuppressive therapies are not beneficial clinically. High-dose prednisolone paradoxically worsens strength whilst decreasing inflammation, possibly due to increased amyloid accumulation. Intravenous immunoglobulin is very expensive and ineffective.9 More specific immunotherapies require exploring. There tends to be very slow progression but those who develop symptoms at an older age tend to progress more rapidly. Progressive dysphagia is associa
