Which drug should be preferred for patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating radiculopathy (CIDP)? It is generally accepted that hormones, IVIG, and plasma exchange may be of comparable efficacy; IVIG is convenient to administer and easily tolerated, so many experts prefer it as the drug of choice, but many patients have recurrent relapses, requiring repeated IVIG injections and increasing their financial burden. Younger patients and those without significant contraindications to hormones tolerate hormones well, but long-term hormone use is associated with multiple side effects, and most patients may eventually require both immunosuppressive drugs and hormones. In patients with CIDP who have severe neurological impairment, such as loss of ambulation, if no significant evidence of axonal degeneration is found on their EMG, plasma exchange therapy is more appropriate at this time for early onset of effect, and hormones can be used after plasma exchange to consolidate the effect and promote further recovery. About 1/3 of patients with CIDP do not respond to conventional treatment and further confirmation of the diagnosis should be made at this time, especially if in doubt. Sometimes a nerve biopsy is required. If the patient does not respond to one conventional treatment, another may be used, which may improve the efficiency, and if both are ineffective, a third may be tried. Patients with CIDP with combined axonal damage should be treated for at least 6-12 months before the effectiveness of a treatment can be evaluated. A combination of two conventional treatments, such as hormones and plasma exchange, is often required. If there is still no effect, immunosuppressive therapy is often used.