There are also a variety of blood tests available that help in the diagnoses of myositis. Your doctor may look for elevation of creatine kinase in blood, which is indicative of muscle inflammation. Certain autoantibodies (antibodies that target your muscle cells) can also be found in the blood that can indicate that myositis is caused by an autoimmune disease. Some specific examples of autoantibodies are Anti-Jo-1, Anti-HMGCR, Anti-TIF1, etc. Treatment Treatment for myositis depends on the underlying cause. For myositis that is caused by a viral infection, no treatment is typically needed. If it is caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics can be used. If myositis is being caused by a medication, it is important to stop that medication. There are a variety of treatment options available if myositis is caused by an autoimmune disease. Glucocorticoids are often the first choice for treatment. This drug works to weaken your immune system so that your immune system is not able to attack your muscles. This is a type of steroid and can cause a wide array of side effects such as mood changes, increased hunger, trouble sleeping, etc. Another treatment option is a steroid-sparing immunosuppressive agent. This works to also weaken your immune system, but does not cause the side effects that the steroids do. Yet another treatment option is a class of drugs called biologics. Also, intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of myositis caused by an autoimmune disease. See also Myopathy (muscle disease) Myalgia (muscle pain) Masticatory muscle myositis (a disease in dogs) Perimyositis References External links Myositis: NIH Myositis Association https://www.myositis.org Inflammations Muscular disorders