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Posts Tagged ‘Myasthenia Gravis’

What is the treatment of myasthenia?

Anticholinesterase drugs

More specific drugs for the treatment of myasthenia are anticholinesterases. They prevent acetylcholine from the neuromuscular junction is degraded, so that increases the amount of acetylcholine available to bind to acetylcholine receptors few that work properly. So improve nerve transmission to muscle and increase strength of muscle contraction. The anticholinesterase that is prescribed most often called pyridostigmine (Mestinon the trade name).

The improvement is seen in about 30-60 minutes and disappears within 3 to 4 hours. So we need to take pills several times during the day. The adverse effects of this medication include colicky abdominal pain and diarrhea, increased intestinal muscle activity. If this occurs, we recommend lowering the dose. In some patients, treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors is sufficient to control symptoms of the disease. Read the rest of this entry »

What can the doctor do?

Since Myasthenia gravis is an uncommon disease, your GP will advise you probably visit a specialist, a neurologist specifically for him to reconsider, ask for the necessary tests and initiate treatment. Once the diagnosis, your doctor may continue prescribing the medication recommended by the neurologist. It also may do regular checks.

What can patients do?

First, patients must take medication regularly, without missing any doses. They should also avoid hazardous activities that may increase suddenly weak (eg, swimming alone). Patients should know that certain drugs can worsen symptoms and should therefore be avoided. These include aminoglycoside antibiotics, d-penicillamine, chloroquine, quinine and procainamide. Read the rest of this entry »

History is very important that the patient has fluctuating muscle weakness that causes the symptoms cited above. With the neurological examination, the neurologist can see that there really is muscle fatigue (can be seen, for example, that the eyelids fall to look up one time, or that the patient gets tired to hold up arms). To confirm the diagnosis, we must perform a series of tests:

Blood test

The blood test to detect blood will anti-acetylcholine receptor. These antibodies can be found in 85% of patients with generalized myasthenia and in 50% of patients with pure ocular myasthenia. Read the rest of this entry »

How does the disease progress?

The course and severity of the disease vary greatly from patient to patient. Even in the same patient the symptoms fluctuate with exacerbations and remissions of symptoms. In a minority of cases the disease symptoms disappear spontaneously, but in most persist throughout life. However, current treatments, symptoms are adequately controlled.

What are the symptoms of myasthenia gravis?

The most characteristic symptom of myasthenia gravis is weakness that affects the voluntary muscles. This weakness becomes worse when the patient tries to make the same motion over and over again (muscle fatigue). Symptoms fluctuate in intensity, being generally worse in the last minute of the day when the patient is stressed, hot weather, during or immediately after infection or before menstruation in women. Certain medications, such as aminoglycoside antibiotics can also worsen symptoms of the disease. Read the rest of this entry »

What is myasthenia gravis?

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic disease that causes muscle weakness fluctuating intensity.

It is a rare disease that affects one person in ten to twenty thousand. Although in some cases of myasthenia may endanger the patient’s life, the vast majority of patients can lead a normal life with proper medical treatment.

What causes myasthenia gravis?

Myasthenia is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system or defense, patient work over and produces antibodies to a protein that forms part of the body. This protein is called acetylcholine receptor, and is located in the membrane of muscle fibers at the junction between nerve and muscle (neuromuscular junction). Recipients serve as anchors to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter or chemical messenger that transmits nerve impulses from the nerve to the muscle. The antibodies reduce the number of receptors on the muscle membrane and hinder the transfer. As a result, the muscle does not contract properly and patients experience weakness, especially when they use the same muscles repeatedly. Read the rest of this entry »