Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder of nerve-to-muscle signalling. It causes fluctuating weakness that often worsens with repeated activity and may affect the eyes, speech, swallowing, limbs or breathing.
Key takeaways
- Drooping eyelids or double vision may be early features, but diagnosis requires neurological assessment and targeted testing.
- Symptom medicines improve signal transmission; immunotherapy addresses the underlying autoimmune activity.
- Increasing swallowing or breathing weakness can progress to myasthenic crisis and is an emergency.
A medicine listing cannot confirm myasthenia or show which treatment is safe; weakness pattern, antibodies, thymus findings and interacting medicines matter.
How is myasthenia gravis assessed?
Examination of fatigable weakness is combined with antibody tests and electrical studies. Chest imaging may assess the thymus. Infection, surgery and several medicines can worsen symptoms and should be considered when control changes.
How do treatments differ?
Pyridostigmine improves neuromuscular transmission but does not suppress the autoimmune process. Immunotherapy or thymus surgery may be considered separately by a neurology team. Excess cholinergic treatment can also cause weakness, so self-adjustment is unsafe.
When to seek urgent care
Call emergency services for new or worsening breathing difficulty, inability to swallow saliva, a weak cough, rapidly worsening generalised weakness or difficulty holding up the head. Do not drive yourself.