Myasthenia Gravis Treatment: Treatments and Personal Care

treatments myasthenia gravis It includes medications and treatments to help control and prevent symptoms related to muscle weakness. myasthenic crisis (when symptoms worsen). Surgical removal of the thymus (a small lymph node) may reduce the immune process that causes myasthenia gravis. You may also need treatment to relieve vision or breathing complications.

Medications and Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

Prescription medications may help prevent myasthenia gravis symptoms in a few different ways. In myasthenia gravis, the immune system attacks acetylcholine receptors.

acetylcholine It is a neurotransmitter that mediates muscle function by transmitting messages from the nerve to the muscles. Decreased acetylcholine activity in myasthenia gravis leads to muscle weakness.

Treatments used for maintenance therapy or for the treatment of myasthenic crises (sudden worsening symptoms) sometimes prolong the effect of acetylcholine by interfering with the immune system’s attack on this neurotransmitter.

Myasthenia gravis treatments include the following medications.

Mestinon, Regonol (pyridostigmine): This maintenance medication is used daily to prevent symptoms. It works by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine. Side effects may include stomach upset, nausea, and diarrhea.

Soliris (eculizumab): This medication is administered as a planned infusion and is used for people who test definitively positive. Antibodies (a type of immune protein) in myasthenia gravis. Soliris inhibits proteins (complement proteins) that activate the inflammatory response that facilitates attack at the neuromuscular junction in myasthenia gravis.

Zilbrysq (zilucoplan): This medication blocks the production of certain complement proteins that may support the immune process of myasthenia gravis. You inject yourself with this medicine every day.

Rystiggo (rozanolixizumab-noli): This medication prevents the survival of antibodies that target acetylcholine receptors in myasthenia gravis. It is administered as an infusion in planned doses.

Steroids, Azasan (azathioprine), Prograf (tacrolimus), cyclosporine, methotrexateand other immunosuppressants: Drugs that suppress the immune system are often used during myasthenic crisis and sometimes to prevent symptoms. These treatments are generally non-specific anti-inflammatory treatments that reduce immune activity; they do not specifically target the immune proteins of myasthenia gravis.

Plasmapheresis:A plasma exchange procedure It is sometimes used to remove antibodies that attack acetylcholine receptors during myasthenic crisis. During this process, your blood is filtered to remove antibodies and blood cells are returned to your body. Plasmapheresis may cause a decrease in blood pressure.

intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG): This treatment involves the infusion of healthy antibodies to prevent harmful immune activity. It is used during myasthenic crisis.

Treatment Side Effects

Most treatments for myasthenia gravis work by suppressing the immune system, which can lead to susceptibility to infections.

You may need to talk to your healthcare provider about how to avoid infections. This may include avoiding contact with people you know are sick, wearing a mask when you know you will be in public, and getting your recommended vaccinations.

Additionally, some treatments used to treat myasthenia gravis can cause allergic reactions. If you experience any adverse reactions to myasthenia gravis treatments, be sure to notify your healthcare team.

Emergency Treatment

Myasthenia gravis can lead to dangerous emergencies if it affects your swallowing or breathing. Weak muscles can cause you to choke, which can lead to suffocation. aspiration pneumonia or may cause dangerous airway obstruction. Myasthenia gravis can weaken your muscles, affecting your ability to breathe.

With myasthenia gravis, your breathing can quickly deteriorate, leading to dangerously low oxygen. During a myasthenic crisis, your healthcare team can monitor your oxygen levels so you can receive respiratory support if you cannot breathe adequately on your own.

Surgical Interventions and Procedures

If you have myasthenia gravis, you may need surgery. One type of surgery, thymectomy (removal of the thymus), is a treatment to prevent symptoms. Other surgical procedures can treat complications of the condition.

Thymectomy

thymus gland It mediates the body’s immune system. In some people with myasthenia gravis, surgical removal of the thymus gland is recommended to suppress the immune attack on acetylcholine receptors.

Myasthenia gravis is associated with noncancerous enlargement of the thymus gland, and sometimes people with myasthenia gravis are found to have a cancerous tumor in the thymus.

You and your healthcare provider can discuss this option and decide whether it would benefit you. Thymectomy It can be therapeutic, but some people still need to take medication for myasthenia gravis after thymectomy.

Stem Cell Transplantation

stem cell transplant It is a procedure that involves inoculating healthy immature immune cells that will develop into mature immune cells. The transplanted cells are grafted to replace unhealthy immune cells. This procedure may allow you to receive a lower dose of medication for myasthenia gravis.

Before having a stem cell transplant, you will need pre-treatment with medications that will suppress your immune system.

Surgical Treatment of Eye and Respiratory Complications

ptosis (droopy eyelid) may occur due to myasthenia gravis. If your eyelid blocks your vision, surgical treatment may help improve your vision.

In rare cases, when myasthenia gravis causes serious breathing problems, it may require the placement of a medication. tracheostomyIt is a semi-permanent breathing tube surgically placed in the neck.

self care

Lifestyle factors are crucial to taking care of yourself when you have myasthenia gravis. This may cause you to be tired, and your symptoms may worsen after being active.

Exercise can be beneficial for maintaining your overall health, but getting enough rest is also important.

To prevent choking or aspiration, you may be advised to eat slowly to ensure food goes into the airway rather than the esophagus. Or you may use swallowing therapy to help you avoid this complication.

You may also need to consider using assistive devices to help you get around. These may include a cane, walker or wheelchair. Even if you don’t need an assistive device at home, you may need one in tiring situations like the airport.

Summary

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic disease autoimmune disease This affects muscle movement. Treatments include maintenance therapy and medications for myasthenic crisis (when symptoms worsen). These treatments may suppress the immune process that causes symptoms or prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical the body uses in muscle movement.

You may need emergency treatment for breathing or swallowing complications. Additionally, surgical removal of the thymus gland may help prevent the harmful immune process of myasthenia gravis.

You also need treatment if you develop complications, such as respiratory support for breathing problems. You have many treatment options for myasthenia gravis that can help control symptoms, prevent symptoms, and relieve complications.