Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis is a rare neuromuscular condition causing unusual muscle weakness after simple activities, like going up stairs. But it doesn’t have to limit your life. Henry Ford Health has been delivering trusted care for decades, including new therapies available through clinical trials. We’re attentive to your needs and deliver the services necessary for a good quality of life.

About myasthenia gravis

This condition occurs when immune system antibodies, medications or tumors called thymomas interrupt brain signals before they reach your muscles. Myasthenia gravis causes muscles to tire easily, especially ones that help you breathe and move. Symptoms sometimes come on suddenly causing a medical emergency known as myasthenic crisis.

Myasthenia gravis symptoms

Common symptoms include muscle weakness affecting your arms, hands, neck and legs.

Additional signs of myasthenia gravis include:

• Difficulty sitting up, holding your head or walking
• Double vision or a drooping eyelid
• Slurred speech and drooling
• Weak cough

Myasthenic crisis symptoms are more severe. You may experience:

• Breathing issues, including temporary respiratory failure
• Difficulty swallowing
• Profound muscle weakness resulting in falls or difficulty holding your neck up
• Slurred speech

Myasthenia gravis care at Henry Ford: Why choose us?

Our team has an uncommon level of experience that comes from caring for a high volume of patients. We use these capabilities to ensure you receive appropriate services based on the latest research. Find out more about our myasthenia gravis clinic.

When you come to our program, you’ll find:

• Team approach: Fellowship-trained neurologists specializing in myasthenia gravis guide your care. They work with other Henry Ford experts, including pulmonologists, sleep medicine doctors and thoracic surgeons, to deliver comprehensive treatment.
• Advanced testing: If standard tests fail to confirm a myasthenia gravis diagnosis, you may need a single fiber electromyogram (EMG). This test stimulates an individual muscle fiber and measures the response. It is only available in a few other centers in Michigan. Explore our EMG lab.
• Services close to home: Specialists are in locations throughout southeast and south central Michigan making it easier to access the care you need. If you have a myasthenic crisis, immediate treatment is available at any time in our emergency department.
• Clinical trials: Our experts are conducting research to learn more about what causes myasthenia gravis and the best ways to treat it. Clinical trials give you the opportunity to participate in these efforts.

Myasthenia gravis evaluation

We start with a detailed discussion about your symptoms and health history. Specialists also perform a physical and neurologic exam.

Additional tests we use to evaluate myasthenia gravis symptoms include:

• Lab work: Blood tests check levels of muscle-weakening antibodies and also enable us to rule out other medical issues.
• Imaging tests: CT scans help us detect signs of a thymus tumor.
• EMG studies: Evaluations start with standard tests (repetitive nerve stimulation). If they are not conclusive, we use more sensitive studies, like single-fiber EMG.

Myasthenia gravis treatment

Henry Ford offers all the options you need. Your personalized care plan may include:

Standard myasthenia gravis treatments

Treatments for ongoing myasthenia gravis symptoms include:

• Medications: Drugs such as cholinesterase inhibitors slow processes interfering with brain-muscle communication.
• Immunosuppressants: Steroids and other drugs slow the production of abnormal antibodies and quiet irregular immune system activity.
• Thymectomy: Removing the thymus gland may be necessary if symptoms are due to a tumor or standard therapies are not successful. Learn more about thymectomy.

Emergency myasthenia gravis treatment

For people having a myasthenic crisis, we offer:

• Intravenous (IV) immunoglobulin or steroids: We deliver a high dose of healthy antibodies or steroids through a vein in your arm to halt the crisis.
• Plasma exchange (plasmapheresis): This treatment filters harmful antibodies out of your blood by exchanging your plasma with plasma from a healthy donor.
• Ventilator support: For difficulty breathing, we put you on a machine that delivers oxygen to your lungs and removes carbon dioxide.

Contact us

Learn more about myasthenia gravis care. Call us at (800) 436-7936 or request an appointment.