myasthenia gravis sip of water bladder before medication

#Myasthenia gravis sip of water bladder before medication full#

If these medicines keep your symptoms under control for a long time (usually years), it may be possible to eventually stop taking them. You'll also need to have regular blood tests to check the amount of medicine in your body. Side effects can include an increased risk of getting infections, feeling and being sick, loss of appetite and tiredness.

#Myasthenia gravis sip of water bladder before medication full#

They can take at least 9 months to take full effect so you'll also need to take one of the previously mentioned medicines at first. These medicines are taken as tablets every day. If steroids are not controlling your symptoms, or you need to take a high dose of steroids, or steroids cause significant side effects, your doctor may suggest taking a different medicine that reduces the activity of your immune system, such as azathioprine or mycophenolate. This is because long-term treatment with steroids can cause unpleasant side effects, such as weight gain, mood swings and an increased risk of getting infections. Depending on how severe your symptoms are, you may need to take a high dose at first, which will be gradually lowered as much as possible once your symptoms are under control. You'll usually be advised to take the tablets every other day. Prednisolone is usually started in hospital if you have problems with swallowing or breathing, or if your symptoms keep getting worse and you need treatment quickly. These work by reducing the activity of your immune system (the body's natural defence against illness and infection), to stop it attacking the communication system between the nerves and muscles. If pyridostigmine does not help or only provides short-term relief, your doctor may suggest taking steroid tablets such as prednisolone. Tell your doctor if you get any of these, as they may be able to prescribe other medicines to help with side effects. Possible side effects include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, muscle twitching and feeling sick. For some people, this is the only medicine they need to control their symptoms. It can reduce muscle weakness, but the effect only lasts a few hours so you'll need to take it several times a day. The first medicine used for myasthenia gravis is usually a tablet called pyridostigmine, which helps electrical signals travel between the nerves and muscles. If you drive, you should tell the DVLA you have myasthenia gravis.

It's also a good idea to avoid activities that could be dangerous if you have sudden weakness, such as swimming alone.

surgery – make sure your surgeon is aware of your condition before having any operation.

medicines – make sure your doctor is aware of your condition and get advice before taking anything on the list of medicines that can trigger myasthenia gravis symptoms.infections – you may be advised to have an annual flu jab and the one-off pneumococcal vaccine, but get advice before having a 'live' vaccine, such as the shingles vaccine (live vaccines contain viruses or bacteria that have been weakened).stress – read some tips to help reduce your stress levels.tiredness and exhaustion – getting plenty of rest and not overexerting yourself may help.Doing what you can to avoid your triggers may help. The symptoms of myasthenia gravis can sometimes have a specific trigger. Treatment can help keep the symptoms of myasthenia gravis under control so that you're able to live a largely normal life.īut some people need ongoing treatment, and occasionally emergency treatment in hospital may be necessary if the condition suddenly gets worse.