Therapy
The basis of the therapy is the influencing of the patients’ immune system with cortisone (cortisone) or other active substances that reduce the production of antibodies against the messenger receptors. Symptomatically, inhibitors of the messenger-degrading enzyme are administered, in myasthenic crisis the same are given intravenously. These inhibitors are not entirely unproblematic, since an overdose can lead to a serious “cholinergic crisis”, which manifests itself clinically as poisoning with weedkiller (nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, sweating). If the clarifying examination does indeed reveal an enlargement or alteration of the thymus, it is usually surgically removed, which can lead to a causal improvement of the symptoms. In this case, an attempt can be made to gradually discontinue the immunosuppressive therapy after 2 – 4 years.
Prognosis
The disease progresses slowly, in 10 – 20% of cases still fatal. If the disease remains restricted to individual muscle groups, the prognosis is good. Contact with interest groups is advisable for those affected to exchange information about living with the disease and to obtain a “myasthenia passport”, which informs helpers and therapists about the presence of the disease in an emergency.
