Polymyositis & Dermatomyositis Support Group

It is possible that you will get a "normal" result if you are on medications. They like you to not be taking any of our regular meds for a period of time before you get the EMG. I've had two and it was obvious something was seriously wrong.

When I had my emg testing, it was done early in my illness when the muscle weakness was really bad. I am sure if I had the same test run today then it would show no problems. Medications will show that things are o.k. The doctor should inform you that medications will change emg results.

It's ironic that you asked this question. Just today I was watching Mystery Diagnosis, and the woman featured had PM with ILD. Before her diagnosis they ran an EMG on her, and the results were "good," even though she had all the symptoms of PM. Her bloodwork showed a high white blood count and elevated CPK, but everything else was good. They finally did an MRI and then a muscle biopsy which showed PM. She had been on and off prednisone prior to diagnosis because of all her difficulties, and that may have skewed the EMG results, although they didn't state that.

I'm pretty sure we met her at the TMA conference in Las Vegas. Nice gal. So sorry so many suffer for so long without a diagnosis and treatment. It is such a common story.

@Shawna
Was she a speaker or fellow attendee? One of the reasons I felt so bad for this young woman was because she got sick while pregnant. Then after giving birth, she had so many problems that she ended up in ICU and stayed in the hospital a few weeks. Even after going home, she was too weak to lift her new baby. Of course, things went downhill from there. I can't imagine how terrible that must have been for a new mom.

My first emg was normal but it depends what they are looking for. The specialist told me they were trying to rule out myasthenia gravis so i don't think the test is like we think. The test went for ages. I was diagnosed with PM after a muscle biopsy.

The gal i met was a fellow attendee and she was still walking with oxygen. She said she was on the show mystery diagnosis, but there may have been more than one?? not sure.

@Shawna
I think that only one show is done per illness, so it was probably the young woman that I saw. Her need for oxygen was mentioned on the program. Was her name LaShawn?