Myasthenia Gravis Support Group

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Although myasthenia gravis may affect any voluntary muscle, muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, and...

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MG and RA - what immunosuppressant to use?

drmargret
drmargret

I'm newly dignosed with MG and I have been on Mestinon for 2 months but lately it isn't enaugh. I can not take prednisolon because I'v already got so much of the side affects as I was on it for years for my RA. I'm on my way to see my doctors and I want to be prepared. I'm currently on Enbrel for my RA and it workes fine. The doctors are hesitant to ad another immunosuppressant. But I can not be like this. I have to take the risk of my RA to worsen skipping Enbrel. Do other RA medicine effect MG positively like Humira?

Rhanson
Rhanson
The treatments for MG in order of number of patients: Prednisone was used in the great majority of patients, azathioprine the second most used, and mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporine. Mycophenolate (brand name Cellcept) is becoming more popular. The problem with alternatives to prednisone is that they are slower to start working, and also have problems with side effects and toleration.
RA patients who have been treated with penicillamine sometimes develop MG.

You can see what other folks have already talked about on this forum by doing a google site search. Here is one that searches the forums for both Rheumatoid Arthritis and Myathenia Gravis

https://www.google.com/search?q=rheumatoid+arthritis+myasthenia+gravis+site%3Adailystrength.org&rlz=1CAACAG_enUS656US656&oq=rheumatoid+arthritis+myasthenia+gravis+site%3Adailystrength.org&aqs=chrome..69i57.25067j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

And another one abbreviating RA
RA myasthenia site:dailystrength.org

https://www.google.com/search?q=rheumatoid+arthritis+myasthenia+gravis+site%3Adailystrength.org&rlz=1CAACAG_enUS656US656&oq=rheumatoid+arthritis+myasthenia+gravis+site%3Adailystrength.org&aqs=chrome..69i57.25067j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=RA+myasthenia+site:dailystrength.org

Good Luck
Russ
drmargret
drmargret
Thank you Russ. I don't mind slow response to medication as long as there is a real possibility the immunosuppressant can work on both RA and MG. Prednisolon is not an option for me. Nor is Methotrexate. I already tried to search for a link regarding this here in the daylystrength but with no luck. But one comment in one of the two links you put in your response was helpful. Thanks Russ. Rituximab seams to be the only medical option for me - helping both RA and MG. I don't know how I'm going to convince my doctors I'm worth the try of this expensive drug. I really would like to hear from people with RA and MG. Especially people stable on a biological RA drug but newly diagnosed with MG. (I have another post in the RA group about this). Does anyone use Enbrel and Imuran (or other MG drug) together? Anyone?