Ephedrine treatment for autoimmune myasthenia gravis

• Published in: Neuromuscular disorders : NMD Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 259 - 265
• Main Authors: Lipka, Alexander F., MD, Vrinten, Charlotte, MSc, van Zwet, Erik W, PhD, Schimmel, Kirsten JM, PhD, Cornel, Martina C, MD, PhD, Kuijpers, Marja R, Hekster, Yechiel A, PhD, Weinreich, Stephanie S, PhD, Verschuuren, Jan JGM, MD, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 01.03.2017
• Subjects: Add-on therapy; Adult; Autoantibodies - blood; Cross-Over Studies; Double-Blind Method; Drug Therapy, Combination; Ephedrine; Ephedrine - administration & dosage; Ephedrine - adverse effects; Ephedrine - pharmacology; Female; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Myasthenia gravis; Myasthenia Gravis - drug therapy; Myasthenia Gravis - immunology; n-of-1 trial; Neurology; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Randomised controlled trial; Receptors, Cholinergic - immunology; Sympathomimetics - administration & dosage; Sympathomimetics - adverse effects; Sympathomimetics - pharmacology; add-on therapy; ephedrine; randomised controlled trial; Myasthenia gravis; n-of-1 trial; Ephedrine; Randomised controlled trial; Add-on therapy
• ISSN: 0960-8966; 1873-2364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2016.11.009

Highlights • Anecdotal evidence suggests a symptomatic effect of ephedrine in myasthenia gravis. • This series of randomized controlled n-of-1 trials compared ephedrine to placebo. • Ephedrine significantly reduced QMG score by 1.0 point. • Adverse events were mild, including palpitations, tremor and restlessness. • Ephedrine add-on treatment resulted in a small but consistent reduction of symptoms