Your primary care doctor might know a little about myasthenia gravis, but you’ll need ongoing treatment with a neurologist. That’s a medical doctor who specializes in treating conditions that affect your brain, nerves, and spinal cord. Ask your primary care provider for a referral to a specialist if you don't have one already. You can also find providers through the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America's "Partners in MG Care" tool. 

Write down everything you want to go over with your neurologist ahead of time. Put a few big concerns at the top of the list. Refer to your notes during the visit so you don’t forget what you want to ask. While everyone’s goals are different, some things you may want to talk about are treatment options, stress management, and healthy diet changes. Myasthenia gravis-friendly exercise plans and how to manage your symptoms at work or school are good topics, too. 

You’ll need to fill your doctor in on how you feel. When it comes to your symptoms, keep track of what time of day they bother you most and least, along with how they get in the way of your daily life. Do your symptoms make it hard to do major things like eating, swallowing, or breathing? These detailed notes give your doctor a better idea how myasthenia gravis affects you overall and what kinds of treatment you may need throughout the day. 

There’s no cure for myasthenia gravis, but your doctor can help you manage it. The goal is to get you to remission or close to it. That’s called minimal manifestations. It means symptoms like weakness either go away or don’t stop you from doing normal activities. Ask about fast-acting medication to boost muscle strength, along with other treatments such as immunotherapy, plasma exchange, or thymectomy (surgery on your thymus gland). 

Along with a neurologist, an MG care team may include your primary doctor, an ophthalmologist, and a physical or occupational therapist. A rheumatologist, neuromuscular disease expert, and other health professionals may also be included. At some point, you may need to work with a cardiothoracic surgeon. That’s a doctor who specializes in surgeries that involve your throat and chest area, including your heart, lungs, and esophagus. 

If you have myasthenia gravis, you’re more likely to have anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mood disorders, compared to people who don’t. There’s no clear reason why. But the condition and its treatment, along with the stress of living with a chronic illness, may all play a role. Ask your doctor to refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist who works with people who have myasthenia gravis. Treatment can help. 

There are steps you can take to make the most of your energy. What’ll work best for you depends on how serious your symptoms are. The doctor might suggest you do things like planning meals or running errands when your strength is highest, or using electric-powered or assistive tools to do daily tasks. Ask a myasthenia gravis-friendly occupational therapist for more tips.

Myasthenia gravis treatment can help you live a full life, but your medication may trigger some unwanted side effects. Common ones include throwing up, diarrhea, and weight gain. You might drool a lot or have more frequent infections, too. your doctor may be able to adjust your treatment dose or schedule, suggest lifestyle changes, or give you another medication to ease these symptoms.  

Other prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications and supplements may worsen myasthenia gravis symptoms. This includes certain antibiotics, intravenous magnesium, and blood pressure meds. Anesthetic, like what the dentist uses to numb your gums, also can worsen symptoms. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them. But you should run them by your myasthenia gravis doctor first. They can let you know what’s safe.

You may be able to try experimental drugs as part of a research study. If your current treatment isn’t helping enough, ask your doctor if they know of any clinical trials you can join that’ll let you test out new drugs. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America keeps an ongoing list of active clinical trials. You can search ClinicalTrials.gov for studies all over the world.  

Myasthenia gravis-related weakness can make it hard to move the muscles that help you breathe. This is called a myasthenic crisis, and it can be life-threatening. Call 911 if you start to feel short of breath. Keep an emergency alert card or medical ID bracelet with you in case someone needs to get medical help for you.  

People with myasthenia gravis often have more than one medical problem, including other autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid). That’s why it’s important to see your neurologist and regular doctor for routine visits. Together, they can help you find the best treatment plan and specialists to manage your overall health. 

You can become a parent if you have myasthenia gravis. But it’s best to talk to your doctor before you get pregnant, if possible. Your medical team can help you make any changes to your treatment to make sure your condition is well-controlled before, during, and after pregnancy. And if you have autoimmune myasthenia gravis, ask if there’s a chance your baby may need special care after they’re born. 

Find people who understand what you’re going through. They may be able to give you tips for how to get the most from your medical care. If not, they’ll still be a good source for social and emotional support. Ask your doctor or social worker about myasthenia gravis support groups in your area. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America is another good resource to find like-minded folks. 

Schedule an in-person or virtual consultation with a more experienced neurologist if you’re not satisfied with your current treatment plan, or if you have serious symptoms that need advanced care. Reach out to other people in the myasthenia gravis community for suggestions on who to see. You can also ask your doctor for a list of specialists or search for a provider through the  Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.