Drug warnings
There are two classes of drugs that make Myasthenia Gravis dramatically worse while any amount of that drug remains in the body. While this does not mean that these medications must never be used, extreme care and precautions are necessary if so doing.
Note that that the effects are not persistent in the long term.
These are :
Aminoglycoside antibiotics. Fortunately these are for injection use only so it is unlikely you would receive them except in hospital. However, one of these gentamicin is commonly used in hospitals for urinary tract and abdominal (that is appendicitis) infections.
Neuromuscular blocking agents. These are for anaesthetic use
and likewise injection only.
ALWAYS make sure your anaesthetist is aware you have Myasthenia
Gravis. Note that this does not mean that you cannot have an anaesthetic, just
that the technique may need modification.
Please ask the hospital to mark your file as allergic to these drugs.
There are a number of drugs where the product information suggests caution
in taking these with Myasthenia Gravis. In many cases this is only a relative
warning and the two may be able to be combined: as always, you should check
with your doctor before starting anything with such a warning. These include
several types of blood pressure medications, most sleeping tablets, and various
other drugs.
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