Guide To Treating Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome

Plasmapheresis

Plasmapheresis describes the process through which blood is removed from the body, filtered of certain elements, and returned back to the body. When the blood is removed and sent into the machine, plasma is separated from the other parts of the blood. The machine then keeps unhealthy plasma that contains the destructive antibodies, and it sends healthy plasma back in its place. In some cases, plasmapheresis can stop the immune system from producing harmful antibodies for a short period in addition to their initial removal. In other cases, plasmapheresis is limited to only filtering out the defective antibodies. Either way, this treatment is also a short term solution used in addition to other methods. If a patient with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is experiencing severe symptoms such as issues with walking, talking, breathing, and extreme fatigue upon diagnosis, plasmapheresis can be used to improve symptoms while other longer acting medications are started.

Get familiar with more ways to treat Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome now.

Immune Therapy

Immune therapy or immunosuppressants are a type of medication that decreases the strength of the body's immune system and function. While the use of these medications in healthy individuals sounds counter-intuitive, the use of immunosuppressants in individuals with autoimmune conditions can actually be beneficial. These drugs have a weakening effect on the overactive immune system of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome patients. The objective of immune therapy is to reduce the severity of the inflammatory response that results in communication disruption between the nerves and the muscle cells. This treatment is shown to be moderately successful, but it may not eradicate all of the defective antibodies in the immune system. In addition, there are adverse effects of being on immunosuppressants, including the increased susceptibility of contracting an illness. This happens because the healthy parts of the immune system are suppressed in addition to the harmful parts.

Learn more about how to treat Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome now.