Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis


The signs and symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis include:

  • Weakness of the involuntary or skeletal muscles in the body
  • No pain in the muscles, just weakness
  • Weakness worsens when you are active and improves with periods of rest
  • Weakness worsens towards the end of the day, during hot weather, if you are sick or have an infection or before a menstrual cycle in women
  • Difficulty in breathing due to weakness of chest muscles
  • Shortness of breath when lying down or when exercising
  • Difficulties in swallowing or chewing
  • Gagging, choking or drooling frequently
  • Difficulty in moving - climbing stairs, lifting things or standing up from a seated position
  • Problems talking normally
  • Head that droops
  • Difficulty in holding up the neck
  • Weakness of the facial muscles or facial paralysis
  • Tiredness and fatigue
  • Hoarse throat
  • Change in voice / impaired speech
  • Double vision – can occur intermittently or only when looking in one particular direction
  • Blurred vision
  • Difficulty maintaining a steady gaze
  • Drooping of eyelids (one or both)
  • Unstable or waddling gait
  • Weakness in hands, arms, fingers, legs
  • Difficulty in raising the arms (to brush hair etc)

Symptoms of myasthenia gravis tend to occur suddenly and are often confused or misdiagnosed as symptoms of other illnesses.