Asking my doctor to support testing me for MG?
My father had myasthenia gravis MG in his late 70's. I am noticing some of the MG symptoms he had in myself. Saliva leaking out the corners of my mouth. Weakness in my arms. What kind of doctor treats, diagnoses, and specializes in MG? What kind of tests are there to help with diagnosis? I am at the start of my journey and hoping progress has been made since 1991 when my dad died.
Thank you so much for these links. My PCP gave me a referral to a NeuroMuscular specialist AND my first appointment is 11/05/24. I am having episodes of chest pain, shortness of breath, weak arms every other day, and I think they may be flares. I will try to take a cancelled appointment to get in earlier. I spent the last 2 months taking heart tests and the cardiologist said my heart was NORMAL. I am persevering with joy in the face of no agreement.
thank you so much for these 3 links. I read all 3 and they were very helpful. My first appointment with the neurologist is Tue 11/05. I am signing a release for my test results at my cardiologist today and hope to have these before I have to visit the ER. Without a definite diagnosis of MG, the doctors always think it's my heart. Hoping having the tests/results will help get a neurologist in the ER to at least check for MG. Also going to stop by the neurologist office to get them to order an antibody blood test BEFORE my visit and call me with any cancellation so I can get diagnosed sooner than later. Linda Qbq 
That sounds like an excellent plan! Remember that even if the antibody blood results come back negative, you can still have a type of MG called seronegative MG. If this situation occurs, please reach out, as this can be a trickier type of MG to get a confirmed diagnosis. Best wishes!
Jodi, Team Member
Thanks, Jessica. I will read these in a few hours. I visited Urgent Care today, it was a poor choice. Then I went to my PCP office and spoke with her staff. I delivered a summary of all my cardiologist appts and heart test results. My PCP will phone me Friday and I'll share the kind of referral I need from her. Your response is timely. Much appreciation, LindaQbq
Hey there! The links Jess shared are a great start. I am sorry to hear that urgent care was no help. Your primary care doctor should be able to arrange MG blood tests and, if needed (if blood tests for MG antibodies are negative), further MG testing for you (to look for seronegative MG). I encourage you, if you reside in the USA, to go ahead and schedule with an MG specialist as they typically book two months out: https://myasthenia.org/Living-With-MG/Find-Medical-Experts/fbclid/IwAR15QEvIG-1-RpvDB-nZ5Y8OkGXiQ91HIQD9laIvq9Meo27jSSTqYkISp3Y. You can always cancel if results come back that MG is not what is causing your symptoms.
Jodi, Team Member
Hello
we understand that trying to get to the root cause of symptoms can be overwhelming at times. I hope that you can find a medical team that will get you answers as soon as possible. I shared a link to information on diagnosing MG - https://myasthenia-gravis.com/diagnosis. You can find information on the types of doctors that treat MG here - https://myasthenia-gravis.com/doctor. I also included an article on finding a specialist, which includes a link to a search tool for finding a doctor near your -https://myasthenia-gravis.com/living/finding-doctor-specialists. Lastly, I shared an article on symptoms commonly associated with MG - https://myasthenia-gravis.com/symptoms. I hope this info is helpful. Please reach out if we can help locate any other MG related info. Kindly, Jessica (Team Member)
