Should Patients with Family History of Myasthenia Gravis Avoid Botox?

asked 2 years ago by Kathy40 in milwaukee
Latest answer by Ronald Shelton, MD
Question viewed 1,449 times
Tags: droopy, risk

If my grandmother had Myasthenia Gravis, should I avoid Botox? Her symptoms started in her 70s, with a droopy eyelid. I don't think I have the disease but noticed if you have it, you can't use Botox. Does the fact that my grandmother had it, put me at risk?

6 answers to Should Patients with Family History of Myasthenia Gravis Avoid Botox?

Check with your doctor first

Some patients with certain diseases have minimal expression of symptoms, if any at all, until the disease is provoked by some stimulus or stress. If you have an underlying predisposition for myasthenia gravis then possibly the Botulinum toxin could precipitate such symptoms. You should consult with a neurologist first, to be sure

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Botox and myasthenia

As long as you don't have myasthenia gravis yourself, you should be okay. Family history is important, but if you are not having any symptoms and your primary care agrees that you are not having any symptoms than Botox will be okay for you. As the others have said, the risk is that the action of Botox will be prolonged if you have myasthenia gravis. Above all, go to a board certified physician so that a qualified person is doing the injecting. Good luck! Dr. Mariwalla... more

Kavita Mariwalla, MD
New Haven Dermatologic Surgeon

Myasthenia Gravis & Botox

You can get checked for Myasthenia Gravis and then proceed to get Botox. The risk with myasthenia gravis and Botox is a very prolonged effect of Botox. If done properly you can still be ok. However if someone develops droopy eyelid, it can take very long to recover. Regards

Tanveer Janjua, MD
Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox is safe if your grandmother has myasthenia and you don't.

If you do not have myasthenia, it is safe to get Botox treatments. If your grandmother had myasthenia beginning in her 70's, your risk of developing myasthenia remains very small, assuming you don't have other risk factors- like having other autoimmune diseases. Most people who have myasthenia that runs in their family have a form in which they develop the disease in childhood. You can feel comfortable trying Botox- you'll love it!

Nancy Swartz, MD
Philadelphia Oculoplastic Surgeon

Patients with family history of Myasthenia Gravis should be OK for Botox

Provided that you do not have Myasthenia, the family history is not a reason to avoid BOTOX. Exposure to BOTOX will not cause the condition. The precaution is taken to avoid BOTOX in individual who have motor nerve conditions because the combination has the potential to cause an additive effect that would be undesirable.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD
Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Should Be OK

Myasthenia Gravis is a relatively rare chronic, autoimmune neuromuscular disorder, which in some ways is nature's version of BOTOX. It leads to fluctuating weakness of the voluntary muscles. In MG, the victim produces antibodies which react and blocks or destroys the muscle receptor site. When the nerve to activate those muscles deploys its acetylcholine there is no landing space on the neuromuscular junction and the muscle fails to contract. Having similarities to BOTOX, MG is a... more

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Virginia Beach Dermatologist

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