Testing and Treating LEMS
Understanding how your doctor will diagnose and treat your symptoms
Once you’ve found a neuromuscular specialist, the next steps on the road to feeling better are diagnosis and treatment. In this section, you’ll learn about some of the diagnostic tests that your doctor may use to identify the cause of your symptoms. If you are diagnosed with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), your doctor will prescribe a treatment based on the type of LEMS that you have.
Testing for LEMS
LEMS may be diagnosed by a physical exam and confirmed by one or both of the following:
A blood test
to check for the presence of anti-VGCC (anti-voltage-gated calcium channel) antibodies—specific antibodies found in most LEMS patients—that disrupt the communication between nerves and muscles
An electrodiagnostic test
that measures how well your muscles and nerves communicate with each other
Cancer-Associated LEMS
In some cases, LEMS may be linked to an underlying cancer. In those cases, the doctor may do a special screening test first to rule out the presence of cancer. Read more about this type of LEMS on the next page.
Treating LEMS
There are several types of therapies that have been used to treat LEMS. Here are two options your doctor may consider:
Recommended treatment for LEMS
The only treatment FDA-approved for LEMS is an oral potassium channel blocker that can help nerve signals reach the muscles.
Other treatments
Although not FDA-approved for LEMS, other therapies are sometimes prescribed.
Discover an FDA-approved treatment option for LEMS
Learn more about this therapy now