Tensilon test

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Muscle fatigue

The Tensilon test is a method to help diagnose myasthenia gravis.

A drug called Tensilon (also called edrophonium) or a dummy medicine (inactive placebo) is given during this test. The health care provider gives the medicine through one of your veins (intravenously, through an IV). You may also be given a medication called atropine before receiving Tensilon so that you do not know you are getting the drug.

You will be asked to perform some muscle movements over and over again, such as crossing and uncrossing your legs or getting up from a sitting position in a chair. The health care provider will check whether the Tensilon improves your muscle strength. If you have weakness of the eye or face muscles, the effect of the Tensilon on this will also be monitored.

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The test may be repeated and you may have other Tensilon tests to help tell the difference between myasthenia gravis and other conditions.

No special preparation is usually necessary. However, you should follow any dietary restrictions or other directions prescribed by your health care provider.

You will feel a sharp prick as the IV needle is inserted. The drug may cause a feeling of a churning of the stomach or a slight feeling of increased heart rate, especially if Atropine is not given first.

The test helps:

• Diagnose myasthenia gravis
• Tell the difference between myasthenia gravis and other similar brain and nervous system conditions
• Monitor treatment with oral anticholinesterase drugs

The test may also be done for conditions such as Lambert-Eaton syndrome.

Review Date: 02/05/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).