1. Summaries of findings of non‐randomised studies.
| Type of myasthenia | Before‐after studies | Case series | Case reports | No. of people in review | Ephedrine dose (orally, unless stated otherwise) | Effect |
| Autoimmune | ||||||
| AChR MG (Hashimoto 1981; Macdonald 1984; McAlpine 1988) |
‐ | ‐ | 3 | 3 | 15 to 40 mg 4 times daily or 4 mg I.V. Not reported in some. |
Possible improvement in muscle strength in 3 people. Adverse effects reported. |
| MuSK MG (Ehler 2008; Haran 2013) |
‐ | ‐ | 2 | 2 | 12 to 50 mg 3 times daily | Possible improvement in symptoms in 2 people. Adverse effects reported. |
| Neonatal myasthenia gravis | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Congenital myasthenic syndromes | ||||||
| Presynaptic | ||||||
| CHAT (Kinali 2008 and Robb 2010) |
‐ | 1 | ‐ | 1 | Not reported | Possible improvement in symptoms in 1 person. |
| Presynaptic other (Engel 2003 and Maselli 2001) |
‐ | 1 | ‐ | 1 | Not reported | Possible improvement in muscle strength and fatigue in 1 person. |
| Synaptic | ||||||
| AGRN (Chaouch 2012; Huzé 2009) |
‐ | 2 | ‐ | 3 | 50 mg/day or 2 mg/kg/day |
Possible improvements in muscle strength, endurance and well‐being in 2 people. No change in 1 person. |
| COLQ (Adamovičová 2012; Bestue‐Cardiel 2005, Bestué 2006, Brengman 2006 and Engel 2008; Chaouch 2012; Chillingworth 2009; Edvardson 2007 and NCT00541216; Guven 2012; Kinali 2008; Mihaylova 2008a, Mihaylova 2008b, Mihaylova 2008c and Chaouch 2012; Wargon 2012, Wargon 2011 and Bauduin 2011; Yeung 2010) |
‐ | 9 | 1 | 29 | 50 to 200 mg/day (adults) or 0.5 to 5 mg/kg/day (children). Not reported in some. |
Possible improvements in endurance, muscle strength or both in about half of 29 people. Possible improvements in quality of life and respiration. No change reported in 3 people. Adverse effects reported. |
| LAMB2 (Maselli 2009) |
‐ | ‐ | 1 | 1 | Not reported | Possible improvements in 1 person. |
| Postsynaptic | ||||||
| CHRNE (Beeson 2005; Burke 2004; Khan 2011; Kinali 2008; Linzoain 2011; Maselli 2011; Nogajski 2009) |
‐ | 3 | 4 | 14 | 7.5 mg twice daily. Not reported in most. | Possible improvements in 9/14 people. No change in 4 people. Adverse effects suspected. |
| DOK7 (Anderson 2008; Ben Ammar 2010 and Sarkozy 2010; Burke 2009; Burke 2013 and Burke 2011; Della Marina 2011; Kinali 2008; Lashley 2010, Chaouch 2012, Cossins 2010 and Lashley 2009; Palace 2007 and Slater 2006; Schara 2009 and Schara 2007; Schara 2012; Selcen 2008; Srour 2010) |
4 | 7 | 1 | 40 | 7.5 to 100 mg/day or 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg/day (children). Not reported in some. |
Possible improvements in endurance, muscle strength, quality of life, or unspecified improvements in majority of 40 people. No response in 4 people. Adverse effects reported in 10 people. |
| Fast channel (Palace 2012) |
‐ | ‐ | 1 | 1 | Not reported | Possibly no effect in 1 person. |
| Limb‐girdle (Beeson 2005; Kinali 2008; Slater 2006) |
‐ | 3 | 5 | Not reported | Possible improvements in all 5 people. | |
| MuSK (Maselli 2010; Mihaylova 2009) |
‐ | 1 | 1 | 2 | Not reported | No response in 1 person. Not tolerated in the other person. |
| RAPSN (Banwell 2004; Burke 2004; Chaouch 2012) |
‐ | 3 | 4 | Not reported | Possible improvements in all 4 people. | |
| Slow channel (Beeson 2005) |
‐ | 1 | ‐ | 1 | Not reported | Possible slight improvement in 1 person. |
| Not genetically characterised CMS | ||||||
| (Beeson 2005; Felice 1996; Kinali 2008; Terblanche 2008) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 25 ‐ 50 mg oral, or 25 mg twice daily oral, or 25 mg I.M. Not reported in some. |
No objective improvements in forced vital capacity, muscle strength, or RNS/CMAP decrement. Possible subjective improvements in strength. Adverse effects reported. |
| Unknown form of myasthenia | ||||||
| (Chan‐Lui 1984; Dalkara 1988; Edgeworth 1930, Edgeworth 1933 and Boothby 1934; Nelson 1935; Patten 1972; Pearce 2005, Johnston 2005, Walker 1934 and Walker 1935; Schwarz 1955; Simpson 1966; Viets 1939; Wilson 1944; Yahr 1944) | 1 | 7 | 3 | 196 | 15 ‐ 96 mg oral, or < 64 mg S.C., or 3% eye drop solution. Not reported in some. |
Possible improvements in a majority of people. No response in a minority. Adverse effects reported. |
AChR: acetylcholine receptor; CMAP: compound muscle action potential; CMS: congenital myasthenic syndrome; I.M.: intramuscular; I.V.: intravenous; MG: myasthenia gravis; MuSK: muscle specific tyrosine kinase; n/a: not applicable; RNS: repetitive nerve stimulation; S.C.: subcutaneous