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"   Question I have a neurological disorder called myotonia congenita or Thompson&amp;#039;s disease.  Although I have had it for a number of years, it has only recently been diagnosed.  As I have tried all medicines available with no effect, my question is: are there any new drugs that if could ask my consultant to try?  I would also like to know a lot more about this condition as my consultant hasn&amp;#039;t gone into much detail about it.  I know very little about the condition and its full effects.   Answer Myotonia is the inability of a muscle to relax after it has contracted.  Myotonia appears in two forms of myotonic dystrophy, namely myotonia congenita and dystrophia myotonica.  In your type, myotonia congenita, the problem starts during infancy and usually improves with age. I am puzzled in that you have only recently been diagnosed at the age of 32, which would suggest dystrophia myotonica, as this normally starts in early adult life and may become progressively worse.  In the past, medication such as procainamide and quinine have been used in order to reduce myotonia, but research is continually being carried out to discover more effective remedies.  For the latest research, contact the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, a national charity funding research into treatments and cures for the muscular dystrophies and allied muscle wasting conditions.  You will find their address and phone number in our support group pages.  Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team  Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As Asymmetrical tonic neck reflex Bell&amp;#039;s palsy and pregnancy Bilateral ulnar nerve palsy Botulinum toxin \u2013 what is it? Can the ketogenic diet cure restless leg syndrome? Can you tell me more about multiple systems atrophy (Shy-Drager syndrome)? Dealing with sleepwalking Dystonia For a few minutes my mother could not speak How did I get Huntington&amp;#039;s disease? Huntington&amp;#039;s syndrome \u2013 is it hereditary? I have Bell&amp;#039;s palsy and been asked to have an MRI scan I think by taking ketamine I have damaged my brain I&amp;#039;m suffering from sleep paralysis and hypnogogic hallucination Information on Tourette&amp;#039;s syndrome Is Bell\u2019s palsy hereditary? Will my unborn child have it? Is my twitching a sign of motor neurone disease? Lost my sense of smell and taste ME and periods Myoclonic dystonia Peripheral vestibular disorder Progressive supranuclear palsy Restless legs syndrome Shaking head when stressed Shoulder and arm tics in my three-year-old Spasmodic twitching in both eyes Tell me about foot drop Thomsen&amp;#039;s disease Trapped nerve in the elbow What can we do about my autistic son&amp;#039;s violent outbursts? What is causing my Bell&amp;#039;s palsy? What is familial tremor? What is fasciculation ? What is ME? What will ease RLS? What&amp;#039;s causing the strange sensations down my left side?  Last updated 17.05.2015 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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