Expert opinion on mexiletine treatment in adult patients with myotonic dystrophy

In France, mexiletine - a class I antiarrhythmic drug - can be prescribed for the symptomatic treatment of myotonia of the skeletal muscles in adult patients with myotonic dystrophy under a compassionate use programme. Mexiletine is used according to its summary of product characteristics, which describes its use for myotonia treatment in adult patients with non-dystrophic myotonia, a different neuromuscular condition without cardiac involvement. A cardiac assessment is required prior to initiation and throughout treatment due to potential proarrhythmic effects. The presence of conduction system disease, the most common cardiac manifestation of myotonic dystrophy, mandates repeated cardiac evaluations in patients with this condition, and becomes even more important when they are given mexiletine. A group of experts, including three neurologists and five cardiologists from French neuromuscular reference centres, were involved in a task force to develop a treatment algorithm to guide mexiletine use in myotonic dystrophy. The recommendations are based on data from a literature review of the safety of mexiletine-treated patients with myotonic dystrophy, the compassionate use protocol for mexiletine and the personal clinical experience of the experts. The main conclusion of the expert group is that, although existing safety data in mexiletine-treated patients with myotonic dystrophy are reassuring, cardiac assessments should be reinforced in such patients compared with mexiletine-treated patients with non-dystrophic myotonia. This expert opinion to guide mexiletine treatment in patients with myotonic dystrophy should help to reduce the risk of severe adverse events and facilitate interactions between specialists involved in the routine care of patients with myotonic dystrophy.