[Tree]

Since all my myasthenia symptoms are alleviated within three minutes of taking mestinon, that's an endocrine area right? Isn't chemical problems, endocrine?

[amm34]

no! endocrine simply refers to chemicals that can travel long distances through the blood. The primary examples are pituitary hormones- ie follicle stimulating hormone released from the pituitary gland affecting the gonads. In MG acetylcholine is released from a synapse at the neuromuscular jtn, it would ordinarily bind to receptors and start a cascade of ca channels, etc that would cause muscle contraction. The jtn if affected here. At that synapse there is an enzyme- cholinesterase that breaks down AcCh, so as to not cause tetanus, which recycles the individual components to be used again. Mestinon competitively inhibits cholinesterase so that the acetylcholine is around longer so that the receptors have a greater chance of being saturated and causing muscle contraction. If you get a chance, check out a neuro book from the lib and look at the mechanism. It will make you undertsnad your disease and the meds you take better.