Myasthenia Gravis

[Plateav]

Hey Guyz, I believe this is my very 1st posting to ANY type of online forum, and I felt compelled to christen the experience with a health related concern. Specifically, I started experiencing profound lightheadedness (NOT vertigo) mid December of 2007. Weeks later, I started experiencing eye pain NOT double vision) mostly at my PC screen at work. It's been almost two months now, and both symptoms have leveled off a bit, BUT I've been feeling a bit weak in my legs from time to time. More alarming, just last night, I was chewing gum and had difficulty swallowing!?! In fact, my entire jaw started feeling weak and I had to take the gum out of my mouth to recover. I regained the ability to swallow moments later, but the event was HIGHLY irregular with me.

I have investiaged my lightheadedness & eyepain over the past month with a routine blood test, ENG, MRI and eye exam, all of which came back "normal." However, I suspect something else maybe ailing me, not dectactable by the aforementioned tests. My mother has Myasthenia Gravis (diagnosed in her late 30's), but I'm relectant to compare my latest 'weakness' symptoms with her, so as to not 'jump the gun' and cause worry for her.

I am a 37 year old while male (healthy all my life). Can any of you personally advise if MG has began similarly for you? I don't remember my mother being "lightheaded" at all when her symptoms first appeared.

I'm supposed to see a neurologist on Monday as a follow-up to my first visit weeks ago. Can you advise me how to approach my neurologist with my most recent symptoms, in an effort to diagnose 'whatever' may be wrong with me. ANY advice you may have will be WARMLY received and appreciated.

Thanking You in Advance,

Chris

[jacks_daughter]

my dad's started with drooping left eye and double ( one object on top of the other) vision

[karandi]

Hi - I was diagnosed with M.G. in February 2004 having suffered since the previous November with Double vision (I awoke with this one morning). A few days later I lost the ability to raise my left arm above shoulder height and a few more days lost the ability to chew my food. I saw my Doctor and it took 2 months to fix an appointment with a Neurologist who, after a blood test diagnosed M.G. and prescribed Pyrodostigmine and Azothioprine. By this time although I still had the double vision all the other symptoms had gone. The double vision disappeard after a couple of days - as the Neurologist said it would. After four annual attacks of the symptoms and to hospitalizations for imumoglobin replacement, I then suffered severe symptoms every November which I connected to having my winter Influenza Vaccination and last November I refused to have my Annual Vaccination and did not have any M.G. reaction.
I have never suffered any pain whatsoever nor light headedness but strongly suspect that the medication for M.G. caused side effects which required more medication to combat and this "more medication" themselves caused side effects requiring even more medication. And so it goes on.
The best I can advise is to try and identify the original cause of your problems. I was originall told - in 2004 that stress played no part in starting M.G. but now I read that it can and does and I firmly believe mine was caused by the sudden and unexpected death of my wife of 45 years which caused me to have some kind of breakdown. That was May 2003 with the symptoms beginning in November - after my Flu jab - the same year. I now feel perfectly healthy ( at the moment) except for a severe weakness in my legs which no one can explain but are continuing to investigate although I think this leg problem is probably due to all the different medication I have had.
As the medical world seems to know so little about this condition we have to help ourselves. Try and record what you eat and drink (I keep a diary) and when the different symptoms appear and end. Any vaccinatuons ? for travel purposes or any other reasons. Any traumatic happenings which upset you and so on. Colds and other illnesses etc.
What is your Neurologists latest opinion ?
Good Luck
Regards
Ken Robinson (U.K.)