Originally Posted by Panorama

I've seen negative antibody tests in MG patients several times, twice this week alone in old House episodes.

You may need to site a more authoritative source than House episodes to kick-start your neurologist. Take a look at section 2.7, Diagnostic Procedures in MG, on page 14 of the MG Manual:

"The diagnosis is frequently delayed months or even years. The usual distribution and fluctuating symptoms often suggest psychiatric disease." I read in the forum this week that one poor soul was prescribed Prozac. She was not presenting strong enough symptoms during doctor visits for him to see there was a physical problem. Being a master diagnostician, the doctor thought his patient was crazy and he prescribed Prozac. Later she saw a neurologist who diagnosed MG right away. Although they might argue the point, doctors do not know every thing.

Get a copy of the free MG Manual:

Myasthenia Gravis: A Manual for the Health Care Provider

http://www.myasthenia.org/LinkClick....w%3d&tabid=125

Download it onto a thumb drive. Go to Kinko's and have it printed and bound. It will be the best $10 bucks you ever spent.

The Diagnostic Procedures in MG section includes:

• Edrophonim Chloride Test
• Auto-Antibodies in MG
• Elecrodiagnostic Testing in MG
• Ocular Cooling
• Other Studies

Push your doctors to explore the other ways to determine if a patient has MG. BTW once doctors know you know what they should know (but often don't), they will afford you a bit more respect.

There are a lot of big words in the MG manual. There is a medical dictionary linked at the top, right of the most forum pages:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html

Simply type the word into the medical dictionary and get an answer. It makes thing so much easier.

I would also print the few pages on Diagnostic Procedures in MG and give them to your doctors. MG strikes only 1 in 10,000, making it hard to get a diagnosis under the best of circumstances. Many primary care doctors may never see a case in their careers. Not having a positive blood test makes it even harder once they suspect MG.

Take care,

-Mark-

P.S.: sham0968 - Just sent you a Private Message.