Hi, cosmoe. I'm sure all of this is a bit overwhelming.

The best way to determine weakness is to do an activity, and then compare how you were before the activity and afterward. MG is all about weakness that becomes worse with activities and (relatively) better with rest and drugs.

How do your legs feel after walking a flight of stairs? How long can you hold your arms out in front of you? What do your muscles feel like after doing other activities?

Muscles that are weak can cramp. But that is a secondary symptom of MG. The primary one is muscle weakness. If muscles become very weak, they can spasm. That spasming can cause muscular pain, but that is less common (though more common in those who don't have a treatment yet).

Swallowing difficulties are varied. Yes, that can feel like throat tightness. You can have trouble swallowing liquids, in that it feels as though you can't swallow to get the liquid down. Food can feel as though it becomes stuck and won't go down the esophagus. The jaw can become weak, so that chewing food is harder.

The head and neck can become so weak that holding up the head is difficult, and people may need to rest their head on their hand/arm or against a chair/couch.

Does that help at all?

If you do become worse, before you have a final diagnosis and treatment, please don't hesitate to go to the ER. Did your doctor even give you a trial of Mestinon (mess-tih-non)?

MG becomes worse in hot weather, and in cold weather for some people. And it can be hard to tell when the body becomes a lot weaker. You can try squeezing someone's fingers and they can tell you if you are doing it well or not. You can hold your arms in front of you and see how many seconds you can do that. But the best way is to see a doctor!

Are you short of breath at all?

Please let us know if you have more questions. I hope they'll confirm this soon, so that you can have more help.

Annie