I'm still kind of new to this myself, but my understanding of Mestinon is this: it is "boosting" a chemical that your body needs. With MG, weakness is caused because the body is producing antibodies which block the reception of acetylcholine (the chemical that stimulates muscles).

Mestinon is essentially acetylcholine, and by taking it, you are giving your body a "boost" that helps get more ACh to those receptors. Believe me, you will NEVER be able to take more than you need, because your body really doesn't want an excess amount of ACh - if you get too much, you will feel really bad!

My doctor had me start off with a small dosage, gradually increasing until I found the "right" amount for me. In my case, my bloodwork didn't show that I had any antibodies, so I think my doctor thought the meds wouldn't help. However, I was able to take 30mg w/o any effect whatsoever; 60mg with a slight improvement; 90mg with a noticable improvement; and 120mg with a "This is WAY too much" effect.

I got an official diagnosis of MG - based on my response to the medication and a Tensilon test - last Friday. Since then, we have been experimenting with dosages. I am currently taking a timed-release tablet at night, and 90mg every 4 hours when awake. So far, that seems to be what works for me.

I don't think that taking this while trying to get pregnant or while being pregnant should be a problem - goodness knows you want to keep your energy levels up during pregnancy! However, I am not a medical professional - be sure and check with your doctor to see what he/she recommends.

You might also want to get tested for Celiac Disease and/or look into following a gluten-free diet. If you have issues with gluten, your intestines won't absorb all of the nutrients that you eat, and that can mean the difference between a healthy pregnancy and one that really saps you of all nutrition (your body will transfer as much as it needs to a baby, at your expense). Many women with undiagnosed gluten issues (whether they test positive for CD or not) have problems with infertility - and many OB/GYNs are unaware of this fact.

In many cases, once a woman with gluten issues follows a GF diet for a year or two, their intestines have healed sufficiently to allow their body to become pregnant - apparently our bodies are "smart" enough to not allow us to get pregnant if we can't retain enough nourishment to sustain a pregnancy! For more information about CD/gluten issues, go to www.celiac.com - it's one of the best sites out there related to this subject.

Some people with MG also have CD, and even those who don't sometimes find that they benefit from a GF diet. It's fairly easy to follow; there are LOTS of GF foods available in your local grocery store (and as more people start becoming aware of how common CD is, there will be even more choices available in the future); and many restaurants have GF menus available now. You may have a Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) chapter near you that can give you more information as well.