Thread: MG?
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Old 12-27-2010, 02:46 PM
Chromatic Chromatic is offline
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10 yr Member
Chromatic Chromatic is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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10 yr Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pingpongman View Post
The one test that all my doctors seem to like to test the eyes is have someone stand in front of you and hold up a finger about 12 inches in front of your face at the TOP of your field of vision. You hold your head straight forward and focus on the finger by forcing your eyes up. When doing this after 30-60 seconds your eye should start drooping more as the muscles start getting tired.
Mike

Thanks, this is a very real and easy to understand example of a test. I have heard of various methods of this.. mostly just them asking you to look up for 60 seconds or so while they observe,but this is specific to give you a point of reference so you are looking at the 'straining' level to see the proper effect (if there is to be one).

I can look up now, at the top of my vision, and VERY quickly feel fatigued in the eyes.. nearly immediately.. but haven't officially examined it from someone else, video, doctor etc.

Any other tests you guys know of that can be done without specialized equipment?

I know this can be pretty much every muscle in the body theoretically.. but the tests I'm sure concentrate on easily fatiguing groups.. perhaps small muscle groups etc.

I heard something about walking on heels? (This would work the shins.. but may be mixing it up with another test).

I have heard of something to do with laying down and looking at your toes/feet for 60 seconds.

With me, just about anything involving muscles (over sustained time) causes me fatigue.

I often feel like my whole body is tremoring.. or shaking internally. Not so much an anxiety feeling, but more one of extreme weakness.. and it is uncomfortable. Example, I was helping someone on their laptop earlier and I was operating the touch pad and buttons from beside them for a few minutes. Just holding my hand in a semi-flexed position as that requires made me take note and I had to stop and rest my hand after a few minutes. I mean just pathetic things like that that never before would you even THINK about much less have it cause fatigue.

As I said it feels difficult to hold my head up, and now even my torso when sitting down. My legs feel weak all the time,.. I can still walk of course, but they feel like literal toothpicks.. I can be walking and one leg 'give out' sort of with regularity. I don't fall, but it is like I go to step on one leg while walking and the muscles just sort of cease to function and it causes me to catch myself.

But, really, anything of sustained effort causes these feelings. Even my hands as I type this.. they feel tense, overworked, and it would feel much better if I just brought my hands down to my side and let the muscles in my arm (that feel strained) rest, and my hands rest.

Problem is I can bring them back up after I rest, and mere seconds later they feel the same way.

As I mentioned before,.. (I think) -- I have put my weakness over the years up to just being sedentary,.. and needing to workout/work my muscles more.. ie: My legs,.. my back,.. etc. However, as time goes on muscles that should never 'need' working out like my eyes, hands, forearms, torso, and so on that should function relatively well with the typing, and eating, and general motions they get daily forever without great fatigue -- these muscles are fatiguing beyond the point of ignoring it,.. and can't be explained away by needing to 'work out'.

Does that make sense at all?

If I have MG, it is of the type that effects more than just the Ocular --

Though, the first sign , will definitely be having an eye go lazy at the age of 25, randomly, when fatigued late at night at the computer. Literally, my left eye went lazy and floated off the the side, causing double vision immediately. I have perfect vision and never had an eye problem before .. so something like a lazy eye at the age of 25 is just unheard of. Then it correcting itself after sleeping,.. only to happen again maybe 5-10 more times over the next several years, to now.. just not happening anymore. I think I am more perceptive of my eyes now and discontinue strain before I otherwise would have because they are much weaker and more easily bothered if you will.

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As for Sue and her Physical therapy --

I've thought this makes alot of sense for a long time now. Even with MG.

Especially with MG.

People with MG, of the type that effects more than the eyes of course.. are likely to not use their muscles nearly as much because they fatigue and they support themselves with things,.. they are much more sedentary -- and they very acts needed to sustain the normal muscle strength just aren't able to be performed.. not resistance training, but just long term (normal for most people) use of muscles. Like the holding the torso upright in good posture unsupported, holding the hands and arms out in front of you for long periods of time,.. and other longterm stamina activity that people do everyday just as a means of function -- these things keep their muscle mass at a specific level that allows this to continue.

So with MG the sedentary lifestyle, inability to sustain muscle contracture for long periods, and so on allows for inevitable muscle atrophy. Lowered strength, but also lowered stamina.

This just exacerbates the condition.. weaker muscles = harder to function with a disease that causes weak muscles.. double effect.

So training them in a careful manner can offset some of the lifestyle and disease created muscle changes to at least be back at 'par' and the only weakness be attributed to the acetylcholine problem and not actual weak muscles on top of things.

Makes sense to me.

Take care,
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