[Stellatum]

I am suddenly very weak, and I can't figure out why. I haven't been exerting myself, and it's the part of my cycle where I'm usually strongest.

I have an old friend visiting. She has a troubled daughter, and there was bad news about her that upset me. Also, yesterday I watched my husband climb a ladder way up into a tree to pull down some fallen branches that were caught up there--he had to get them down because we were worried that they'd fall on the children. I was terrified that he would fall.

I have had this disease for about a year and a half. The "traumas" I describe above aren't so out of the ordinary. Life is full of emotional shocks. It could be that emotions have made me weak before and I never made the connection, or it could be that this is a coincidence, and I'm weak for some other reason. I don't know. Do the rest of you find that emotional upsets trigger weakness?

Abby

[Suddenly]

Without a doubt. I had an appointment with my neuro this week that went very well but was stressful and triggered major symptoms for several days.

[pingpongman]

Yes I agree with Suddenly emotional stress really effects me. My daughter got married (3rd time) early this month and I thought I was going to have to walk her down the aisle in a wheel chair.
Mike

[suev]

Negative or stress related emotion gets me too. I think the emotion has probably always had some negative effect...but on top of the stress we have with summer heat - I think I just notice it more.

[DesertFlower]

Emotional triggers are the worst for me, even worse than physical activity.

Even simple stressed make me weak, like when I have to make a decision or if someone asks me a question that I can't easily answer. I often think people around me think I am faking my weaknes in order to get out of answering or making decisions...which is far from the truth.

I can't handle watching someone do something that might be dangerous, like your example of watching someone climb a ladder, makes my legs weak.

I often think that I don't have any tolerance for stress. Whatever the body does to handle stress doesn't function for me.

I think one of the worst things is if someone asks or expects me to hurry, I try to hurry and then my body fights back and slows me down, sometimes so much that I have to sit or lay down.

Every once in a while, this makes me start wondering if somehow the MG symptoms are all in my head, that I am doing it to myself, especially since the stupid Social security disability doctor suggested that possibility. I know this isn't true but I can't help but wonder.

If I am home alone with no phone calls or interuptions or expectations, I feel almost normal, but as soon as anything happens that causes the least bit of stress, I am back to feeling MG weak.

I hope this helps.

I wish the best for everyone.

[Suddenly]

Last week my neuro wanted me to walk with him to different areas to set up IVIG and appointments for testing. He has very long legs and a long stride and I struggled to keep up. I didn't succeed and ended up following and holding the rails along the wall. Funny, I would tell my husband or friends to slow down please but wouldn't with the neuro. Stress!

[AnnieB3]

Abby, Well, there is a science behind emotions and neurotransmitters! This is simply a sampling of the info out there - it's endless.

Doctors, especially neurologists, often pooh-pooh emotions, as if emotions are a "lesser" form of being. There's a great book called "Molecules of Emotions" by Candace B. Pert, PhD that I have which is a fantastic view of the "neuroendocrine" system and how emotions affect disease.

These are more "scientific."

http://www.loc.gov/loc/brain/emotion/Damasio.html

http://www.psychologistworld.com/stress/fightflight.php

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/proteins.html


Not a great source, since it's "Yahoo Q & A," but interesting.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...0092543AASuyTZ

So it's not silly to think emotions can make you weak. It's a complex series of chemical reactions in the body which includes acetylcholine.

Have you ever stopped for a minute to check if you're tensing your muscles? It's amazing how often I do that. So I try to relax my entire body whenever I have a chance or if I'm stressed. It really helps.

Annie

[alice md]

The division between the body and the soul is completely arbitrary.

I don't think anyone can clearly define what the soul is. And unfortunately in modern medicine (and science) what ever we can't demonstrate with our senses (or tools we invent) is the soul.

Just like in the excellent book by Dr. Seus- Horton Hears a who- what you can't hear, see or touch just doesn't exist. Well, if you have a microscope and can see the "who's" in the speck of dust-that's different.

Of course emotions effect our muscles and other biological functions. This is what they are meant for.

Fear/ Anxiety (an emotion) is a protective mechanism that helps us flea from danger, or fight it. It leads to constriction of our blood vessels in the gut, and re-direction of all the blood flow to the muscles, lungs etc.
This happens if we see a tiger that is about to leap on us, but also if we see our boss, after we did something we know he is not going to be happy with. Those are all very physiological processes.

For me stress if at all , is a negative trigger (eg-makes me much stronger). In fact, the first treatment for MG-ephedrine (which is also very effective for me) is based on this. So, I wonder why so many MG patients experience the opposite (eg-that stress makes them worse). This just shows how complex this illness is. And how complex people are.

[Christel Jackson]

Originally Posted by Stellatum

I am suddenly very weak, and I can't figure out why. I haven't been exerting myself, and it's the part of my cycle where I'm usually strongest.

I have an old friend visiting. She has a troubled daughter, and there was bad news about her that upset me. Also, yesterday I watched my husband climb a ladder way up into a tree to pull down some fallen branches that were caught up there--he had to get them down because we were worried that they'd fall on the children. I was terrified that he would fall.

I have had this disease for about a year and a half. The "traumas" I describe above aren't so out of the ordinary. Life is full of emotional shocks. It could be that emotions have made me weak before and I never made the connection, or it could be that this is a coincidence, and I'm weak for some other reason. I don't know. Do the rest of you find that emotional upsets trigger weakness?

Abby

I've been told by all of my doctors and by research that stress will cause flares. What I have noticed is the exact opposite. For years, when I was stressed, I would expect a flare, and nothing. Mine seems to creep up when my life is in balance.