When you get a chest cold with lots of coughing, does that make your breathing muscles weak?

When I would get a chest cold, I thought I was having asthma attacks because I wouldn't be able to breathe very well. (I have a history of childhood asthma, with occasional minor allergy-associated attacks as an adult.) My peak flow would drop from my normal 450 to about 150, and wasn't responding to albuterol. My SATS always seemed to be okay, though.

At first, medical personnel would say, "You're not having an asthma attack, you're not wheezing at all" and would not offer help. Nurses would check my peak flow, and would yell at me, "You're not trying!"

Later, others would say, "You're not wheezing, but you're not moving air, either." I would end up at urgent care, getting 2-3 breathing treatments, and when that didn't help they'd inject me with something (a steroid I think?) and after awhile I'd be breathing better and go home.

Now I'm wondering if this could be a sign of fatigueable weakness, and if it could be a clue for me in searching for answers.

It definately sounds like mg to me - when I cough a lot, it definitely affects my breathing. Think about what muscles you are using to cough and those you use to breathe - a lot of the same muscles are used. The more you cough, the weaker your breathing - or at least that's how it works for me.

When they tell you, you're not moving air, it is probably because your lung muscles are very weak. I find that breathing treatments help a little, but the best thing for me is a bi-pap which basically does the breathing for me until my muscles rest enough to take over on their own.

Keep following your instincts - sounds like they're sound. Good luck!

Geode,

I fully agree with everything that Juanitad said.

Juanitad,

There are, surprisingly, few MG patient I have met who use a bipap (even thought I have met quite a few who I think could benefit from it).
I hope you don't mind me asking, but was it given to you by a respiratory physician or a neurologist?

When I was diagnosed with sleep apnea several years ago, I was prescribed a c-pap by a neuro who specializes in sleep problems. I was already diagnosed with mg at that point, but wasn't having problems with my breathing. When the breathing problems hit in 2005, I discovered the c-pap was a great help - to the point I started using it during the day if I was having breathing problems. The the first time I was in the ER for breathing problems, I had an ER doc who actually knew what mg was and he ordered a bi-pap for me. That did it! After that, I asked for a bi-pap. There are times I feel I literally can't breathe without it!

I am impressed by that ER doctor. He should be duplicated many times and shipped around the world!
Until now, I have heard of MG patients either being sent home and told they are " anxious" or being intubated.
Very few seem to understand that temporary respiratory support is the most reasonable approach to a patient with muscle weakness that improves with rest. (and this applies to the respiratory muscles just like it does to any other muscle, the only difference being that you can easily not move your arm for 15 minutes, but can't stop breathing for a similar period of time).

I agree - he was a great ER doctor. Apparently he worked closely with another doctor who had mg and therefore, he was familiar with the issues. He just stuck his head in the door after the ambulance dropped me off and asked "Is it your mg?" When I nodded yes, he immediately ordered the bi-pap. I was stunned - the first and only time that happened! After that, I would ask, for the bi-pap!

That explains it!
I believe most of my colleagues and the nurses working with me, would know very well how to recognized MG related breathing difficulties and how to manage them. They have also witnessed numerous times, the effect of a relatively short time with a respirator.

I wonder if there is any more effective way to disseminate this knowledge, other than having physicians with MG "teaching" their colleagues.

Also, why don't they give you a bipap you could use at home, when you are not doing well, instead of coming to the ER for that?