Originally Posted by Stellatum

It's common for MG to either start, or get suddenly worse, when the body is fighting an infection of any kind. I don't know the mechanism, but it makes sense to me that when the immune system is challenged, it can over-respond. Here's another example: after a woman has a baby, her immune system goes into high gear to prevent infection. That's a common time for a woman to get an autoimmune thyroid disease like Graves (that's what happened to me).

Here's my whole MG story. In the spring of 2009 I had a relapse of my Graves disease. I took PTU (propylthiouracil), as I have on and off for 15 years. That summer, I started sleeping a lot more than usual, but otherwise I felt fine. Then in October of 2009, my five youngest children got H1N1 (before the shot was available). I took care of them for three weeks. At the end of those three weeks, I wasn't feverish, but I had deep body aches for a few days, and then got better. I felt like I was catching the flu, but my body was successfully fighting it off. Then one evening I was standing talking to my husband when I suddenly felt extremely tired. I put my arms around him, but collapsed slowly to the floor anyway. I didn't faint or get dizzy or lose my balance. I didn't understand what had happened. Now I do: my legs simply weren't strong enough to continue to support my weight.

In the next few weeks, I noticed I would lose my balance slightly while walking, and have to take a step to the side to catch myself, two or three times a day. Then I had more of those collapsing incidents, and started walking in a very wobbly way, because of the weakness in my sides. Then I had trouble with my arms, and sometimes with swallowing, and a little eye strain, and neck weakness. After about six months I stopped getting worse, and though my symptoms move around, I don't seem to be declining. I am seronegative (diagnosed by SFEMG). I'm on Imuran.

Abby

Originally Posted by ginnie

There is a connection to virus, and some dang disease following it. I got a virus of some horrible nature when I was 29. After 20 or so doctors, wondering why my hair was falling out in clumps, I went to Mayo clinic. Auto immune diseases have this connetion. I now have 4 different auto immune problems. fun fun fun. In my case my t @ B lymphosytes are not in sink, and attack me as a forien object. I wish you all the best. I am sorry you have MG ginnie

Originally Posted by ginnie

Virus started, then alopecia universalis, asthma, arthritis (severe) barretts esophagus (yes connected) degenerative joint disease, degenerative disk disease, RSD or PN and a partridge in a pear tree. fun fun fun. I don't have MG. but have been tested for that as well as several biopies of thyroid. Have upper GI on monday, biopsy as barrretts is pre-cancer. All this stuff is related. No doubt in my mind, or in any of my doctors minds either. I was in a trial study for 10 years, with an auto-immunosupressant called DNCB. I was healthy for the trial. soon as I quit, well it all came back and with a vengance. Had TypeII Asian flu, 2003 took 8 weeks to kick, now that is not normal....got it on a cruise, no surprise there, that is the last floating petri dish I go on!. I am sorry we all suffer from these things. I have a feeling after reading Silent Spring by Rachael Carson, that contaminants in the enviromnent, kicked the whole shebang off. The book is worth reading to those who suffer from auto immune diseases. I wish all of you the very best, and I will keep us in my prayers. ginnie