Hi
I'm interested to hear about people's experiences of falling - is this something which is a common feature of MG? If it is, in what way does it happen?
I just want to also say thank you because I am going through a very difficult time and I have found this forum a great support
All the best
wild_cat

I haven't fallen........yet. BUT, I trip over stuff ALL the time! I seem to have trouble picking my feet up completely sometimes. I am VERY careful -- hold on to the wall, hand-rails, and walk very slowly when needed.

I am TERRIFIED of breaking something. Had my foot in a cast in my 30's and was MISERABLE!!!

I fall in two ways. Most commonly, my legs can't hold me up, and I slowly go down into a squat. It's not really falling. It looks like I'm doing it on purpose. Or sometimes my knees buckle, and the same thing happens, only a bit more quickly.

I also fall occasionally when I lose my balance. It took me months to figure out what was going on. I believe that my balance troubles come from weak muscles in my sides and back. When you walk, the top half of you naturally swings back and forth a bit--from the waist up. But it's a controlled swing: you swing just a bit, and then your muscles clench up so you don't just keep going. But if those muscles are weak, they don't do their job--they don't catch you. So you swing too far and overbalance yourself, and the weight of your top half pulls you over, and you start to fall. When you notice you're starting to fall, all sorts of muscles kick in to help you catch yourself--but if those muscles are weak, too, then down you go.

I'm sure there are other ways of falling. That's just my own personal way : ).

Abby
in Rhode Island, where the storm has just begun to hit--if you don't hear from me for a few days, I've just lost power! Not my own personal power, but the electrical kind.

I seem to be the resident expert on falling. Before getting on mestinon, I fell quite often. I could never figure out why I fell. Once was down a flight of stairs. I just couldn't understand why I fell. Looking back, I think that my leg muscles just quit working. I let my dosage lapse while riding my horse and that didn't work out well. I went totally paralyzed and fell off.

My falling has been due to muscles giving out without warning. Now that I am taking mestinon and that I am aware of it, I haven't had a problem recently.

wild_cat, I'm sorry you're sad. Whatever the reason, whether it's MG or other stuff, I hope you have family and friends to lean on.

I'm like Jana with falling. I also have damage to one ankle from a car accident and peripheral neuropathy in ankles feet from a B12 deficiency. For me, having the best footwear is essential. I often have "foot drop" and can easily trip. I've taken a few headers onto the floor due to that. Some people are afraid of choking but I think falling and not breathing well are my top 2 MG issues.

Lately, my legs aren't holding a contraction well between Mestinon doses. I have to waddle from side to side, leg to leg, in order to walk until it kicks in. That reminds me of something Abby said once about her gait. I have some atrophy but it's mainly MG weakness that does it.

I guess the thing I would suggest, besides speaking to your neuro, is setting yourself up to keep from falling. Try to get rid of any clutter in the way of where you walk. Rugs can be a real problem. Make sure you're getting enough rest and not doing too much walking if your legs are getting too weak.

Since everyone who has MG is different, a discussion with your neuro about why you are prone to falling or what you can do is a good idea. And I'm serious about this next thought. If you can get trained on "how to fall," that's a good idea too. Those of us who have been horse riders, and there are a few of us with MG who are, know how to and it really helps to reduce any injuries. Skiers usually know too.

If you do fall, you should get checked out. I have a problem in the winter when my feet get colder and my footwear gets looser. Last December, I fell and didn't even know I injured my toe. My big toenail didn't grow for months. And the bruise on my hip was the worst I've ever had. You can't tell from the outside how badly you've been hurt, so if you do fall, see your doctor, urgent care or the ER, depending on how bad the fall was. I solved the cold foot/shoe problem (I only wear sandals) by getting FlyFlot shoes. They have either velcro fasteners or hooks and eyes to make them smaller. They're so well made and comfortable too.

Do you like music? That often will put me in a better mood. I hope you feel better soon.

Annie

Thank you very much for your replies.

In the absence of a diagnosis it is far too easy to push yourself and I think this may be the reason why I have been falling a lot. I was encouraged to do graded exercise but it just seems to make me worse and worse. I must have fallen a thousand times in the last three years. Its taken me all this time and fourteen trips to A&E to accept I need to use a wheelchair, which is a complete nuisance because my arms aren't strong enough for me to propel myself.

I have been told my falling is often quite graceful and soft looking. Sometimes I believe if I ignore the increasing weakness in my legs I can push through it, but it always backfires on me and then none of my limbs work and I end up falling on my face. If I let myself go when I first am getting weak, the knees buckle, and sometimes I can catch it in a squat. But too often I try to keep going and then my whole body goes, a bit like one of those collapsing wooden giraffes children play with. I am trained as a dancer/choreographer so I know all about falling - in fact I did so much of it I ended up using it in a performance I was directing!

Its interesting about the muscles not contracting. I've spent ages trying to relax my buttock muscles when I'm standing. I can't work out whether this is normal or not, but basically if I don't hold all the muscles really tight then my legs just give way.

I'm not under the care of a neuro at the moment but I'm seeing my GP tomorrow so I hope I will get a referral. I'm worried he won't take me seriously.

I love music. I play the piano, but recently my arms have become really bad and I haven't been able to play. That makes me really sad!

Thank you for your kind wishes.

wild_cat

My falling occurs when I move a leg to take a step, apply the weight and down I go. Or when I rise from a seated position and try to step. It's like the muscles are saying "yeah right". I've gotten really good in the last two years at reading the signs and try to remember a cane if I feel like my legs are weak.

So sorry you're feeling yucky wild_cat!

I'm new to this chat but when I saw the inquiry about falling, I knew I was in the right (unfortunately) place. I was falling quite a bit in the spring and scaring everyone - my legs would either just go out from under me - absolutely nothing graceful about the way I went down! I fell in the street, at work, etc. and always tried to make it look like something made me fall so no one asked too many questions. I convinced my neuro to send me to PT, where I was lucky enough to get someone who was genuinely interested in MG and slowly worked with me - designated exercises, slow pace. I don't fall very often anymore and can catch myself if I start to go down, so there has definitely been an improvement. There's a trick to getting up from a seated position, even with the leg weakness. Sit on the edge of the seat, lean forward from the waist up, then stand. Took me awhile to do it, but now I've got it and can do "reps!" Of course, the real trick is to not sit in a low chair!

Hey wild cat your trying to push yourself more than you can and hopefully you will get the help you need from your Dr if your falling then something is wrong
With MG rest is also our medicine as well I'm lucky I have to totally concentrate on each step worse is passing people or if I take my eyes off were I'm walking so close to falling over so far been lucky not to.
Our symptoms are different to each other which is confusing
Good luck with getting help!!

Before I was diagnosed, I fell twice, I fell down the stairs while packing my 8 month old and I was walking upstairs it's like my legs turned into jello and came out right from under me, the second was boxing day and we had just bought a tv, we were packing it into the house and I lifted one leg and fell to my knees it was like they just buckled. It was VERY scary at the time, at that time my MG was so bad that I couldn't even brush my own hair or get into the truck.