I am a 34 yr. old male who has had MG diagnosed for 12 year. I put it into remission with in the first 3 years for the next 7. MG is now back and is stronger than ever, more general fatigue than extreme muscle weakness than before. I have used all types of treatment from mestinnon to next week plasmapheresis.
Quite honestly I was niave to think I could keep it in remission with the stress of my profession. I have trouble sleeping, fatigue, and a lot of pain. Is there any males out there close to my age??

Thanks

Dallas, I'm not a guy - will I do?

I'm sorry your MG has come back with a vengeance. Why can't Bruce Willis do a Die Hard movie about MG? Or why can't our MG movie end with MG being vanquished?!!

Do you have a good neurologist? What about a pulmonologist? A pulmonologist can asses your breathing and maybe do an overnight oximetry instead of a full sleep study to see how you're doing at night. You might benefit from short-term use of a BiPAP or CPAP.

Is the trouble you're having sleeping due to being short of breath? It's possible you could have apnea too. I prop myself up with a couple of pillows but sometimes sleeping in a recliner works best.

When MG comes back like that, I think it's worthwhile to see your primary doctor to rule out other autoimmune conditions like thyroid ones (Grave's disease) or other mitigating factors like a Vitamin D or B12 deficiency, adrenal issues, etc. Did you have your thymus out before? Could it be possible that it's growing?

I really hope your docs can get you feeling better again. Is there any way you could go on short term disability, so that you have more time to recover?

Hang in there. BTW, there are guys here who vary in ages and have gone through a lot with MG. Everyone here has a lot to offer, including amazing support.


Annie

I have been down all those rodes twice. Thymus out no sleep ap. tried CPAP still no help. Start plasmapheresis Monday. The hardest thing on me is stress and being a type A does not help. This time around only minor breathing problems more general tiredness and over all body pain. PCA is very helpful and feels it is
Fibro. Since all other autos have been ruled out. I am wondering if I should make sure Docs have ruled out LEMS. I have always been physically strong working however many hrs. Needed to provide for my family. I am concerned that if no relief soon from fatigue and pain I may have to be forced to settle for less for my family.

Thanks Annie

Please get checked out for Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It is epidemic among vets and vet techs and all those are all symptoms of it. You come into contact with so many ticks as a vet; they are as small as a poppy seed (nymphs) and can get on you and bite you without you ever knowing it.

I am a vet, and I have been checked for all the tick borne disease as well as other parasitic diseases and they were all negative. I really wonder whether the organophosphate insecticides that we used back in the 80's could have caused my MG.

Celeste, There are so many things Vets are exposed to, like vaccines, that can screw up an immune system. Some GW Vets got squalene antibodies, and neurological conditions, from a lot of the anthrax vaccine.

Dallas, Contrary to what some docs say, MG can have pain as a secondary symptom. When muscles get really weak, they can cramp, spasm and fatigue to the point of pain or tender points. However, you might want to ask your primary doctor to check for any inflammatory markers too.

Muscle pain can also be from a Vitamin D deficiency, which is quite common. Please see your primary doctor about ruling a few things out. Fibro is NOT the cause of all musculoskeletal pain!!!

Celeste, Yeah, organoP's can cause MG. Look it up. Nasty stuff. And down south, they spray it via planes during the summer. I can't even stomach what idiotic stuff people do due to how toxic it all is.

I found several articles, but none that really document it. Do you have any specific article in mind?

When I was in vet school, we were told about acute toxic effects, but nobody bothered to mention long term effects. They made us memorize ridiculous volumes of useless garbage, but nobody bothered to say things like "chronic illness" or "you're going to die". If this massive gap in my education made me sick, I feel like I am the victim of a violent assault.

After thinking about this, I realize that there may not have been the knowledge base for the school to even know that they were encouraging me to poison myself. I graduated 30 years ago. I guess I am getting old.

Celeste, I did extensive research years ago. I do not have the energy or desire to do that again, sorry. You can easily do research via CDC, EPA and other organizations. Also, if you search under things like West Nile Virus spraying, etc., especially down south and in CA, you will find a lot of articles on the inappropriate use of spraying of organophosphates, how it isn't effective for mosquito control and is not the approach most organizations use.

There are many toxicity articles/scientific data sheets on the chemicals too.

If you're out in the summer, don't think you aren't being contaminated by toxins.

Annie