Can anyone share any information about diet/foods and how it improves/worsens MG.

I would really love to know the foods to AVOID and the foods that could possibly help.

I am taking all my meds and taking good care of myself but every little bit helps!

Thanks so much for all your info and support.

Hi, It's really important to stay away from water containing Quinine, High volumes of Magnesium, I think on the MG associations web site, they have a list of things to stay away from. I also believe artificial sweetners can cause us some problems, and should be use sparingly. I'm going to have to find my list I have that the MDA sent me.
Not sure where it is right now.
Love Lizzie

Hi,
I don't have lots of time - my hubby needs the computer - but I find bananas really help. Even before I started taking steroids I needed bananas to feel strong. Now I take supplements (potassium) and eat bananas. I've not had any trouble that I know of with sweetners - and I drink a lot of diet pop (my weakness).

Hope this helps - I'll maybe try to check in later and add a few more thoughts.
~Kathy

I've noticed that baby bananas and chocolate really help! Also, oj with high pulp makes me feel great!

Quninne is BAD stuff for us with MG - avoid it @ all costs!

Whole milk is great as well!

How are you? Are you feeling OK?

Big, big hugs!
Erin

I'm getting a great laugh out of everybody saying bananas ... I've been craving them and eating 2-3 a day. I didn't think anything of it except they're easy for me to eat but I must be low on potassium or something. I've also developed a sweet tooth which I never had before - I was never a fan of chocolate, more into savory than sweet tastes but that's changed too since I went through my year of recovery.

Yep a craving for bananas can mean you may be low in potassium. Its something you should get checked, as being on pred can lower your potassium, and if its low it can cause some bad symtoms, so ask your dr to check it out for you.

Mine was way low, and my GP ran through all the symptoms which included heart problems, but when he got to weak muscles we both just laughed, how do you tell the difference between mg weak and potassium weak, at least we got a laugh out of itl

This is funny, cause I too always keep bananas around for potassium. As I'm always low as well. Prednisone can sap it too. I also take a supplement for potassium. Potassium sups. are also good for cramping that Mestinon can cause .
One other thing about food, and MG. Eat as natural as you can. It's not easy, I know, but if you can get organic foods, those are probably the best for us. I know I can't always do it, but if you can, it really is the best way to go.
Check labels, and chose the one with the least about of chemicals. And it's very important to take Vit. D. B12, etc..And always let your Neuro know what kind of vitamins you're taking, cause things like Echenasia(sp?) are bad for us. My neuro always wants to know the brand, the amount..etc.. It's all very important to our health. Annie may know more about the vitamins.
Love Lizzie

I have always heard that magnesium was bad for us with MG. Recently my regular doctor suggested I start taking Caltrate 600-D after the results of a bone density scan and my age soon to be 57. After reading the ingredients, I noticed about half way down the list is magnesium, but not how much. Does anyone know how much is too much? Thanks, I'm a newbie here and I just love how helpful & supportive everyone is. Wish this was around 10 years ago, but I'm so happy I found it now.
Pat

Hi Everyone!

Just some points to note~ I too love bananas, but a therapist whom I saw some years ago for other issues warned me about taking them on an empty stomach. Apparently they're not so good, though they do seem to help in filling us up when we're hungry. She advised taking some solid foods when we're hungry before actually eating bananas. Have found several websites which mentions this too, and the explanation is that bananas contain a high amt of magnesium which results in a sudden increase in magnesium in our blood when we take them on an empty stomach. Its said to affect the balance between calcium and magnesium in the blood, which affects the way our heart works. This could be why some people experience mild stomachaches or heartburn when eating bananas on an empty stomach. Don't neglect these symptoms!

I still love eating bananas but I do seem to feel better when I don't eat them on an empty stomach.

Hope this info is useful!

Hey hon! Glad to see you are back on - I have missed you so much!

It has been awesome - so many new people on neurotalk!

I have noticed that chocolate makes me feel better- when I was really, really weak - pre ICU - I noticed that I CRAVED it and would keep a drawer full of it so when I was finally able to choke something down I would eat it!
Not exactly HEALTHY, but it did make me feel stronger.....also I CRAVE tea - all day long! Another not so good thing, but it helps with my ENERGY level!

I try to eat as healthy as I can - organic foods and lots of veggies, but still fall back on my chocolate if I'm really stressed/tired!

Big, big hugs!
Erin