hard to close my eyes?
 

I have only mild eye involvement, no ptosis or double vision (or very little). Today my eyes have felt heavy all day, and strained, like it takes effort to focus. That's a familiar feeling. But when I tried to take a nap, I found that it's difficult to keep my eyes closed. I can do it, but it's uncomfortable. It doesn't hurt or anything--it just takes effort, and feels like I'm straining. Does that make sense? Can someone explain this to me? I've felt this way before. Is it even related to the MG?

Thanks.

Abby

That's MG, and it's fairly common. I have it, along with extremely dry eyes. Not a good combo.

It takes muscles to hold the eye closed as well as open. It's kind of along the same lines of how a person/animal will have his/her eyes open after death. Nice thought, huh?

If it becomes a regular thing, you will need to pick up some kind of plain opthalmic ointment to put in your eyes prior to sleeping. That will prevent some of the dryness that can result.

Take care.

That was one of my first symptoms (that plus seeing the fold in my eyes change).. though I don't have a concrete diagnosis yet, but am on IVIG every 2 weeks.. I realized I was never completely closing my eyes while I slept... now that we have made the IVIG more frequent, I seem to be sleeping with them closed, which is mighty nice!!! I have used a lot of moisturizing eye drops when my symptoms are bad!

I use one of those eye masks you can pick up at Walgreens. It blocks out the light and keeps moisture in. You can get those round cotton cosmetic things, as well, and moisten them and put them inside of it, to help keep your eyes moist during the night.

Without it, I wake up at the crack of dawn as soon as light hits my eyes, with it, I can usually sleep through the night.

Not closing my eye correctly while sleeping was a problem for me way before I ever knew that MG was a possibility. The more I read here, the more I realize that I have a lot of MG symptoms.

Me too
 

My dr agreed to add the time release pill at night and helped lots!!!

I can relate. When I originally went in to see a doctor about my symptoms, I had one eyelid drooping about halfway down and the the other eyelid wanting to stay in the wide-open super-alert position. Had to use eyedrops for that eye and at times had to pull that eyelid down and hold it in position with my finger. That, along with a slurred Elmer Fuddish voice that came out my nose instead of my mouth and...well, you get the picture.

I get this also :( I never had it actually keep me awake though, I usually get so tired in general from my day that at one point my body gives in, and I fall asleep and not notice the strain anymore.

I don't know if fake tears will help, if maybe keeping the eye lubricated will help at all. Sometimes I use them because my eyes get really dry.