Myasthenia Gravis Support Group
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Although myasthenia gravis may affect any voluntary muscle, muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, and...
I'm new to MG (occular). I thought I was doing fine. I had some side effects from the mestinon but I was working on it. Then I had an EMG. Bam! Now I feel awful. The EMG was the most painful thing I've ever gone through. My MG had been strictly in my right eye but now I feel like my hiatal hernia has climbed up into my neck. I have to exhale through my mouth if I'm lying on my back. Sides, I can exhale normally through my nose. I feel like sometimes my "s" sounds funny to me and I'm having trouble whistling (believe it or not I was proud of the fact I could whistle any song extremely well). All this comes and goes which is strange. I'm very depressed and I've been trying to remember that there are so many people who have it worse than me. That helps sometimes but sometimes I'm just a big baby. My Dr. put me on mestinon and up until the EMG, I felt like the dose could be reduced. Now I don't know. I'm waiting to hear from my Dr. about the test (which was Tuesday). Hopefully, I'll see him again soon but until then I'm going crazy. Help!
Glad you found us, sorry you have MG.
Stress is well known and documented to worsen our condition. I would definitely stand by the statement that an EMG is DEFINITELY a stressful situation, physically and emotionally.
REST, REST, REST. Others will chime in, but try not to stress out (easy for me to say !).
You have a Diagnosis (huge for us). You and your Neuro will find a treatment plan that works best for you (we are ALL different).
Things WILL get better. Take Care ! Chris.
You can vent here. We understand. I've had a lot of pity parties. I actually had my longest one a few days ago, boy was it a doozy! That party lasted for days! The good thing about this group is that we get it. When no one else understands; We do. Having MG stinks, but having a positive attitude can really help. Try to focus on the positive things in your life. Ok. So I can't clean my house like I want to, I can cook a little, and clean up the kitchen.
With the right treatment MG can be under control. Remission is possible! Best wishes!
Short Version = it is a way to electrically diagnose MG, and other muscular issues, especially for those that are SeroNegative (blood tests are negative for any known MG antibodies).
EMGs are NOT fun, but are tolerable, and certainly worth the agony because getting a proper diagnosis is very important.
Several small needles with wires on them are placed, all the way from your cheek down to your foot. Electrical currents are ran into the muscles, and the Neuro (or technician) can "read" the signals and interpret whether the electricity is flowing properly.
Good Times :)
Time to take it easy and focus on your health -- if you start aggressively treating the MG, you'll be "normal" in a few months.~Joe