Cassandra, I am sorry to hear you are having a hard time of it. I understand that some of the side effects of prednisone dosage decreasing do include feeling weak and being very tired. I know when I am weak and tired, I am also on edge. Have you talked to your doctor about this? I hope you start feeling better soon. Take care. Deb.

Prednisone drops cause that for me. Then my body starts to produce what the prednisone was producing and I am better than before. I think the ability to recognize anxiety is a huge step. This too passes for me. But I will admit....anxiety is much more a part of my life now than before MG. Any problem gets me goin with anxiety. I am working really really hard to pray a lot work on positive thinking.

Ahh, I'm there with you. I have my 2nd appt with a psychotherapist(!) today. Yesterday my PCP said I might need medication because I'm starting to have physical effects (weakness,achiness,)..I'm not on prednisone. Really don't want more meds. I did feel better after leaving, so having someone to talk with will hopefully help.

I'm only on mestinon, but anxiety comes on sometimes.
Sorry to hear you have this issue too. I wonder if something
natural like 5htp would help? Always ask your MD before trying something new. I've heard 5htp can help, but it didn't do much for me.
Each person is different.

Hope you feel relief soon!

Carly

Hi Cassandra.....YES! This is me exactly!!!! I first got ill 9 years ago and on a particularly weak day I had my first panic attack...not that I knew what it was at the time! I was told repeatedly that there was nothing wrong with me and after 18 months my symptoms did reduce somewhat and I spent years blaming all of my symptoms on anxiety....I think I actually talked myself into most of it!! I have tried EVERYTHING to try to get rid of my anxiety....and nothing ever worked, probably because most of the symptoms were real despite me getting mad at myself because there was "nothing wrong" with me!!

Since my flare up last February, I have noticed that on "good" days where Mestinon works and I am not overwhelmed with symptoms I feel very confident and sure of myself...but the the "bad" days where I feel weak my anxiety definitely increases to the point where I will avoid driving or socializing if at all possible!!

It's like the illness makes me doubt myself and my body, I don't trust myself not to faint while driving or in crowds because I feel so weak - in truth the stressing about anxiety probably doesn't help the MG either!! It is amazing how much more confident and how much better I can cope and tackle things on good days when the same thing on a bad day would have me on the verge of a panic attack!! I am getting better at recognizing the genuine symptoms and not responding to them as anxiously....but that's usually on the good days :) lol!!

Good luck!!
Eve.x

PS - I am on Mestinon only at the moment so Prednisone isn't a factor for me.

Thanks everybody, I am again at home in the bed. I am feeling anxiety right now. I only feel this when I'm weak. I really stress out when I am having a bad day. I try not to but can't help it. I take deep breaths and try to calm down sometime it works. I called my doctor today but she hasn't called back. On my good days I feel good.

When is the next support group in western Mass?

I have suffered from anxiety/depression all my life and take appropriate meds for it. I am also a recovered alcoholic addict. So when MG hit I was scared to death. I didn't have anxiety attacks over it but did just cry and cry. Don't know how much was necessary tearfulness but I know despair and depression set in before I was diagnosed. I have read everywhere that physical stress and emotional stress can make MG worse. So needless to say that made me more depressed thinking I didn't have any chance of getting better. Then more anxiety/depression hit when I was diagnosed w/ cancer in Nov. but the irony was that alot of my MG symptoms got better as the cancer was being treated. So thanks to an article Elinora pointed out to me there are a couple of possible cancers that can cause MG symptoms. So I haven't been writing here as much because I feel like I don't belong anymore. But I do know that prednisone can really mess with anxiety/depression and anxiety/depression can make MG worse. Out of all of this my tried and true place to always turn is to my faith in God. The more I can accept what's going on in my life and quit fighting it and be grateful for those things I can do (no matter how few) the better off I am. Just wish I could do it consistently. God bless all of you here.

When I am having a bad day. Rest is all I care about, oh yes and eating. Everything else takes a back seat. Unless it is urgent, it can wait until I rest and feel better. I don't put the stress on myself (which I am so very good at- must I be productive every waking minute?)

I do notice that I don't want to talk or laugh. I am very reclusive when I feel bad.

I hope you find a balance and you might want to mention your anxiety issue to your neuro.

I am stuck at 10mg prednisone. I just had too many bad days to continue my taper from 20mg. Perhaps, I will try later.

Best Wishes to you.

Barbel

My neuro already knows she's the one I got my meds for anxiety from. She hasn't called back maybe tomorrow she will call me. Going to try and go to work tomorrow. Thanks a lot everybody.!!