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...

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Breathing difficulty symptoms

DouginAgassiz
DouginAgassiz

For those of you who have had breathing issues, what were the first signs of a problem?  In the last week or so I have been experiencing an increase "heaviness" I will call it on my chest and an occasional cough.  (I do not have a cold/flu.)


Does this sound like something you have experience?


I am waiting for my first neuro appt and I am not on any drugs at the moment.


Cheers,


Doug

Speechie
Speechie
I don’t feel any heaviness in my chest. Cough is only minor. For me, it’s kinda like being winded. My breathing is shallow and rapid because my diaphragm and intercostals are not moving enough to provide the bellows action the lungs need to inflate. My breaths aren’t deep enough to clear out bad air and I’m working harder and harder to oxygenate blood. If it goes on long enough my blood gases get bad enough to require ventilation. It’s only been that bad a few times. Most of the time, muscles start working good enough for adequate air exchange.
It’s also just not my lungs when breathing is like that. It feels like every movement takes everything I’ve got. Struggle to move much at all. Feel like I’m moving in mud or quicksand.
annkemp
annkemp
What treatment are you on? Those issues led to serious problems for me when I first got the disease. I didn't want to go on prednisone in the first months of this
disease. I then had a breathing crisis. It came on very fast. In intensive care and on a ventilator. I wish I would have had this website to save me then. It was horrible.
I would recommend you call your doctor. If you are on at least mestinon You might want to take it regularly and maybe round the clock. My problem started out by just feeling my breathing.
annkemp
annkemp
I am sorry Doug
I just read your posting more clearly. I would recommend you contact your neuro immediately and tell them you are having breathing issues.
IF you went to er and told them you have mg and having breathing problems they would take you back immediately. A crisis is a nightmare and a crisis is breathing problems.
DouginAgassiz
DouginAgassiz
Hello Ann and Speechie, thank you for the responses.

Speechie--moving through mud, yes that's me but the feeling I have is like I am trying to catch my breath.

Ann--my neuro called me today and I missed it (in the shower); will call back first thing tomorrow and see if I can get in ASAP. I won't hesitate to go to ER if I think I need to. I do know that my symptoms are getting worse right now despite really not much activity.

Thanks again both of you for responding!

Cheers,
Doug