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've struggled with anxiety throughout my life and had panic attacks/depersonalization in the past, as well as depression. However, I've had good success with cognitive-behavioral techniques when I've used them, things like disputing irrational thoughts and distraction. Now when I read about prednisone, I see a lot of people complaining about anxiety and insomnia. What I'm wondering is if this could respond the same way to the CBT techniques? I find with normal anxiety that if I make myself a little bit calmer, I relax about the fact that I can recover a little, which starts a chain reaction of confidence and calm. Does steroid anxiety react this way? Is there anything you can do about it?
The reason why I ask is that the neuro opthamologist that I am going to see advocates prednisone to keep ocular MG from generalizing, which would be great.
Also, has anyone else been on steroids with a pre-existing anxiety condition?
The reason why I ask is that the neuro opthamologist that I am going to see advocates prednisone to keep ocular MG from generalizing, which would be great.
Also, has anyone else been on steroids with a pre-existing anxiety condition?
Googling as usual! I think CBT might help you to see your steroid-induced mania for what it is -- not a state of mind that you have control over. And so you needn't have additional anxiety. When I was on 60 mg., I was talking to myself in public and writing erratic emails at work. I was also focused and agressive, while at the same time being weak with MG. It was a trip!
But when I decreased to 40 mg the manic effects went away. So CBT is helpful in dealing with the anxiety, but it certainly won't cure the insomnia, which is a separate issue. Sleeping pills are essential IMHO or else you will wake up at 2:30 am after sleeping for 4 hours. And with MG, a good night's rest is like a round of IVIG -- you feel wonderful afterwards.
I think we tend to catastrophize when we first get our dx, and imagine the worst. But it is a manageable disease. ~joe
Years ago I had a really bad anxiety episode that lasted months, over insomnia and whether or not I'd go psychotic. It's a pretty "meta" problem. What helped me was finding that doing certain things to get my mind off it made it go away, and the knowledge that it could go away lessened the anxiety. So I had to apply some unconventional thinking in that the less work I did to attend to it, the more it got fixed, which taught me a lot.
Thanks again. I'm so glad we're all here for.each other.