This seems to be a common problem with Mestinon, but I'm not sure what you could do about it. I have heard others talk about fiber in the diet could help, but I don't really give food advice, so I don't know.

Hope things get better for you soon. It is difficult to just trade one problem for another.

GAS X!

My system adjusted after awhile, however If I have to increase my dose the side effects of mestinon heighten. I eat a couple of bites of banana or crackers with each dose if I am having trouble, gas x is good, baking soda is good. At first, I had to eat
Mild foods like eggs , toast, potatos , bananas. I had to stop eating veggies and spicey foods for awhile.

The GI symptoms of mestinon are very annoying along with the other side effects. I had some relief with loperimide (imodium).

Mestinon (pyridostigmine) can be taken orally as we normally do, or as an IV into the blood stream or a shot into the muscles (IM).

So a question --- if we took mestinon like an insulin shot would that mess up our digestive system as much?

The drug literature says: "pyridostigmine IM, IV (Adults): 2 mg (1/30 of oral dose)" That reads 1/30 th the dose if it goes directly into the blood stream or muscles instead of swallowing a pill.

Why so little?

Mestinon is "Poorly absorbed after oral administration, necessitating large oral doses compared with parenteral doses." (parenteral means IV or IM)

It would seem taking 1/30th the dose, and skipping the inefficient digestive tract route, might solve the digestive distress we get from taking mestinon.

Of course, the inconvenience and packaging of mestinon that way would match the insulin diabetic route. Maybe something like an implanted insulin pump could be an option.

However, practically speaking, since there are so few with MG, it is doubtful a company would ever do this for us. And there is also the question if 1/30th the dose into the muscle might still have the same effects on the digestive tract.

Good Luck
I live on a farm in the country so the difficulties are not as bad !

Oh, starting Mestinon is a joy, is it not?! ;) I found this went away after a while.

I like the insulin pump idea because you wouldn't even have to do anything once the doses are loaded and programed.

It's funny that this topic came up because I was thinking about this not too long ago and thought that a patch would be nice. It would give slow and constant delivery and skipping the oral route may just take care of the GI issues. I'm all about a patch for this... Who's with me??

Thank you all for your responses. Steve0716, Barbel, and SeattleWriter, I've been on the new dosage for almost two weeks now and I have found that the gas problem has decreased, but like the disorder, I have also found that it fluctuates and comes and goes seemingly at whim! DEEW4, I've tried Gas X, and it works; I just don't want to take it daily. Before Mestinon, I did not take any meds daily--just supplements. I think I'm somewhat resistant to being tied to meds forever! Rhansom, do you have any idea if Mestinon is actually available for injection? I would be quite interested in that. Of course, the patch that ahpotts72 is yearning for would be ideal! Plus, theoretically, the drug would be released evenly 24/7!

Some days, I am so embarrassed to be in public and I work in a windowless room, so I have no way to bring fresh air in!

I appreciate all of you taking the time to respond. It helps knowing others have already experienced what I am going through and are coping with the challenges MG presents!

That isn't very much mestinon to cause much of a problem. How much milk product are your ingesting?

Cgreens, I'm completely off dairy. I kept a food journal, but it doesn't seem to matter what I eat. Some days I will eat exactly the same thing as the day before, and one day I will have gas, the other day I won't. The Mestinon has recently been increased to 30 mg 3 X a day, but the gas has been a problem since the beginning. Right now, I'm not in the public, but soon I will be and I'm concerned!

I do find that if I take the mestinon on a full stomach it isn't nearly as bad as when I take it on an empty one. I have also found through my own food journal that starches (especially pasta) compound the issue. I switched to gluten free pasta and popcorn cakes instead of the regular pasta and chips. It's made all the difference in the gas issue. I also noticed that it wasn't as bad if I took half the dose but took it more often. I was supposed to be taking it up to 4 times per day so I would take 30 mg 8 times a day. I set an alarm on my phone and had a small little bottle of mestinon in my bag. When the alarm goes off I take half a pill. I still have gas on a rare occasion but it's usually after we've gone out to eat or something of that nature.

I can't get into being completely gluten free but I think that choosing what works best for you is the key. I can't tell the difference in the pasta and neither can my hubby so that works for us. I refuse to eliminate any single food group or category of food because I already have issues with malnourishment and I think it's important to have a good balance and a large variety in your diet.

I also avoid soda and try to drink from a straw as much as possible because it prevents the build up of extra air in your GI system.

I hope you get it figured out soon. Good luck and let us know if you find a miracle cure... lol.

Hugs!

Thanks, ahpotts72! I will continue to evaluate my diet. I have noticed the rare occasions I eat sugar, I will have gas. Unfortunately, I eat sugar in the form of dessert when I go out with someone else, so I am not alone! It's disheartening.

These are the top foods. Milk isn't number one

http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health-pictures/7-top-gas-producing-foods.aspx

Thank you, cgreens.