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...
Hi everyone!
I have just come across some information about Lymes Disease and it seems that the symptoms can be very similar to a lot of other conditions including MG....what stuck out for me was the facial weakness, difficulty walking, fatigue, pale skin and autonomic dysfunction/difficulty standing.
Before the first onset of my symptoms 10 years I was bitten in New York (not sure by what...I assume a mosquito or bug) which caused my leg to swell and for me to feel quite unwell...I then went onto to have recurrent bouts of "Post-viral fatigue" until the MG symptoms appeared around 12 months later. Then, 3 months before the MG returned with vengeance last February I was bitten by a tick in the back of my neck in an area known to have cases of Lyme Disease.
I may just be clutching at straws here but I have read about people thinking there is a link between MG and Lymes and even being misdiagnosed with Mg when it was Lymes? I am negative on all tests for MG but do have a Clinical diagnosis...Mestinon helps a little with the facial weakness but does not resolve it and does not help the fatigue elements or unwell feelings.....and I am currently not being offered any other treatment and am left questioning my diagnosis now that I seem to have been abandoned!
Does anyone know anything about Lymes vs MG....or having both together...or one triggering the other??
Thanks everyone :) x
I have just come across some information about Lymes Disease and it seems that the symptoms can be very similar to a lot of other conditions including MG....what stuck out for me was the facial weakness, difficulty walking, fatigue, pale skin and autonomic dysfunction/difficulty standing.
Before the first onset of my symptoms 10 years I was bitten in New York (not sure by what...I assume a mosquito or bug) which caused my leg to swell and for me to feel quite unwell...I then went onto to have recurrent bouts of "Post-viral fatigue" until the MG symptoms appeared around 12 months later. Then, 3 months before the MG returned with vengeance last February I was bitten by a tick in the back of my neck in an area known to have cases of Lyme Disease.
I may just be clutching at straws here but I have read about people thinking there is a link between MG and Lymes and even being misdiagnosed with Mg when it was Lymes? I am negative on all tests for MG but do have a Clinical diagnosis...Mestinon helps a little with the facial weakness but does not resolve it and does not help the fatigue elements or unwell feelings.....and I am currently not being offered any other treatment and am left questioning my diagnosis now that I seem to have been abandoned!
Does anyone know anything about Lymes vs MG....or having both together...or one triggering the other??
Thanks everyone :) x
Don't give up!
Judith
Definetly related!
That isn't you...
I do understand how frustrating it can be to not be able to attach a name with your condition and how you might second guess your doctor. However, you do have a name with your condition as Dx by your doctor. You said Mestinon is helpful. It would likely not be if you had something else. How much do you take? Maybe you need more, keeping in mind that unless you actually get treatment, your MG can progress to become worse. Mestinon is not going to push your MG back if it wants to be worse. Please be careful.
One of the problems of having both Lyme and MG is the treatments are counter productive I believe. Maybe IVIG could help both.
Are you getting enough sleep? This is crucial for people with MG as we will wear down quickly in a short time. If you are struggling, speak with your doctor that your treatment plan for MG may not be aggressive enough and what are to be the next steps you take. All of this should be discussed with your doctor.
Hope you feel better soon.
TJ
Post Lyme Disease Syndrome (PLS):
"the observed non-specific increase in autoreactive antibodies in PLS may be due to the mitogenic effect of the borrelial antigens, including OspA and OspB, and point to a possible association between post-Lyme disease symptoms and the duration of the course of active infection prior to treatment.
Finally, immune abnormalities stemming from genetic predisposition might also play a significant role in the form of B cell and effector cell dysregulation that leads to elevated levels of released auto-antibodies (Hostmann et al., 2008).
At this point, it is difficult to know what role, if any, the anti-neural antibodies might play in the pathogenesis of PLS. Several immune-mediated diseases of the nervous system, including multiple sclerosis, paraneoplastic nervous system disorders, autoimmune neuropathies, myasthenia gravis, and stiff-person syndrome, are associated with elevated levels of antibodies to neural antigens"
http://lymediseaseresource.com/wordpress/post-lyme-disease-syndrome-politically-correct-for-chronic-lyme-disease/
Bottom line is you have to trust your doctors and let them know what you think and what is going on.
Best of luck!
TJ