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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unsure81 07/23/2013

Hi everyone - I hope you are all doing ok.

I just wondered what you would define the signs of a muscle as?

My facial droop is the most persistent and consistent symptom along with a droopy eye - all of my other symptoms fluctuate and vary much more. I always believed my problem was at the corner of my mouth as this is where the droop is most pronounced and seemed to stem from. Neuro number 1 also focused very much on the corner of my mouth and the muscles below and said that it was not caused by a weakness it was just my mouth suddenly deciding to pull that way?

However, Neuro number 2 has pointed out that I have very little movement through the mid section of my face and I have now realised that I cannot hold a wrinkle of my nose and it seems the droop comes from there causing the muscles to fall, weighing down my upper lip and causing my mouth to drop! It is actually quite a relief to begin to understand what my face is doing after 9 years if the focus being elsewhere! I now see the logic and cause of my problem!!

As I said - I cannot hold a wrinkle of my nose, on the first attempt the right side begins to fall after about 30seconds despite me trying my hardest to wrinkle! If I then release and try again to fire the muscles to hold again the muscle holds less and less time before it begins visibly shaking and quivering as it attempts to hold its position. The timings of this can vary depending on the time of day i try this etc - but the general pattern is the same? Can anyone relate to this? Is this muscle weakness? I am awaiting nerve/muscle tests at last so I am sure all will be revealed in good time but I just wondered what you all thought about this??

Thanks again!x

BCCanada 07/23/2013

I have facial droop. One side of mouth is first thing to go.
I will try to post photo on profile to show. For me warningsign to take easy;)

deleted_user 07/23/2013

I get generalized weakness, but MG symptoms feel different. My arms simple feel heavy and stop working. It is not a weak but a useless feeling. The eyelids feel like a heavy hood.

strizzlow20 07/23/2013

I'm like Elinora. I feel it in my calves big time too.

ericavt 07/23/2013

Your nose wrinkle situation sounds like the same pattern I have in my eyes. My double vision happens when I look at an object more than 10ish feet away. In the first fraction of a second I see clearly, and he image immediately "smears". I can feel my eye pulling inward instead of gazing straight. After a mestinon dose, the image remains clear for longer. When I am tired it is nearly instantaneous. That is the progressive muscle weakness. Sounds like your nose wrinkling strength failing, right? I also question every single thing right now too. I was diagnosed the first week of May, so it's all so new and scary.

Barbel 07/23/2013

My eyes take turns being droopy. My face pulls to the left when I am tired.. I have rubber like legs at times. My arms and hands get weak so that I can't use them. Barbel

vieve 07/23/2013

It's hard to guess since I can't see you, but maybe what neuro #1 was trying to say is, the difference between muscle paralysis because of rigidity (or like a muscle cramp), and a muscle that can't move because it is just limp (which would be more like MG). The thing you describe with your nose, that sounds like my facial weakness; MG weakness is described as weakness that increases with use and improves with rest, so if you attempt to move the muscles many times in a row, it would get progressively more difficult and weak. When I was diagnosed with MG, one the of the first tests my neuro gave me was to have me close and open my eyes 35 times a row (which of course I couldn't do; the motion tapered down to nothing, my eyes unable to fully close or open). And yes, I get the quivering and twitching when I try to move a muscle that is weakening. And my weakness fluctuates throughout the day, sometimes dependent on things like whether I've eaten enough or gotten over heated, but sometimes also dependent on nothing.

unsure81 07/25/2013

Thanks everyone for your replies - I have posted a photo to try to show how my face changes during the day if anyone wants to take a look. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one with these strange symptoms and I also have problems with my legs shaking when I try to lift them and general heavy/weak feelings in my arms and legs like you describe. My vision is off and one eye becomes more blurred as the day progresses and I also have chest and throat pressure feelings along with breathing and some swallowing problems......as a good friend of mine recently said "If you were a horse they'd have shot you by now!" Haha!

deleted_user 07/25/2013

Hi Unsure :)

I think that if you were a horse you would actually be DIAGNOSED by now!!! (Lol)

Your photo does have a distinct MG flavor to it I would say.....

All the best XX

Calmday
(Anacrusis if anyone is on neurotalk)

unsure81 07/26/2013

Hi Calmday/Anacrusis - I know you from Neurotalk also :)

You are so right - I have said before on a previous post how I feel some of us may get treated better/get more help if we were animals! lol!

Thanks for your comments and support.xx

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