Myasthenia gravis symptoms and conditions

I am a 56 year old female who was very active ranching, balng hay taking care of irrigation etc. 3 years ago I had pain in my left arm and my heart was racing went to the E.R. where they did a 12 lead ekg. Could not find anything wrong other than my blood pressure was up to 160/90 they gave me ToprolXl 100 mg and told me to see my primary care physcian. Which I did. He continued the medication.

Since that time I have complained to all of the symtoms I have seen on this site. With one exception. Two months ago I was watching TV and had double vision. It only lasted for a few seconds but noticed the next day my peripheral vision was gone. I made an appt with an opthomologist and he spent 3 hours with me and recommended an MRI which was conducted some 2 weeks later. I was referred to a neurologist who ran a lot of blood work. My first batch of blood work showed a raging inflamation. They started testing for MS, lymes, lupus etc. Last week i met with my neurologist for the follow up blood work report. Everything is normal he says but by the way you have myathenia gravis. You get double vision again you call me I will give you medicine. Like I am a two year old.

I have researched myasthenia and the one thing you dont want to do is be on a beta blocker or a calcium channel blocker, as both of these will aggravate the condition. I called him to ask that he change my blood pressure medication. He says I wont do that. My primary care physcian is no longer in practice with the original medical group and has left the area. I saw him only 2 weeks ago and nothing was mentioned. The point is folks Don't trust anyone. Oh and by the way the side effects you are seeing mimic myasthenia gravis. Now no one knows what causes it for sure. Stress is a factor. But if you have not been tested get yourself tested. I may not even have this disease but I am getting off this medication and I am going to find out for sure what in the heck is going on. By the way I have seen a cardiologist last month without a referral because I wanted answers and he says there is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart...so why was I put on this medication? Heaven help us all.

I was put on 10mg. Prednisone 5 times a day by my rheumatolgist. This past Wed. I had to go to my GP doctor because under my right armpit it was red & swollen 2 inches high and 5 inches across. I was in agony. He flipped when saw how much Prednisone I was taking. He said that is what caused my armpit problem. He could not drain my armpit because it was too hard. That was when I just went to pieces because I wanted some relief.He put me on antibiotics and pain meds. He noted a yellow spot in the corner of both eyes and amde an appt. with an optomolgist. He told me how to taper off of Prednisone and I will go back next week. It has been 2 days since that visit and here are my new problems: white bumps on my tongue, numb tongue and lips, pus sores in my nose,bloating, bright red spots on my thighs, bruises I can't explain, moonface, pain under my rib area, I could eat eat our house like a termite, not sleeping, sweating. My husband half expects me to grow a new leg or develop leposy or something. I had no idea a drug could do so much damage so quickly.Who knows what new side effect I can get tomorrow.

I am a 59 yo Male diagnosed with MG Myasthenia Gravis). MG is an autoimmune disease affecting the muscles. At it's worst I couldn't keep my eyes open, my speech was constantly slurred, I had double vision, and I had a hard time walking because my hip muscle sometimes would give out. I was on 60 mg of prednisone/day for 4 months and am on the "weaning off" cycle (decreasing the every other day dosage by -10mg at 3 week intervals then by -10 on the other day when the cycle gets to 60mg/0mg). The side effects are as previously mentioned: The good: My arms are like steel! My MG symptoms are pretty much gone. The bad: My Blood Sugar is so eratic and I have to take diabetes drugs to combat that. I am taking fosimax to combat osteoporosis (just in case as my Dr. says). My feet have swollen up really bad, my hands are swollen, my legs weep from all the edima (water retention), and I have a voratious appetite! The Ugly: My face looks like an Orangutan, My weight sored at least 50 lbs, I am moody as hell but the longer that I am on this drug the more tolerable it seems (by other people's obversations). I am having a hard time walking. I had to have a BiPAP machine so I could sleep at night. My memory is erratic and I hate that part.

Hope this helps someone.

I have been taking toprol for almost 2 months and have experienced most of the side effects mentioned here. I have myasthenia gravis and after severe allergic reactions to many medications. After trying several different meds for hypertension, my doctor prescribed 25 mg of topral.

The strange headaches and dizziness began immediately as well as fatigue, blurred vision and body heat totally unlike hot flashes. Feels like i am on fire when i touch my flesh.

The toprol affected my muscles almost as bad as lisinopril causing breathing difficulties and weakness in my leg and neck muscles to the point where i had to stay in bed for most of the day.

Toprol is a beta blocker and can sometimes cause difficulties for myasthenics but i was told that once i had been taking the medication for awhile the side effects would likely disappear.

Well they got worse and last night i had a myasthenic crisis and will be talking to my doctor about a different medication.

The problem with prescriptions is that most doctors dont have time to monitor their patients on new prescriptions and insurance doesnt support medication education for preventative maintenance so meds end up sometimes putting patients in life threatening situations.

There has to be a solution.

I had to kenalog injections in 1998, within a half an hour of having that injections, I started to have a severe headache, pressure in the eyes, severe fatigue, vertigo, blurred vision.

Since those first symptoms I have been diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis... and then hypothyroidism

Would like to talk to anyone who has suffered similar symptoms...

Jeannette

I have been taking 40mg prednisone every other day for myasthenia gravis, Isaw My doctor yesterday due to a bright re rash that is barely raide..not real itchy is spreading from start point of inside my arms..like opposite elbows. It is also under my breasts, in my belly button. He seemed stumped and thought it might be a side effect of prednisone catching up with me . I have a steroid cream he has me applyin 2 x day and now it is on my neck this am and I AM SEEING TINY BLISTERS AND different shapes.

I wonder if I could have a systemic fungus or infection the prednisone hides and how do you tell if you have a prednisone rash or fungal infectio, '

Thank you, Joan G

Hi, I had a question for anyone that could help - Ive been on 60mg prednisone daily for 8 months for Myasthenia Gravis - now I am tapering down 10 mg a week but still taking 60 every other day- so basically im still taking 60 one day and now Im at 10 the next. Next week I go to 60mg alternating w/ 0 mg, and I will stay at that dose. I feel like maybe Im coming off of it too fast?? I feel terrible - my body feels half dead, weak and tired, all I can do is sleep, I am dizzy and nauseous and feel half drunk most of the time, my double vision has came back and is so bad I can only see using one eye, I am also hungry, moody, and gaining weight like crazy!! Wasnt this supposed to happen before when I was taking the high dose?? Any one else had experience w/ tapering side effects?? How long until I am me again???Thanks, I appriciate any info - Rachael

I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis in my 1st month of pregnancy..I did IVF to get pregnant and the IVF drugs brought me to a "crisis" situation. I've been on a high dose of Prednizone for almost a year now, as high as 200mg daily, now weaning off and down to 40mg every other day. I have all of the terrible side effects from this drug and assumed that I would feel better after having the baby, however some of the side effects have gotten worse! I have a huge, puffy face, gained a ton of weight, acne, severe mood swings. I can't wait to get off this drug. I know that it has saved my life and my beautiful baby's, so I try to remind myself of that when I get sad. How long will it take to go back to "normal" once I am off the Prednizone?

21 pills a day consisting of mestinon, imuran, prednison, ranitidine, over the past 5 years i am only on 25 mg of immuran... i missed my pills for 3 days now i have double vision, now i dont knw what to do. I have Myasthenia Gravis and before I was a vegtable.

Melissa

I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in July, 2003. I was put on Mestinon at that time. Due to a deterioration of my condition I was also put on Predenisone in mid-October, 2003, 40mgs per day. In the first week of December I began to decrease Prednisone by 2 1/2 mgs. per week. I now take 40 mgs one day and 7 1/2 the next. plus 1500 mgs CellCept per day.

weight gain, especially in face, stomach, and arms; rash on face, chest, and arms; mood swings; insomnia; increased appetite; hot flashes and increased sweating; am on 80mg one day and 20mg the opposite day to keep me breathing, was on a ventilator for about 2 weeks after a thymectomy to control my myasthenia gravis; am glad to be breathing but the prednisone seems to be doing more harm than good