feeling dizzy when walking
My 75 year old mother has been living with MG for the last 8 years. She has had the themectomy, which hasnt relieved her symptoms. she also has a bit of colitus type of thing also going on. she is on 15mg of prednisone and she is complaining that she feels some of her symptoms are getting worse. she complains of feeling dizzy when walking, fatigue, and her eyes are hurting. she has had a lot of tests done and nothing has come back with anything. im thinking that its all related to the MG. but wondering why 15mg of steriods are not helping her like they used to. i really want her to come down on the dose. her nurologist is hopless and shes been to 2 different ones with no much luck. she is based in australia. Hurting eyes, eyes feels weird and feelong dizzy is that a symptom of MG? i know blurred vision is.
Hey there, and welcome to our community! Is your mom on any MG treatments other than prednisone, or has been on any others in the past (https://myasthenia-gravis.com/treatment)?
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Prednisone is designed for short-term use as it has many short-term and long-term side effects that often outweigh the improvement. https://myasthenia-gravis.com/living/prednisone-coping & https://myasthenia-gravis.com/clinical/prednisone-long-term-side-effects. However, 15mg is a small dose, so I would be surprised if that was the sole culprit of why your mom is feeling worse. However, dizziness is a common side effect of prednisone. You said it's been controlling symptoms in the past. Your mom's body may have gotten too used to the medication to the point it is now not helping the way it used to.
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If your mom has yet to explore other MG treatments, I suggest discussing mestinon (pyridostigmine) with doctors. This medication can act as a bandaid, providing relief within 30 minutes and lasting for an average of 2-4 hours. Additionally, considering immunosuppressants or IVIG as long-term solutions could be beneficial. I understand that your mom's current care situation may not be ideal, but there are resources available to help. I recommend this site for Australian MG support: https://www.myasthenia.au/ and https://myastheniaalliance.org.au/, and then specifically Queensland MG support: https://www.mgaq.org.au/. They may be able to offer suggestions for specialists your mom could try to schedule with if current doctors are not willing to look for solutions.
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Eye pain is not usually how MG eye symptoms are described, but many with MG experience sensitivity to light, which could cause eye pain: https://myasthenia-gravis.com/living/photophobia-experience. Does your mom experience double vision? If so, that could be tiring to the eyes, possibly making them hurt; if your mom sees double, try alternating an eye patch to strengthen the eyes.- Jodi, Team Member
Yes, feeling light headed (dizzy) is a known side effect of prednisone.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/prednisone-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20075269?p=1
