I Was Prescribed MG Cautionary Drugs

In previous articles, I've talked about having the symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG) for 48 years before being diagnosed. At times these symptoms were quite severe.

Now in my 60 years of life, I recognize that I was having symptoms at the age of 10. Over the years, I have been on a few of medications from the MG cautionary drugs list without even knowing I had MG.

Let me be clear - I am not saying that we shouldn't take the cautionary drugs list seriously! Without taking it seriously, it could be a life-or-death situation.

This is just my own personal experience over the years that I wanted to share. I encourage you to talk with your doctor if you have any questions when it comes to cautionary drugs for MG.

Using antibiotics

While growing up there was the occasional antibiotic prescribed. Usually, it was penicillin. But for at least as year as a teenager, I was taking tetracycline, twice daily. As far as I know, I did not have a flare of symptoms.

I needed oral surgery for my impacted wisdom teeth to be taken out. Thinking about it all these years after having surgery, and now being diagnosed with MG, I was told that I had come down with the flu for about a week after ... but there was no fever. Oh my goodness! The achiness, muscles not wanting to work correctly, along with the fatigue ... I'm not so sure it was the flu.

In my early adulthood, I don't remember having any flares due to antibiotics or other medications on the cautionary drugs list. Even though during that time I was on a lot of different medications because I kept having lots of weird infections.

Magnesium sulfate

I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism during these years. There was one flare that I had my first breathing issue. But I really don't know what caused it other than stress from having a toddler and a new baby, along with the heat.

I was 30 when I had my last child. I had gone into full labor 2 months early. Before being transferred to a larger hospital, I was given what they were calling a "motherload." I was told this was to make sure that the baby's lungs were open for a better chance of survival.

This "motherload" turned out to be magnesium sulfate. Other than being extremely tired, I didn't have any other symptoms.

Major flares

I was placed on metoprolol, a beta-blocker, For high blood pressure. I had small flares. I also had 3 surgeries. They were normal surgeries with no problems. But, overtime my flares were getting more frequent and bigger.

After one flare, I was given lots of medication on the avoidance drug list and I kept getting worse, especially with the muscle relaxers!

During my most recent major flare, my blood pressure kept going sky high. The doctors kept upping my dose of metoprolol and other medications from the cautionary drug list. I kept getting worse until I was taken off of those.

Now I am still on a few medicines from the cautionary drug list but they have not caused any problems. After being placed on them, and then being diagnosed with MG in October of 2020, my neurologist is aware of them.