Detected Late?
I am a 57-year-old male, a university teacher in India. I was diagnosed with MG only about a year ago, but now I think I may have been living with the condition for a long time.
Being referred to a neurologist
Surprisingly, it was not a specialist, but a general physician who first told me to see a neurologist, suspecting that I might have MG. At that time, I was experiencing trouble with my left eyelid, which just wanted to shut down all the time, (especially in the afternoon), thus causing drooping.
Driving difficulties
I had been finding it difficult to drive long distances because my eyes felt tired. I would rest for some time and then drive, especially during the 300 km drive to my native village. The glare of the sky also hurts my eyes, and I use sunglasses to minimize the irritation.
My diagnosis and current treatment
After I saw the neurologist, he ordered a series of tests at the end of which he declared that I had MG. He has put me on Gravitor (Pyridostigmine 60 mg) tablet (1/2 tablet twice daily), and now I am also taking some Tibetan (herbal) medicine along with Gravitor. I am alright now, except for some tiredness of the eyes, particularly on hot days.
Earlier symptoms...
Now that I think about it, it seems that I may have had MG for a long time, without suspecting it. Many years ago I had a problem with speech. My speech would be slurred, and my tongue would also be a bit sore whenever I did not sleep well or lost sleep for some reason.
Rest is key
Incidentally, I am not a good sleeper--as perhaps most MG patients are not--and I have noticed that the more I sleep and rest, the better I feel. And whenever there is a disruption with sleep and rest, I would feel really low despite taking the usual medicines.
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