Living with Myasthenia Gravis

There are several things you can do to make living with Myasthenia Gravis less challenging. These include:

Understand that anxiety and stress further aggravates the condition and worsen the symptoms of MG. Keeping this in mind, you need to adopt a positive attitude and accept the disease and at the same time take the necessary steps to avoid situations that lead to emotional distress and tension.
Maintain all appointments and follow up visits with your doctor as the condition tends to appear and disappear. Cycles and treatment have to be adjusted accordingly.
Make healthy lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, taking plenty of rest, drinking eight to ten glasses of water daily, and trying to get some form of regular exercise.
Always carry with you an identity card that states that you have myasthenia gravis. This will save valuable time in when you find yourself in an emergency situation far from home. Having a friend or family who can communicate on your behalf also helps a great deal.
Try and plan your day so that you avoid rushing about and getting stressed.
REST whenever you can and do not push yourself too much,
Do not take any medication, herbal treatment or nutritional supplement without checking with your doctor first. Certain drugs can react adversely with your MG medication and cause complications and side effects.
Steroid-based medication prescribed to treat MG tends to result in weight gain. Therefore exercise is necessary to prevent obesity. Walking, swimming, cycling and even tennis are all good exercise options. Remember never to overexert.
Educate yourself, your family and friends about the condition. If possible, go for your local MG Association meeting or sign up for an online support group to help develop the necessary coping skills and reach out for support when you need it.
As a myasthenic, you will need to learn to ask for help. Whether at work or at home, have a list of people you can call for help when and if you need it.
Plan for an emergency by providing a list of symptoms and developing a system of communication if you can’t speak.

Diet

Myasthenia Gravis