My friend has recently been diagnosed with Myaesthenia Gravis, I understand this is quite a rare condition. Does anyone have any info about this?
thanks Caz
MG's a neurological disease, characterised by progressive muscle weakeness of the head and neck, which can lead to difficulty supporting the head, diplopia, ptosis, dysphagia, dysarthria, lack of faical expression and potentially dyspnea; sometimes needing artificial respiration.
I think I'm right in saying that it's an autmimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction, with antibodies attacking the scetylcholine receptor sites; leading to partial failure of neuromuscular transmission. The thymus gland had something to do with it as well (I think it may have been a thymoma of some sort, but don't quote me on that).
Classicly it effects young women and old men, (more severe in old men IIRC).
Treatment was something like steroids and a partial thymectomy
oh yes, and it's a not-uncommon obscure-little-illness; so there'll be quite a large OLI-SG with support, information, advice and political lobying
Hi Caz
Here is the link to The Myasthenia Gravis Association which I hope you will find useful:
...Also family and friends need a great deal of understanding to come to terms with a relative or friend who seems perfectly normal one moment, and a few hours, or even minutes later is droopy and listless.
It sounds like you are the sort of friend such a sufferer needs.:hug:
Thanks for the link, it looks very informative, I think it will be useful when the time comes.
caz