Myasthenia Gravis - My Struggle

Several years ago, I was afflicted with myasthenia gravis. I was undergoing a most stressful episode in my life. I was in my late fifties - call it midlife crisis if you would.

One day I felt intense pressure on my eyes. My first concern was glaucoma (a condition of increased fluid pressure inside the eye). I went to see an ophthalmologist who subsequently referred me to a neurologist, who confirmed the diagnoses after running some medical tests.

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying degrees of weakness of the skeletal (voluntary) muscles of the body.

The hallmark of the disease is muscle weakness, which increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Certain muscles such as those that control eye and eyelid movements, facial expression, talking, chewing and swallowing are often involved in the disorder. In addition, the muscles that control breathing, neck, and limb movements may also be affected.

                                               My conditions

I had developed ocular symptoms: ptosis (drooping of eyelids) and diplopia (double vision) in my myasthenia gravis.

My neck and limb muscles were also weak. I had to use a neck-rest to prop up my head when I drove; I could hardly use my fingers to control the mouse when I used my computer; and I could not raise my hand without using the other hand to prop it up.

Fortunately, I did not experience any weakness of the muscles of my pharynx, which could cause difficulty in chewing and swallowing, as well as slurred speech, in many cases of myasthenia gravis.

                              My reactions and recollections

Naturally, I was devastated at the diagnosis and the conditions of my myasthenia gravis, which all happened within a matter of days.

Deep down, I knew it was stress that triggered the onset of my myasthenia gravis, but it was by no means the only cause. I knew if I did not have it then, I would certainly have it further down the road. It was just a matter of time - only I was not aware that I had the problem. I was carrying a ticking time-bomb ready to explode on me.

Now as I look back, I think it was a blessing in disguise. Everything happens in one’s life with a divine purpose. In a way, I was grateful that I had the illness - which has changed my life for the better. For one thing, without my myasthenia gravis, I would not have written the book, NO MIRACLE CURES - Only Wholesome Self-Healing, and I would not have devoted so much time to research on health and wellness. I would not have created this website and others related to health. It all began with my myasthenia gravis.

I did not blame anyone or anything for my illness, nor did I have any regret. I totally accepted my fate. Recognition and acceptance of one’s conditions is the first positive step towards natural healing. Denial and despair would only be roadblocks to recovery. I was determined to find out the causes of my health problems. I wanted to know why I was struck down with myasthenia gravis.

Initially, I was confused and befuddled: Why did I get sick? For the past several decades, my health had been excellent - or so I thought, and I was quite health conscious in matters of foods and drinks. I have never been hospitalized all my life, and before the onset of my myasthenia gravis, I seldom paid a visit to the doctor. I had been having a clean bill of health up until then.

So, what was wrong with me? I began to do some soul-searching.

Unlike most other kids, I did not have chicken pox until I was a teenager. That was a telltale sign that my immune system was different from that of others, or at least not as good as I thought it was. There was something amiss, but I did not know exactly what it was.

Then I recalled that when I was a child, I had been constantly bed-ridden with persistent colds and coughs that I had to skip my entire Grade One schooling. I stayed in bed instead of in the classroom - my mother thought I could get infections from other kids; or worse, I would not have a long life.

I remember I never liked green vegetables and fish - which I would gobble up, stuff them in my mouth, and then spit them out as soon as I got out of the house. That was bad of me.

As I stepped into my teens, my health conditions improved significantly. In fact, all my symptoms of ill health disappeared soon after I had my chicken pox at the age of thirteen. Ever since then, I had not had any major physical ailment, except I was still susceptible to the common cold - which I overdosed myself with over-the-counter cold medications. I did not know that all these years I had been shuffling toxins into my body!

There was another episode during my young adulthood. I was involved in some artwork, which required me to make some fiberglass from newspapers by pouring some chemical solution over them. On one occasion, I accidentally mixed some toxic chemicals, giving out some toxic fume. After inhaling it, I passed out for some minutes, and felt sick for the entire day. In addition, my regular exposure to toxic chemicals in my artwork must have further damaged my immune system.

Nevertheless, for many decades, I had enjoyed relatively good health - or so I thought.

In my late forties, I had shingles - which was another red flag that there was something wrong with my immune system. However, I did not pay much attention to that episode.

In my mid fifties, the stress in my life eventually triggered the onset of my myasthenia gravis, which was the outcome of my over-stressed immune system.

                                                    My treatment

At first, I was prescribed pyridostigmine (mestinon) as the usual first-line treatment for my myasthenia gravis.

After several months, my conditions did not improve. I was given another prescription, prednisone, a synthetic hormone commonly referred to as a “steroid,” for my myasthenia gravis. Prednisone acts as long-term immunosuppressant to suppress the production of antibodies. Essentially, it serves to stabilize my so-called “overactive” immune system.

The adverse side effects of prednisone for my myasthenia gravis include decreased resistance to infection, indigestion, hypertension, weight gain, swelling of the face, thinning of skin, predisposition to osteoporosis, and potential development of cataracts and glaucoma. The long list was not only depressing but also frightening. I was worried that I would have to take my medications for the rest of my life not just for my myasthenia gravis but also for its many side effects, such as bone loss and high blood pressure, among others.

Initially, there were some improvements in the symptoms, but overall they were not significant.

After almost two years on prednisone, my neurologist, seeing there was little improvement in my myasthenia gravis, switched me to azathioprine, supposedly with fewer side effects. That medication did not seem to have any effect on my symptoms.

                                            My rude awakening

I was in a dilemma: on the one hand, I needed improvement in my neuromuscular transmission to increase my muscle strength and eliminate my double vision; on the other hand, I knew that if myasthenia gravis did not kill me, the many side effects of the medications eventually might.

Then I made a decision to change drastically my diet in an attempt to discontinue my medications ultimately. The initial results were encouraging.

Instead of gaining weight, I lost more than fifteen pounds; instead of jacking up my blood pressure, I made it plummet. I had won my battle against the initial adverse side effects of medications of myasthenia gravis.

I knew I had to do more - much more than that. I was in for my rude awakening: there was no miracle cure for my myasthenia gravis; only my wholesome wellness would bring about recovery and natural healing.

On the road to natural healing

For me, the road to recovery has been a long and winding one.

I recognized that my immune system is not only an integrated network of cells that would protect me in times of an infection, but also a system with many regulatory mechanisms that, if uncontrolled, would become my enemy instead of my friend.

I also realized that my immune system has to be protected by being fed the correct foods, as well as being given the optimum environment free from physical, emotional and psychological stress, which may affect my immune system negatively.

Most important of all, I understood that my wholesome well-being, unlike my medications that “switched” off my whole immuno-response when it was overactive, may hold the key to my ultimate recovery.

My parents might not have given me an excellent immune system. I could not have chosen my parents, but I can certainly choose my lifestyle, and I can control what I put into my body and even what comes out of my body.

I was determined to take matters into my own hands. I had to control my own destiny. I cherished the strong conviction that whatever my mind can conceive and believe I can achieve. Meanwhile, I was also fully aware of the overpowering forces of Nature. To combat Nature is futile, but I can command Nature by obeying it, instead of going against it.

To obey Nature involves the recognition of the natural healing power of my physical body - if given the right environment.

The right environment implies that my body must be clean enough internally.

Initially, I had attempted several 24-hour fasts. Finally, I decided to take the plunge: a longer fast for more than three weeks, during which I consumed no solid food, except water and fresh vegetable juices. It was a miracle to me.

Surprisingly, I did not feel any physical weakness, not to mention any pangs of hunger. I lost some fifteen pounds. I was not overweight prior to the fast, so people were wondering if I was on a diet to lose weight, or if I was sick. I told them I had to cleanse myself so that I would not be sick again. Most of them did not have a clue of what I was saying, and responded, “If you do not want to be sick, you should eat more, not less! Stephen, you look too thin, and not healthy at all.” How could a fish explain to a bird what water is like!

The internal cleansing initiated by the longer fast set the groundwork for my subsequent detoxification and ultimate rejuvenation. I stopped drinking from the tap, and I paid detailed attention to things around me, which might have given me toxins, such as soap, toothpaste, and hair products. I even stopped dyeing my hair. To combat my myasthenia gravis, I had to detoxify my body inside out.

(Read my web page Fasting For Longevity.)

In addition to fasting, I used foods to enhance my internal cleansing. I took Essiac, a detoxifying herbal anti-aging drink consisting of four herbs: burdock root, sheep’s sorrel, slippery elm, and Indian rhubarb root.

In 1922, Canadian nurse Rene Caisse made an herbal drink that completely cured her aunt of an inoperable cancer. I still take Essiac as maintenance. Beets and burdock have now become part of my daily detoxification diet or drink.

I started to learn how to sprout seeds and make own my bread and yogurt.
Thus, I began a diet of high-fiber foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. I made a point to include some raw foods in my diet. Up to this day, for lunch, I always eat a salad of brown rice, nuts and seeds, fresh vegetables and an apple, with a dressing of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and olive oil. An anti-aging lifestyle may significantly improve your autoimmune conditions.

Detox And Intestinal Cleansing is a comprehensive book that covers everything you need to know about intestinal cleansing, how to stay healthy and lose weight permanently. This book has everything, and I strongly recommend this book for detoxification and rejuvenation for anti-aging living.

More aggressively, you may need a chelation therapy to cleanse your body of toxic chemicals and remove toxic metals from your body.

Thymus gland and myasthenia gravis

My thymus gland is in complete control of my immune system. It is the commanding officer of T-cells, which are immune system warriors. A healthy thymus gland goes a long way in controlling myasthenia gravis

Zinc is the most important mineral to my thymus gland. I began to eat a handful of Brazil nuts everyday, I put pumpkin seeds in my salad, I made broth with potato peels, and I added ginger-root and garlic to whatever food I cooked. All these foods boosted my immune system by strengthening my thymus gland.

Coenzyme Q10 for myasthenia gravis

Autoimmune disease, in particular myasthenia gravis, requires constant supply of energy to my body. Coenzyme Q10 is important to energy production. My diet began to include sardines, which are rich in this nutrient. In addition, I took a daily supplement of 30 milligrams of Coenzyme Q10, because only fatty fish such as sardines, organ meats, and peanuts contain a small amount of this important nutrient.

Glutathione for myasthenia gravis

In order to regenerate my immune cells, glutathione, is an important free-radical fighter of my myasthenia gravis. For rich sources of glutathione, I included cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli in my diet - I ate them raw, steamed them, or juiced them. For fruits, I had plenty of watermelon in the summer, as well as avocado, both of which are some of the richest sources of glutathione.

DHEA for myasthenia gravis

DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, is more than an anti-aging nutrient: it is an effective immune hormone to fight against myasthenia gravis. As such, I had to take good care of it; especially I was already in my late fifties when I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. By the time you reach fifties, your DHEA levels are only half of what they were when you were twenty. Sexual dysfunction, memory loss, and muscle shrinkage are often indicators of a decline of this immune hormone. To find out more about this important hormone, read the very informative book The Youth and Health Hormone.

DHEA is always low in individuals with autoimmune conditions, especially myasthenia gravis. To supplement the loss of this potent hormone, I began with a low dose of 5 mg and then gradually increased it to 15 mg.

Magnesium for myasthenia gravis

Magnesium is a mineral which is used in building bones, manufacturing proteins, releasing energy from muscle storage, and regulating body temperature.

In addition, recent research in France and several other European countries have pointed out the critical role of magnesium not only in the transmission of hormones, such as insulin, thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA, among others, but also in the nourishment of neurotransmitters, which affect myasthenia gravis.

Eating a variety of foods that contain magnesium is the best way to get an adequate amount. Magnesium-rich foods include bran cereal, shredded wheat, oat bran, almonds and spinach.

But magnesium content in foods may be considerably reduced due to depleted soils and fertilizer application. In addition, magnesium is lost in cooking some foods even under the best conditions.

To retain magnesium, I cook foods in a minimal amount of water and in the shortest time possible. Furthermore, magnesium in your body may be lost through excessive sweating, having too much calcium, which blocks magnesium absorption, high sodium intake, or even drinking alcohol and coffee.

Manganese for myasthenia gravis

Manganese is an essential mineral found in trace amounts in body tissues. It is essential to several critical enzymes necessary for energy production, bone and blood formation, nerve function and protein metabolism. It is important especially for transmitting nerve impulses. Deficiency of manganese has been linked to myasthenia gravis.

I included mustard green and kale in my daily salad, as well as in my green juice. Of course, my daily consumption of organic brown rice also added this essential mineral to my diet. Bananas, one of my favorite fruits, made doubly sure that I would not be deficient in manganese because I ate at least two or three bananas a day. Although blueberries are rich in manganese, I would eat them only occasionally because they are generally more expensive. Wheat germ is a rich source of manganese, and I would occasionally sprinkle it on my breakfast cereal - my breakfast generally consisting only of fresh vegetable juice and a piece of fruit.

Most other important nutrients for my myasthenia gravis, such as vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E, could be readily obtainable from my balanced daily diet; as a result, I did not take any additional daily supplement, except vitamin E, which is difficult to obtain in therapeutic quantities from foods, although I did consume a fair amount of almonds daily. I chose a supplement providing vitamin E in the natural d-alpha tocopherol with high gamma tocopherol content.

Phytonutrients for myasthenia gravis

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, phytonutrients have the ability to halt a cell from converting to a cancerous cell. Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts are rich in phytonutrients, which also benefit my combat against myasthenia gravis.

To prevent the formation of free radicals in my immune system, I eat fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts daily. To get the maximum benefits from these potent disease-fighting substances, I eat them raw - at least in one meal.

The Raw Food Diet shows you how to gain awesome health with a raw food diet that you may enjoy with excellent recipes. An occasional raw food diet gives you the best digestive health.

In addition, I made sure I consumed a variety of foods rich in phytonutrients: dark green, yellow, red and orange vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids; broccoli, onions, peppers as well as apples and grapes, rich in flavonoids.

To ensure the proper absorption of the powerful antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes, I often drizzled a little flaxseed oil or cold-pressed olive oil on these fat-soluble carotenoids.

Plant sterols and sterolins for myasthenia gravis

Plant sterols and sterolins are powerful immune enhancers. As precursors to DHEA, they not only enhance your DHEA levels, but also decrease your stress hormone cortisol.

Plant sterols and sterolins are present in raw unprocessed nuts and seeds and their oils. Seeds such as sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, fruits such as figs, apples and oranges, and vegetables such as peas, squash, and potatoes are especially rich in sterol content. These plant fats found in most plant-based foods are your best medicine in maintaining your immune health: they inhibit your immune response and inflammatory process - just like the conventional anti-inflammatory and immune-suppressing drugs - thereby reversing your immune abnormality and correcting its dysfunction. Unfortunately, food processing, freezing, and cooking result in less than five percent of sterols and sterolins being absorbed by you from your food sources.

To obtain my plant sterols and sterolins, I daily consume raw vegetables, nuts and seeds.

I get all my natural and anti-aging herbs, vitamins and minerals from Herbal Remedies, where I also obtain useful information about these dietary supplements.

Stress

Autoimmunity means that my immune system is attacking itself. If my body is attacking itself, that means I am attacking myself mentally and emotionally. In other words, my mind has a problem.

I began to see that stress is a component of life - it is like my shadow: sometimes it is there, and sometimes it is not. Stress triggers a biological response in my body, which enables powerful changes to take place: my heart rate and blood pressure increase; my adrenal glands (hormonal) become activated; my blood sugar levels rise; and my body’s need for protein consumption increases. These natural responses would deplete my body’s storage of vitamins and minerals, especially if my nutrient level is low.

I understood perfectly that good diet and regular exercise might not prevent disease, especially when stress is playing a major role. Stress is the Number One risk factor for any major disease development. Stress is the biggest factor in the development of heart disease and cancer. Prolonged physical, psychological and social stressors may cause your immune system to become imbalanced.

Stress to me may be fun to you. Only I myself can say what is stressful to me. To argue or reason with someone about what is or is not stressful is already stress in itself. To understand that physiologically my body has developed mechanisms to protect it from the damaging effects of stress helped me manage my daily stress.

Practicing Yoga and breathing exercises ironed out my stresses. Of course, a deliberate change in attitude towards stress may also alleviate the anger and frustration associated with stress.

For more information on stress, and good posture for healthy breathing, go to my website World Religions on Stress Control to find out what world religions have to say about controlling stress, as well as to get the state-of-the-art STRESS ERASER to erase your stress instantly. Also, find out from my web site Good Posture how posture may affect your breathing, which impacts your health.

Yoga Health Secrets is a comprehensive book on the anti-aging benefits of yoga: physical health and relaxation; motivation and willpower; clarity of mind and concentration; self awareness and insight; inner peace and happiness. It provides all the information you need to know about yoga practiced by millions of people all over the world. I personally find yoga an excellent de-stressor for longevity living. Practice your daily yoga to optimize your brain and mental health for anti-aging living.

Exercise

Physical training is safe for patients with mild myasthenia gravis and does produce some improvement in overall muscle strength. Low to moderate exercise is beneficial to health, and enhances immunity.

I began to go to a gym and take up walking as a daily exercise. Instead of driving, I sometimes took a bus to work, because that entailed me to walk at least a good half hour everyday.

Anti-Aging Fitness Program is the first of its kind to combine fitness innovation and anti-aging breakthroughs. It shows you why the traditional “diet and exercise” hype has not been able to resolve your “middle-age syndrome."

I also found meditation an effective way to de-stress myself. For more information on meditation, go to my website Meditation Techniques.

Return from Myasthenia Gravis - My Struggle to Home Page.

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

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