Generic Name: Pyridostigmine
Brand Name: Mestinon
I was diagnosed with MG last month after a year of all sorts of tests and a week in the hospital because I was very ill. I was falling frequently as my legs would stop working suddenly. I also have extreme fatigue. The medication has helped to stop the falling and I am in PT to get strong enough to get off the floor or a soft chair by myself.
I was diagnosed with Myasthenia in February 2011 and affected the left eye and went to the right and in around a week went away. In November 2012 Myasthenia woke up and took me to the point I had to quit working by February 2013 because my vision was so blurry I could not see words just black spots on the page and my eyelids would not stay open so I was taping them up to see, trouble talking, swallowing
I was given the gift on MG 2 days after my 50th birthday. I happened to be living in Japan at the time , working for the US Government. My Doc , a Navy Lieutenant , started me on prednisone and 60mg of Mentinon , worked great but I gained 40 pounds and was mad all the time. When I returned to the US my current Doc wanted me off prednisone , as I had been on it for two years. I have tried all the ammonal suppresents with little effect. I now have IVIG every 10 weeks and take 4 time release tablets a day , when I can remember to take them. The IVIG has changed my life , along with the time release. I have pure natural MG ,. no thrombosis on the thymus and my antibody count is 4 times the high limit. Before IVIG and time release Mentinon , I almost lost vision in my left eye , was almost in a wheelchair , in the mornings my wife had to lift me out of bed and help me get ready for work. I think this medication is a life saver , a little expensive , $45 dollars every refill with super great insurance , $250 without insurance. My only real side effect is I sweat a lot , A LOT! I sleep with a sheet in 40 degree weather because if I get a little hot , I soak the sheets. I really hate this disease!
its to expensive..the manufacturer is greedy..what does it cost them $20 for 1 mo..now this drug cost $2000 per mo..
Noticed strength returned within a hour after taking first pill. Lasts about ten hours. My disease is general and not extreme. J
It has made my life better then it was, & kept me from going back to where I couldn't see or walk straight.
I've had MG for 22 yrs. with 3 flare-ups, one every 10 yrs. approx. the last one being by far the most severe. Mestinon TS has allowed me to sleep through the night maintaining reasonable strength by wake-up time. Due to the severity of the symptoms (general body weakness, chewing difficulty and diplopia) which started 7 months ago, I now take 2 pills before going to bed at midnight, 1 when I wake up at 8 a.m. and another one at 2 p.m. I'm also taking 2 regular Mestinon (60 mg ea.) in between, totaling 1080 mg a day. Since I experience no side-effects from this high quantity of Mestinon, I have managed to stay off Prednisone and experience a slow but steady recovery in the past three months. If this product was available in my country (Chile) and I didn't have to import it, I would only take the TS and not the regular one.
I have had Myasthenia Gravis for 30 years and took this along with several other drugs because of the severity of my illness. Taking the timespan at bedtime to help me make it through the night without going into myasthenic crisis. To me it was awesome to be able to sleep without having to get up every 4 hrs. I went into remission and no longer needed as much medication so I went off of it and was recently put back on. It's comforting to know I can sleep and know when I wake up I will be able to lift my head off the pillow with ease
I was diagnosed at 18 years young. For the first year or so I was just on the regular 90 mg mestinon (and cellcept) However I found my condition worsening and myself taking too much mestinon.Than my Dr. suggested the time span to take 3x a day (one at bedtime to help me wake up) This has done nothing but make me 90% normal and living with my condition easier...
Before I was given the timedelay I had to keep taking the regular one eight times a day spread out and it was hard to keep track of before I felt bad again. Since I time delyed ones I take one in the morning and other later on the day if needed. Makes this kind of life a little easier.
Before I took mestinon I couldn't talk correctly, i had problems eating and swallowing, and my eyelids would droop uncontrolably. Now I take 2 time release pills a day, and my symtoms are almost all gone. I'm glad there is a drug that treats my disease so well.
