Autoimmune disorders impact primarily women

August 23, 2012 8:00 am  •  By Jane Ammeson

The term autoimmune disorder is, in ways, a giant grab bag of diseases, some rare and often unheard-of to all but those who suffer from them. After all, names like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Myasthenia gravis and Sjögren’s syndrome aren't everyday terms. Others—such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus—are much better known and much more common. Though there are more than 80 autoimmune disorders, individually many of them occur infrequently. But grouped together, autoimmune diseases—caused when our body mistakes our own cells for foreign invaders such as viruses, germs and antigens and goes on the attack—impact 23.5 million Americans.
They are also the fourth leading cause of disability among women as well as one of the leading causes of death, particularly among young and middle-aged women.
“What many people don’t know is that typically 80 to 90 percent of people with autoimmune diseases like lupus are women,” says Jan Ferris, chief executive officer of the Lupus Foundation of America, Indiana Chapter. “And typically the diagnosis happens most often between the ages of 15 and 44 years old."

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Nutritional supplements

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• A good multivitamin multimineral makes sure the tissues have all the nutrients they need.  Many prople with MG find eating difficult so a good multi is essential. Minerals like manganese, the B and C vitamins ( Japanese prisoners in the war developed MG simply because of starvation of vitamins), 
• CoEnzyme Q10 is essential for energy transfer inside the cells and can be beneficial in people with muscle and other fatigue symptoms.  The dose needs to be at least 100mg per day of quality Q10. 
• Calcium and magnesium are essential for nerve and muscle function so a good intake, especially of magensium (500mg/day) seems wise.
• Vitamin D is becoming increasingly appreciated in patients with immune diseases.  peple with MG have lower vitamin D levels (click here) , thus it is wise for anyone with an immune disease especially MG to take plenty of vitamin D 8000 - 10,000iu daily. 
• Fish oils are helpful for nerve structure and function, and may be helpful, but make sure they are pure oils with no toxins or mercury.

What you can we do

• Exercise is a 2 edged sword, it can lead to exhaustion if overdone, but regular gentle exercise is beneficial forthe muscles and general welbeing.   Listen to your body
• Food - watch what you eat and see if anything consistently worsens the MG symptoms.  Milk and milk products may do this.   But if foods do not affect your symptoms, and you enjoy them, then by all means eat them, despite what some web site says. 
• Eat foods rich in potassium as this may help muscle function - bananas and fruits, fish and poultry. 
• Alcohol in moderation should not cause any problems, but if you feel worse dont, but never more tan a glass or two. 
• Coffee among other things has a mild anticholinesterase activity like Mestanon.  This could make you feel better and stronger, but could also increase some of the mestanon side effects (cramping and diarrhoea). Like most things it is trial and error with MG, if it helps and you like it have some coffee, if you feel worse stop.
• Avoid STATIN drugs - these can make the symptoms much worse

Tips For Dressing

If getting ready to face a new day wears you out, try these ideas:

• Choose an easy-to-manage hairstyle. Skip the blow-drying, if possible.
• Try an electric toothbrush.
• Avoid hot baths and hot showers.
• Sit to brush your teeth, blow dry your hair, or shave.
• Get ready in stages.
• Choose lightweight, comfortable shoes—ones that are easy to put on, and help you keep your balance.

Unless otherwise stated, the information provided here is of a general nature, composed by non-medical personnel. It is meant to be accurate and helpful advice for MG patients. It is not intended to be medical opinion, nor is it a substitute for personal professional medical car

Factors That Worsen MG

Some factors can make myasthenia worse:

Fatigue, insufficient sleep Stress, anxiety Illness Overexertion, repetitive motion Pain Sudden fear, extreme anger Depression Extreme temperatures (hot or cold weather, hot showers or baths, sunbathing, saunas, hot tubs) Humidity Sunlight or bright lights (affects eyes)

Hot foods or beverages (affects mouth and throat) Some medications, including beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and some antibiotics Alcoholic beverages Quinine or tonic water Low potassium levels or low thyroid levels Some chemicals, including some household cleaners, insecticides and pet flea sprays Exposure to chemical lawn treatments