» On 7/01/2025 12:01:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Mestinon® - is the treatment worse than the disease? 

I've been suffering from double vision, droopy eyelids, and slurred speech since the fall of 2022.
And I've had other autoimmune issues since the spring of 2006.
So I've had 19 years of various tests: MRI, MRA, CT, blood, urine, EEG, EKG, X-rays, cerebral angiogram (roto-rooter, up through my crotch).
And I've seen many different kinds of practitioners - allopath, osteopath, homeopath, acupuncturist, hypnotherapist - who have all been unable to track down my ailment.
But early in June, I found a neurologist who correctly diagnosed myasthenia gravis.
It's a chronic autoimmune disease, incurable but not too serious, in my case.
So now we're searching for the best way to manage it.
First up is pyridostigmine bromide, the generic version of Mestinon® ("M®").
But 3-hydroxy-1-methylpyridinium bromide dimethylcarbamate (M®) has been implicated as a causal factor in Gulf War syndrome.
In military settings, M® used as a pretreatment for exposure to nerve gas.
Possible side effects of M® include: nausea, frequent urination, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, muscle twitching, and erectile dysfunction.
And my wife is preparing herself to deal with a possible myasthenic crisis and/or a cholinergic crisis.

But... when I began taking M® last week, MY DOUBLE VISION STARTED TO CLEAR UP, for the first time in 2½ years! The eyelids stopped drooping, and my peripheral vision and balance started coming back.
M® is NOT a cure. It's a test, and a band-aid. I'll know more when I see the neurologist again, in a couple of weeks.