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Exercise intolerance. Advice needed.

Posted , 3 users are following.

Guest
Guest

I am suffering from extreme exercise intolerance. I used to be active (playing tennis, swimming, gym) but lately, my muscles hardly recover after (moderate) exercise. Also, it does not feel like regular muscle pain but rather a continuous burning sensation in the muscles. It affects mainly my arms, shoulders, and legs. A few days it was so bad that I could not sleep without pain killers (ibuprofen). It helps somewhat to stretch my arms and legs instead of keeping them bend (e.g. while sleeping). I tried warm baths with Magnesium salt. It did not help much.  Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? How did you cope? What can I do to improve my muscle function? 

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • penny57025
    penny57025 Guest

    Posted

    I have MG. My muscle weakness started in my face, eye, mouth, couldn't chew, my eye was drooping. If you get on the right meds they will help this. Dr. Story in Clifton Paqrk, NY could help you with his.

    Good Luck, you need to be on imuran and Medisone or the generaic of both.

    • Guest
      Guest penny57025

      Posted

      Thank you for taking the time to reply. I will try to find information about the early symptoms of MG. May I ask if you ever had muscle pain together with muscle weakness? 
  • PeterAK
    PeterAK Guest

    Posted

    Your symptoms don't match my MG symptoms but everybody is different. There are well over 100 other things this could be. It appears you have more pain than weakness and it may be a closer match to fibromyalgia.  But thats only a wild guess. Do you take statins, have thyroid problems, it goes on and on? You are going to have to get a diagnosis which can be both trying and time consuming, potentially involving several specialities. It took me 7 years to get my MG diagonosis and finally get the proper treatment. Hopefully you get a good doctor who will listen to you and work with you.

    • Guest
      Guest PeterAK

      Posted

      Hi Peter, thanks for  your reply. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about two years ago. That time I lost a lot of weight and experienced muscle wasting and weakness. I recovered after taking anti-thyroid medication. I still have regular blood checks but I am not on any medication.

      This time it is different. The main symptom is not weakness but a constant burning. I feel it mostly during static muscle strain, for example just holding a small tablet or carrying a light bag. I tried going to the gym. Using the machines with no weight (or just 2.5kg) tires me after a few repetitions. 

      Just a few months ago I was able to do a few pull-ups. Now I can't even hang from the bars.

      I know that I should go to the GP but I dread it. I was hoping that my muscles will gradually improve again. 

       

       

  • PeterAK
    PeterAK Guest

    Posted

    I can sympathize with you about going to a GP, I wasted a lot of time going to GP’s who didn’t understand what was wrong with me but wouldn’t refer me to a specialist who might. Went to an alternative medicine doctor and she helped me get my hypothyroidism under control. Finally got a GP who understood he did not know what was going on and got sent to an endocrinologist, who took one look at me and knew I had something wrong besides my thyroid and sent me to a neurophysiologist who diagnosed my MG on the first try. This took almost 7 years, was incredibly frustrating. I became heavily involved in the process, keeping and transmitting records, etc. Maybe you luck out and easily find a doctor or doctors who will help you build a team to make you better. But you need to start and you need to be involved. Might start with an endocrinologist (an expert on hyperthyroidism) and make sure your thyroid is not acting up again.
    • Guest
      Guest PeterAK

      Posted

      The attitude of many GPs is: Take paracetamol and come back in 2 weeks if you don't feel better'.  

      That's why I resorted to searching the internet for medical articles and posted my questions here. Like you said, it could be my thyroid acting up again or it could be some metabolic disorder that prevents the muscles from getting sufficient energy.  

      I will take your advice and mention it to the endocrinologist during my next follow up appointment. Thanks again. 

  • PeterAK
    PeterAK Guest

    Posted

    I just recalled an interesting article in April 2017 issue of Discover Magazine. There is a regular medical series called Vital Signs and this particular article is called "Pumping Iron but Losing Muscle" about a very rare autoimmune condition that causes muscle wasting. (Traveling and no copy available). I am not trying to scare you but what you are looking for here is the possible specialty you want to be referred to. Sometimes you have to be pushy and ask to be referred. Since you appear to have an endocrinologist, ask him for a referral. If the article seems familar, write the author an email or even a letter, or call him on the phone, maybe he can help you.

    One of the things I found was that many autoimmune diseases are "hidden" by thyroid diseases, my MG was mistaken for hypothyroidism for years. When I look back I cannot tell them apart.

    • Guest
      Guest PeterAK

      Posted

      Thank you Peter, I will try to get hold of the April issue of Discover Magazine. 
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