Would it be really necessary for me to speak to my physician of becoming a vegan?

Question

I have a neuromuscular disease which is myasthenia gravis

Im a 16 year old girl.

Answer 1

Since you have an underlying medical condition, I would.  Definitely mention that animal products seem to be affecting you negatively, but don't expect your doctor to know a whole lot about about nutrition.  Your best bet would be to see a registered dietitian.  Normally I would just tell someone to do the nutritional research themselves, but some conditions benefit from extra sources of certain nutrients, or are negatively affected by too much of others.

Answer 2

If you are under guidance of a doctor then mentioning it must be necessary. if your doctor isn't in agreeance with vegetarianism then you may need to get guidance from a nutitionist or adoctor who is and also a naturopathic doctor. Explain to your doctor that you feel weak when you eat animal products. This may make them more sympathetic.

It will definately benefit your health to be vegetarian though. Meat eating isn't good for health.

To be a vegetarian or vegan you will need to get educated about good nutriton and food combining. All the info is available and easy to learn though. It's good to know about what foods are good for you and it is also good to know why meat is not and to not be part of an ignorant society who believe it is good for you. Killing is never good for you. It comes back to you one day. Often in the form of diseases that are related to consumption of meat.

Answer 3

Yes, it's really important.  Your doctor may be fine with the change, but may want to monitor you closely to see if it the change is affecting your autoimmune disease.

Answer 4

Sure. Why not. Always talk to your doctor when trying something new.

www.theveganexperiment.com

Answer 5

It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor and ask for a referral to a dietitian.

My wife is a dietitian; I never heard of any particular nutritional concerns with myesthenia gravis. But it would be good to make sure you are getting adequate nutrients. A dietitian can do that.

You can't always be sure if a doctor has much background in nutrition. It isn't a required area of study in many medical schools.

Answer 6

Well I didn't. I haven't seen mine since June of last year and I became vegan March of this year!

Answer 7

yes................you might need certain foods in the diet

Answer 8

yes its a very good idea to tell your doctor especially because of the disease you have mainly 'cause meat and that stuff give you all lot of protein and you'll need to learn what you can do to stay healthy

btw if he/she says it MIGHT be for the better that's what I'm doing and I'm still healthy (I'm becoming a vegetarian though) and i've been without beef for 6 months the only meat i eat now is chicken

Answer 9

Yes absolutely.  With that disease becoming vegan is a TERRIBLE idea.

Answer 10

I am not well-read on Myasthenia Gravis but I do know that many general practitioners have extremely poor nutrition knowledge.  In fact, only 1/4 of all med schools in the US have a nutrition class or program.  

If your doctor is a specialist it may be different but I don't think it's necessary to discuss diet with someone who may not be aware of healthy diets.

By the way, there is nothing in animals foods that you can't get from plant foods, so if someone says you need to eat dairy or meat or whatever, they are obviously not well-informed.  Animal products are completely unnecessary and may, in fact, be detrimental to health.

Answer 11

If your doctor were my doctor - they would totally EXPECT you to tell them of any and ALL changes within your life/diet.  I even have to fill out a full sheet every time that I go to tell her of any and all changes that I have made.

I have to do this with my doctor - and I am 54.

If your doctor is anywhere similar to mine - they are monitoring you.  I have to visit my doctor every 3 months - like it or not - because of having epilepsy that I only found out about at 53 (absence seizures - not grand maul).

It is better to have your doctor totally knowledgeable about what you are doing that has an effect upon your body than not to.  If they are unsure about your diet choices (I am lucky - my doctor is vegetarian), they can and will refer you to a dietitian/nutritionist.

As my doctor explained it to me - anytime that you have a medical condition, it is important to let your doctor know just in case an emergency comes up.  There also may be certain foods that you need to watch out for as they may interact with your medication - I found this out the HARD WAY.

So I would really suggest talking to your doctor about it.

Answer 12

I wish I did when I tried it, but I did it by accident.  I was maybe 24 yo and I was on a diet, well I discovered vegan boca burgers and two of those for lunch were more than enough so many times I would not eat supper, and if I did it wouldn't a have a protein in it.  So one day (around 3 months down the road)I got really ill and tired I had no way to go to a doctor so after dealing with this for about a week, I went online to try and find what I had.  My body became dependant on the meats I ate and was starting to eat at some of my muscle.  It was a very gruelling time because I love to walk around the neighborhood, and could not cause of my stamina at the time.  After switching more meat into my diet I was back to normal in about three weeks.

So yes do check.

Answer 13

In which case YES it is necessary to talk to your doctor and your dietician both. You must work with the doctor to plan foods so that they don't aggravate or make the MG any worse.

Answer 14

Hmmmm.....this is a very intersting case. My guess is that with your type of disease, you can't go headlong into being vegan! We (And I mean all people that respond to your question) suggest going to your physician for a better alternative to your diet!