Mestinon

Mestinon (Pyridostigmine) is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used to treat myasthenia gravis and Sjögren's syndrome. It inhibits the acetylcholinesterase enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine, resulting in higher circulating levels of the neurotransmitter. It cannot cross the blood brain barrier, and so only works on the peripheral nervous system.

Mestinon and ME/CFS
Anecdotal patient reports of Mestinon are mixed.

A work in progress study of exercise intolerance in preload failure found that Mestinon improved exercise tolerance, but the study has not yet been published.

Mestinon and Gulf War Illness
Pyridostigmine was the medication given to Gulf War personnel to protect them from nerve gas. The nerve gas sarin interacted with pyridostigmine; the pesticide DEET did the same. These interactions and pesticide alone caused brain damage to 175,000 US Gulf War personnel. Pyridostigmine is involved in two of the three syndromes categorized by Dr. Robert Haley.

Gulf War Illness affects 250,000 of 700,000 US Gulf War personnel as there were many other environmental exposures contributing to chronic illness such as oil well fires, occupational hazards, depleted uranium, and others as well as vaccines.

Interviews

 * 2018, Advancements in ME/CFS Research, David M. Systrom, MD; Brigham and Women's Hospital | ME/CFSAlert 98

Learn more

 * Mestinon for ME
 * A Mestinon Miracle: Vagus Nerve Stimulating Drug Helps Long Time ME/CFS Patient Exercise
 * Wikipedia