The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis: More Than a Coincidence?

What a New Study Suggests About MG in People9 With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2006, I believed I finally had an explanation for everything my body had been putting me through.

The abdominal pain.

The anemia.

The fatigue.

The countless doctor’s appointments.

Crohn’s Disease became part of my life, but I accepted that it was my diagnosis.

What I never expected was that nearly twenty years later I would hear three more words that would completely change my world.

You have Myasthenia Gravis.

Not just Myasthenia Gravis.

MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis.

At first, I assumed it was simply bad luck.

One autoimmune disease was enough.

Two just felt unfair.

Then I came across a study titled:

“The Prevalence of Myasthenia Gravis Is Increased in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.”

I’ll admit…

That title stopped me in my tracks.

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💜 What the Research Found

Researchers studied 606 people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis.

Among those patients, four were also diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis.

That may not sound like a large number, but because MG is considered a rare disease, researchers found it occurred more often than expected within that IBD population.

Even more interesting to me, one of those patients had MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis.

As someone living with both Crohn’s Disease and MuSK-positive MG, that immediately caught my attention.

For the first time, I wasn’t just reading research.

I was reading about a combination of diagnoses that looked remarkably similar to my own.

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💜 What Does This Mean?

Before anyone panics, let’s be clear.

This study does not prove that Crohn’s Disease causes Myasthenia Gravis.

It does not mean everyone living with inflammatory bowel disease will eventually develop MG.

The study simply found that MG appeared more frequently in this group of patients than researchers expected.

That finding raises an important question:

Could some autoimmune diseases share underlying immune-system pathways that researchers are only beginning to understand?

Right now, no one knows for certain.

But researchers are asking the question.

And that’s how progress begins.

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💜 When One Diagnosis Hides Another

One of the most interesting observations from the study was that treatment for inflammatory bowel disease may have masked symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis in some patients.

That doesn’t mean IBD medications caused MG.

Instead, it suggests that treating one autoimmune disease may sometimes make another more difficult to recognize.

Looking back at my own journey, I can’t help but wonder how many of my early neuromuscular symptoms were hiding in plain sight while everyone—including me—was focused on Crohn’s Disease.

When you already live with chronic illness, every new symptom has to compete with the diagnosis you already have.

Sometimes the newest problem gets blamed on the oldest diagnosis.

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💜 Fatigue Isn’t Always Fatigue

One lesson Myasthenia Gravis taught me is that fatigue and muscle weakness are not the same thing.

Crohn’s Disease can leave me completely exhausted.

Myasthenia Gravis can make muscles simply stop cooperating.

There’s a difference between saying,

“I’m too tired to do this.”

and

“My muscles won’t let me do this.”

Before MG, I didn’t understand that distinction.

Now I live it.

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💜 What I Wish I Had Known

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2006, no one told me to watch for Myasthenia Gravis.

Honestly, considering how uncommon the combination remains, I don’t know that anyone should have.

But I do wish I had understood that having one autoimmune disease doesn’t necessarily mean every future symptom belongs to that diagnosis.

I wish I had known that new muscle weakness deserved the same attention as new abdominal pain.

I wish I had known that sometimes our bodies are telling more than one story at the same time.

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🎵 The Music Behind This Entry

“What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye

This song has always been about asking difficult questions.

That’s exactly what this research represents.

It doesn’t provide all the answers.

Instead, it encourages us to keep asking the questions that may eventually lead to earlier diagnoses, better treatments, and a deeper understanding of autoimmune disease.

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💜 Final Thoughts

I don’t know whether my Crohn’s Disease and MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis are connected.

Science isn’t ready to answer that question.

But I do know this:

Every study that asks the question brings us one step closer to understanding why some immune systems seem determined to collect diagnoses.

Maybe my journey is coincidence.

Maybe it’s part of a pattern researchers are only beginning to recognize.

Either way, sharing studies like this matters.

Because awareness doesn’t begin with having all the answers.

It begins with asking better questions.

And if my journey encourages even one person to speak up about new symptoms, ask another question, or seek another opinion, then sharing my story has been worth it.

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Medical Disclaimer

This diary entry is intended for educational and awareness purposes only. The research discussed identified an association between inflammatory bowel disease and Myasthenia Gravis but did not prove that one disease causes the other. Always discuss new or worsening symptoms with your healthcare provider.

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Sources

• The Prevalence of Myasthenia Gravis Is Increased in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (2025)
• PubMed PMID: 40360002
• PubMed Central: PMC12074827
• On the Increased Prevalence of Myasthenia Gravis in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (2026)
• PubMed Central: PMC13008488

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💜 Thank you for taking the time to read this entry from The Dual Diagnosis Diaries.

If this story resonated with you, taught you something new, or reminded you that you’re not alone, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing this blog. Your support helps raise awareness about Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, polyautoimmunity, and the realities of living with invisible illnesses.

Together, we can educate, advocate, and remind others that no one has to navigate chronic illness alone.

Founder • Author • Advocate • Future Wellness Coach
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries 💜