Dietary treatment of gluten neuropathy - pub med article

[annelb]

I posted this on the Gluten Sensitivity/Celiac Disease forum. Three years ago I started my journey here on the PN forum trying to discover something that would help my PN. It was here that I read JCC's posts about the link between gluten and IPN. I was lucky. Through Enterolab testing I discovered I was gluten sensitive. Living GF has made a tremendous difference in my PN and my life.

I understand that not everyone who has IPN is gluten sensitive but it should not be overlooked.

This article by Dr. Hadjavissiliou shows improvement of IPN in those who chose a GF diet over those who didn't. The improvement was subjective and objective. These people had circulating antibodies to gluten - no reference to biopsy. He is testing them for gluten sensitivity only.

If you want to see the other articles about gluten and neurological disease that Dr. Hadjavissiliou has contributed to, please go to http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showpost.php?p=845&postcount=2
Anne


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17013890&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum


Muscle Nerve. 2006 Sep 29; [Epub ahead of print] Related Articles, Links

Dietary treatment of gluten neuropathy.

Hadjivassiliou M, Kandler RH, Chattopadhyay AK, Davies-Jones AG, Jarratt JA, Sanders DS, Sharrack B, Grunewald RA.

Department of Neurology, The Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK.

We studied the effect of a gluten-free diet in patients with idiopathic sensorimotor axonal neuropathy and circulating antigliadin antibodies. Consecutive patients underwent baseline neurophysiological assessment and were offered a gluten-free diet. Those who went on the diet formed the intention-to-treat group and those who did not were the control group. Repeat neurophysiological assessment and subjective evaluation of neuropathy symptoms were performed at 1 year. A total of 35 patients participated in the study, with 25 patients going on the diet and 10 not doing so. There was a significant difference in the change of sural sensory action potentials (pre-defined primary endpoint), with evidence of improvement in the intention-to-treat group and deterioration in the control group. Subjective change in neuropathy symptoms also showed significant differences, with patients in the intention-to-treat group reporting improvement and those in the control group reporting deterioration. Gluten-free diet may thus be a useful therapeutic intervention for patients with gluten neuropathy. Muscle Nerve, 2006.

PMID: 17013890 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[mrsdoubtfyre]

This is where I had alot of issues, when I began reducing gluten over 10 yrs ago, and finally doing GF.

I still have some PN issues...but certainly not like in the past!

These are wonderful resources!

[concerned lady]

Hi All.

Thanks Anne, for starting this thread/topic!

I'm bumping this up to the top, because of the tremendous importance of this topic, and the abysmal ignorance (I'm not exaggerating!) of most of the medical professions, about it:

I've learned a lot from all the others (Rose, Mrs. Doubtfyre, Cara, and many others):

Dr. Fine's "EnteroLab" (in Dallas, TX) does cutting edge (don't worry--it's non-invsive!) stool sample testing, looking for excessive numbers of antibodies to certain food proteins, such as gluten (in wheat, rye, barley, etc.--and brown rice is gluten-free), casein (one of several milk proteins), etc. See his website at http://www.finerhealth.com and please see the Gluten Sensitivity/Celiac Disease forum, over here, too!

In fact, when I was posting and reading (and lurking) here on the PN forum, years ago, it was Cara, who first told us about the connections in some people, between FOOD protein SENSITIVITY REACTIONS, AND PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY! Cara got a new forum going, right here, called Gluten Sensitivity/Celiac Disease, and it is a good forum for PN patients and others to visit! See below, and on the right, for how to jump around to other forums.

Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[annelb]

I stopped by to add an update. As I mentioned in the first post on this thread, I started my journey in 2003 here on this forum looking for answers to my small fiber peripheral neuropathy.

I have been gluten free for over 5 years now. My pain level, that use to be crippling, is now 0-1. I do not have any of the weird sensations of vibrations and water pouring down my legs anymore. Gone are the lightening bolts and electric shocks of pain. My feet and fingertips still have numbness, but not as much as before. I walk without limping. I don't take pain meds.

About 8 months ago I started looking at some old lab and found my glucose tolerance test from 8 yrs ago. At 2 hours I went to 202. This is a positive test, but my doctors told me it was not significant because my fasting blood glucose was "normal". In a way I am glad they overlooked this as a cause for my PN as that forced me to keep looking and find the gluten connection.

Well, I bought a glucometer and started testing my blood sugar 1 and 2 hours after I ate. I found that I was spiking to over 200. My fasting blood sugar was still in the "normal" range. I found this article saying nerve damage can occur when after meal blood glucose goes over 140 http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045678.php

I have used my glucometer to identify the foods that spike my blood glucose. I am now able to keep my blood sugar below 140(usually below 120) by greatly limiting my carbohydrates.

I am hoping that keeping my blood glucose in a better range and remaining on a gluten free diet, my nerves will continue to heal. Are these dietary changes easy?....no, but my improved health makes the changes worth it.
Anne