This deserves its own thread.This study proves that Gut Permeability disorders can result in ALS like symptoms *without ALS*.And that correcting your diet *properly* and for the *proper duration*, can result in reduction of symptoms, partial recovery, or complete recovery.Given the fact that this approach has been tried by several here and proven effective, there is no more debate on the issue any longer.A Case of Celiac Disease mimicking Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisNote: One does *not* need to have full blown Celiac Disease for this study to be relevant.Celiac is just a form of Gut Permeability. Its a breakdown of the Gut Barrier, which can be caused by many things.These also include Antibiotics, NSAIDS, Pesticides, Stress Hormones, Histamine producing foods, and even just plain old difficult to digest foods.Its not just Gluten! The approach of calming the Gut, healing the Gut, and eating a diet 100% focused on promoting gut barrier stability not only has been proven to reduce risk of autoimmune disease, but apparently, also, BFS like syndromes.Please note that it took *Nine Months* of strict diet change for this individual to recover. Once you have damaged your gut, it takes a long time to restore it. So anyone claiming they've "taken a whack" at a diet change and "saw no results" ... well ... you know the rest.Strict diet change for 9 months means 100% adherence, for a long ... long time.For me, it took at least 3-5 months to start to see major improvement, and a full 7-8 months before I was 100% again.-BFSB-
Gut Permeability and ALS-like Symptoms
- Thread starter BFSDiner
- Start date
JohnnyRocket
Well-known member
Interesting study of 1 case, but this doesn't change anything about us. This community is for and about BFS, which we know a lot about. It can be caused by many things, which can vary widely from person to person. We know anxiety typically plays the most significant role, and once that gets under control there are a number of other factors that can assist in recovery or appear to. That's why newer twitchers who see improvement in symptoms often attribute recovery to different things that were used during the first year or two of twitching (which is when anxiety reduction plays the largest role). And given that we know beating BFS is largely mental (as proven by feedback from longtime twitchers) anything that can help that aspect (ie: placebo) will do just that. Given that BFS can be caused by 1 or more of possibly hundreds of factors, any change to our environment (diet, medication, magic potions, etc.) technically "can" reduce symptoms either directly or indirectly. And I agree there really isn't a debate on this.
Would like to note, that, according to (for example) Di Sabatino A, Corazza GR (April 2009). "Coeliac disease". Lancet 373 (9673): 1480–93.Celiac (or coeliac)disease is "caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat, and similar proteins found in the crops of the tribe Triticeae (which includes other common grains such as barley and rye"Not by antibiotics, NSAIDS, water, sugar or whatever.or please do not call it celiac disease then - people can be really confused.
I changed the way I eat 100%since january. No sugar, no this, no that...That didn't change the way my body works.You proved nothing except some people may get simmilar symptoms from the food intolerance.Of course you did not prove anything for us where food is not the reason why we have problems.
Cutting out gluten has worked very well for me in terms of significantly reducing the twitching and electric feeling pains. However, unlike many twitchers, I have other issues such as a positive anti nuclear antibody test (as found with lupus, mctd, and sjogrens), hyper mobility (can mean mixed connective tissue disease also) and a wholelitany of weird symptoms like fever after being in the sun, dry skin, etc...so I'm thinking whatever underlying autoimmune crap I have made me twitch...and cutting out inflammatory foods helped with the autoimmune stuff, hence less twitching. Many if not most here don't have those issues. Maybe they have something viral or hereditary or who knows what...so it makes sense this doesn't work for them. However, posts like this are still great because this info just might benefit someone like me.
JohnnyRocket
Well-known member
I went back and reread the case study, and now realize it has less relevance to us that I originally thought. Anyone who understands BFS and ALS alike should realize that BFS doesn't actually mimic ALS. The only reason so many people freak out about BFS is they google twitching and read ALS articles. Once you get down to the details of symptom patterns, etc. the two are not remotely similar. That's the reason so many that pop in here are so clearly "BFSers" and the reason why a good neuro will shoo us away without an EMG. The differences are obvious...night and day. So while its interesting there are some other causes that can create muscle wasting and truly look like ALS, we aren't in the same boat.
the first thing I've learned in all my years here is that we are all different. the second thing I think I know is that there are many different causes of bfs......at this point in my journey, i don't spend much time thinking about potential causes or cures but i always appreciate our members efforts to find cures/treatments. that said, i have literally seen 100's of theories over the years, none of which have worked on a broad scale here. blame it on whatever, but that is a fact. the process bfsb is talking about interests me and is something i might try in the near future, but if i do, i will go in as a skeptic and hopeful come out as twitch free. i for one don't want to discourage anyone from trying new things to help their bfs, but we also have to be careful as a group providing newbies with false hope. i'm not saying that is what bfsb is doing here, because i believe he has only the best interest of all of us at heart and really wants to help everyone. the only problem, as i see it, is that we are all different and what works for one may not for another.let me end by saying thanks to bfsb for taking the time to research this particular area and for reporting back to the site what he has found. also, everyone here needs to understand that what works for him may not, and based on my experience probably will not cure your bfs.....but i for one say give it a shot. at the end of the day, what do we stand to lose by improving our diet. if you ask my wife, she would say that is the root to all my problems......well, that and that i don't drink enough water :')take care,gary
OptimisticGuy
Well-known member
I appreciate anyone who spends time researching and putting possible theories out there, I also appreciate the good nature and how helpful everyone is on this site... I agree that with my limited knowledge of BFS there does seem to be different triggers for everyone. For me I have come to the conclusion that health anxiety coupled with lack of sleep and a big change in routine after a birth of a child was my trigger but hey who said that gluten might not have been a big factor also and maybe the recent changes in my life simply pushed it that little bit further to become a full blown BFS encounter !There are a load of simple factors that seem to run amongst us and for some reason health anxiety seems to be apparent in the vast majority.. For the few years running up to this recent BFS flare up if I ate white bread, spicy foods or drank alcohol my cheeks went bright red !! they would stay red for days and in general my cheeks were just always red.. I was told it was rosaeca but I found a connection to the few items I mentioned just now, they appeared to be triggers.. Perhaps for me that's all connected and rather than my red cheeks I'm now twitching .. Who knows?Keep the theories and debates coming, I find them all very interesting! Thanks 
Paul
PaulIt is sad that most of you missed the point. The point is that gluten intolerance can lead damage motor neurons in aterior horn cells area which can cause BFS and if not treated, it might progress. There are more reports in medical journals, this is NOT the only one.