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In remission from GMG by fixing diet

Developed GMG symptoms - double vision, drooping eyelid, loss of strength / endurance, etc. - in late 2003 when I was in my mid-40s and was diagnosed early 2004. Fortunately it was a fairly mild case that could be managed with moderate dosage of prednisone (20 - 30 mg per week), as mestinon had no effect on me. My neurologist recommended a thymectomy, which was performed in 2004. He claimed it was successful, but there was no change in the symptoms or the dosage needed to control them.
Over the next 15 or so years I made several attempts to wean myself off prednisone, to no avail. Double vision always returned when the dosage went under about 20 mg/week. My overall health continued to deteriorate, such that by mid 2020 I was overweight bordering on obesity, had high blood pressure, and high blood sugar A1C moving into pre-diabetes. Then I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, just aggressive enough to require treatment.
Getting cancer was the real wake-up call - what the hell was wrong with me? I didn't smoke or drink, always got plenty of exercise, didn't have any unhealthy habits or family history to blame. So what was the cause? After doing some research I started to suspect it was my diet - I ate lots of processed food, things containing added sugar and refined carbs, and stuff recommended by the government like "healthy" vegetable oils like margarine. A lot of the YouTube influencers and doctors were pushing low carb intermittent fasting (or keto) type diet regimens, so I decided to try it for two months at the end of 2020.
It wasn't easy as you have to cut out most of the garbage foods that you've grown to love but are actually killing you. At the end of the two months I'd lost about 40 lbs, and gotten the metabolic numbers like blood pressure and A1C back to normal. While that was nice, I noticed many of the keto advocates were claiming that fixing your diet would alleviate auto immune problems by reducing inflammation. So I decided to test that by cutting back on the prednisone, and by June 2021 I was off the meds with no symptoms. As of mid Feb 2022 I remain in remission.
The principles behind the keto or similar low carb diets is to eat real food, with most of the calories coming from fat, some from protein, and very few from carbs. The other main aspect is to minimize your daily eating window, typically only lunch and dinner, with no snacking. This type of diet reduces blood sugar and insulin swings along with hunger.
I'm not saying this will work for everyone, but wanted to share my experience in case others with GMG or other auto immune disorders want to consider it. There are many keto / low carb diet proponents out there that can provide all the details and information you need if you want to pursue this further.

  1. I'd like to add to Sally's comment. Throughout this site you'll see many success stories; each seems individual. It's important to realize that good general health forms a foundation for many people. But what one person needs and finds helpful may not work at all for another. Following the good advice of specialists is always the most valuable path. Juliana (myasthenia-gravis.com team.)

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience. You are correct is saying that it might not work for everyone. And thank you for pointing that out. Best Wishes to you!! Sally (Team Member)

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