My ataxia of over a decade was cleared up when I went on a gluten free diet. Moderation of gluten DID NOT work. It needed to be TOTAL ELIMINATION of all wheat, rye, and barley. I have now been cane free since Sept 2012 and rebuilding muscles that had atrophied from years of underuse.
Whenever I eat something that has gluten in it, regardless of the amount, my stomach gets upset. OTC meds don't work. Careful label reading DOES. Total elimination is the key for me! Hopefully this will work for others, too!
I totally agree with you. I have a friend that also has the same ataxia as I do and she eats Gluten and can't get off refined sugars she said! Because I don't have 1 gram even of either I really think it's making a huge diffrence for me.I can actually see a diffrence too.
I don't use any walking aids at the moment. And regularly strech and have focused movement times (exersize I don't really like that word:0) ).It's tiring allot of the time so I just break the movements up so I can do them at diffrent times. Yes it seems like I have to overcome periods of extreme fatigue but I actually find that doing all this together makes it less when I get a little stronger my body can handle more funtions.
Giving up all flour sure helped me about having to read labels, because not having any flour eliminated the need to do that! Now refined sugar is in almost everything that we eat if it includes any sauses, boxed bagged etc. So I leave them out too. I make an effort to have lot's of veggies and whole fruts and organic when possible 3 X's per day messured out. There is surrenity about the practice in weighing and messuring the foods that I eat. I know what my body needs now what it likes and doesn't also now. I didn't before having Gluten etc.
Wow. I've tried the diet once for probably 4 months and it made me feel worse. I felt "less'lubricated". I have SCA of an undiagnosed origin. What type of Ataxia do you have? I wonder if I gave the diet more time if that would help.
I talked to a school cafeteria manager and she said she'd heard another person describe himself as feeling less lubricated.