I have heard several people say that their symptoms are better or worse depending on whether they eat a particular diet. I have always been very skeptical.

I have had to change my own diet due to having liver problems. I have greatly decrease my carb intake, especially sugar. I have decreased the amount of meat that I eat. I have also decreased the amount of other fats that I have eaten such as butter. I also quit drinking beer.

I am also not having as many symptoms of MG. I have not considered that diet change may be related to my improvement.

I found an article about a study that has found a relationship between certain gut microbes and a specific autoimmune disease involving the eye.

If gut microbes can stimulate autoimmune disease in the eye, is it also possible that it could effect other autoimmune disease?

Diet change causes gut microbe change. This is something to think about.

The article

Abstract for the original study

Hello Celeste,
I'm a bit like you re being skeptical. There may be a connection with sugar I feel. I know sugar feeds bad bacteria e.g. candida. I also believe in adding a pro biotic to help encourage good bacteria. When I get run down, antibiotics etc I end up with thrush on my tongue. I don't believe in restricting my diet and giving up food I enjoy, e.g. grains if I am not allergic e.g. cealiac disease. What I am inclined to wonder is how the cell structure of the bacteria compares to the cell structure of what our immune system is attacking. I'm not sure if I am explaining this right, not good at explaining myself. I had untreated glandular fever that my autoimmune disease followed. I have always thought this was the trigger for me. I try to eat healthy foods, grow our own veggies as I feel better when I do. I quit alcohol, don't eat junk, avoid chemicals (very sensitive), cut out sugar. I have been really good with this for 5 years. I'm doing my health good, but my autoimmune symptoms are still present. I get annoyed when I hear claims that I can be cured by diet. Every man and his dog are flogging books these days, it can be so confusing. I probably have gone off topic, but I say if it makes you feel better, that's a good thing.

Something to think about, especially when considering what Prednisone can do to our levels of essential gut microbes.

In my own case, in addition to Prednisone I've been taking a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) for acid reflux for 15 years. Great for blocking stomach acid production but also prevents essential proteins and nutrients from being released from food. I have to wonder what effect, long term, this has had on my health and immune system. It can't be good.

So often we (and our doctors) end up playing a guessing game. But at least it's clear to me that what goes on in the gut has a huge impact.

I am also sceptical. You could only ever be sure if you had an honest assessment of diet before and after change and symptoms, otherwise it is far too easy to think that something is making a difference when in fact it isn't.

That being said, it is reasonable for anyone with a bad diet of junk food and fizzy drinks to sort out their food choices.

For me I got the first symptoms only 10 years after I had switched from junk food and beer to healthy food, including vegetables. The only thing that I changed just before getting symptoms was stopping coffee. I have since returned to drinking coffee, but my symptoms have not improved.