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I am interested in finding people with Multifocal Motor Neuropothy with Conduction Blockage. I am currently undergoing IVIG treatments, and I am seeking other methods as well. Help. di2005

Hello di2005, I have read some of your posts and also have MMN. Symptoms started about 1 1/2 yrs ago in my left foot then progressed up my leg. I started IVIG in January 2009. I can still walk without assistance, but limp quite badly if I try walking too fast. I too am searching for "what else" beside IVIG. Just wanted to say "hi" ... good to know we aren't alone in this battle.

Have either of your doctors screened you for gluten sensitivity by means of antigliadin IgA and IgG?

Gluten sensitivity is associated with wide ranging neurological and neuromuscular problems. I'm not sure whether your specific type of Multifocal Motor Neuropathy has been seen within this context, but because the research on gluten sensitivity and neurological disease is really in its infancy, I would think screening for gluten sensitivity is worth doing.... and if antigliadin antibodies are found.. .a gluten free diet trial could be tried.

I've read that MMN is an immune-mediated demyelinating neuropathy~ so its seems that screening for gluten sensitivity is warranted. Newer research is showing us that gluten sensitivity can cause neurological disease with or without the gastrintestinal involvement seen in celiac disease.

Here are a couple studies which refers to celiac disease (an autoimmune disease) and motor neuropathy.

Celiac disease presenting with motor neuropathy: effect of gluten free-diet.

Rigamonti A, Magi S, Venturini E, Morandi L, Ciano C, Lauria G.

Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, National Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy.

Celiac disease is a rare cause of neuropathy that most commonly presents with symmetric distal sensory disturbances. We describe two patients with celiac disease in whom neuropathy presented unusually with progressive weakness of the limbs. In both patients a gluten-free diet induced a significant improvement of muscle strength and neurophysiological abnormalities, suggesting a direct pathogenetic role of sensitivity to gluten. Celiac disease should be considered in patients with idiopathic neuropathy even when gastrointestinal symptoms are absent.
PMID: 17226827 2007


Neuromuscular disorder as a presenting feature of coeliac disease.

Hadjivassiliou M, Chattopadhyay AK, Davies-Jones GA, Gibson A, Grünewald RA, Lobo AJ.

Department of Neurology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the range of neuromuscular disorders which may be associated with cryptic coeliac disease. METHODS: Nine patients were described with neuromuscular disorders associated with circulating antigliadin antibodies, whose duodenal biopsies later confirmed the diagnosis of coeliac disease. Neurological symptoms antedated the diagnosis of coeliac disease in all, and most had minimal or no gastrointestinal symptoms at the onset of the neuromuscular disorder. RESULTS: Three patients had sensorimotor axonal peripheral neuropathy, one had axonal motor peripheral neuropathy, one had probable inclusion body myositis and axonal motor peripheral neuropathy, one had polymyositis and sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy, one had mononeuropathy multiplex, one had neuromyotonia, and one had polyneuropathy. CONCLUSION: A wide range of neuromuscular disease may be the presenting feature of coeliac disease. This represents the first report of inclusion body myositis and neuromyotonia associated with coeliac disease. Estimation of circulating antigliadin antibodies should be considered in all patients with neuromuscular disease of otherwise obscure aetiology.
PMID: 9416814 1997

There is a lot more information about gluten and neurological disease in The Gluten File. Scan the right bar for topics. Much of the research in this area has been done by Dr. Marious Hadjivassiliou.
From The Gluten File:
The Neurological Manifestations of Gluten Sensitivity
Gluten Ataxia
Peripheral Neuropathy