“Diet for life” is the best way you can stay healthy and reach your full potential living with MSUD.
During childhood, following the diet to control BCAA levels is essential to prevent damage to the brain as it develops. But managing MSUD is for life, and if you’re an adult or a teenager with MSUD, you can face some pretty serious consequences if you don’t stick to your diet.
When you have high levels of BCAAs, you can have symptoms that affect your mood and thinking. You might have more trouble understanding things, feel hyperactive, have disturbances in your sleep, hallucinations or mood swings. You may also have problems with moving and coordination and difficulty controlling your muscles. If your levels stay high, you could go into a coma or sustain permanent brain damage. That’s why it’s important to stick to your diet, and to have a plan to lower your BCAA levels in case they suddenly rise because you are sick, stressed or injured.
Adults and teenagers with MSUD have a higher risk of developing neurological conditions including ADHD, depression and anxiety. These are conditions that can affect how you feel, your performance at work or school, and the way you get along with others. Scientists believe that these conditions may be more likely in people who have not maintained good control of their BCAA levels over time. Following your diet and regularly checking in with your metabolic team is the best thing you can do to stay healthy and be the best version of yourself.
