Autoimmune diseases

    • Anonymous
      March 2, 2007 at 10:10 pm

      We know that GBS and CIDP are autoimmune disease but I was doing reasearch on Rheumatoid arthritis when It led me to an article on autoimmune disease and a list on some of them. One was Pulmonary Fibrosis. I didn’t realized it was considered an autoimmune disease.

      I lost two brother to Pulmonary Fibrosis. One was 17 one was 16. Gilles died in 1976 and Michel died in 1987. Don’t know why they got it.
      I don’t even know if I told my Neurologist about my two brothers.

      So I guess autoimmune disease does run in my family.
      I have CIDP which is an autoimmune disease and sometime my thyroid levels go up and down and now Raynaud’s disease and will ask to be tested for Rheumatoid Arthritis since I have symptoms that may or may not be Rheumatoid Arthritis.

      PS: I go for my checkup on Wednesday with my Neurologist.

      Sue

    • Anonymous
      March 2, 2007 at 11:42 pm

      Sue,
      Not too long ago Jeremy posted a list of various autoimmune diseases on a thread; it was rather amazing how many illnesses out there that are considered autoimmune. I was surprised to see psoriasis, allergies, & ecsema (if I remember correctly) all listed, all which I have had. BTW what makes you think you might have RA? I was just wondering, as I have two close friends who have it & know quite a bit about it & the treatments they use…

    • Anonymous
      March 3, 2007 at 5:56 am

      Hi, Sue.

      A good source of information on autoimmune diseases is the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) at [url]www.aarda.org[/url]. They have a list of sixty autoimmune disorders with very brief write-ups on each, including our ‘beloved’ GBS and CIDP. It also lists idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, RA and Raynauds.

      As I understand it, the experts think there may be a propensity toward autoimmune disorders running in families, but haven’t yet found a genetic link. In my family, my mother has diabetes (although it’s type 2), my father has Menieres disease, and as well as having CIDP I’m now being tested for sarcoidosis.

      It never ceases to amaze me what the body can do to itself!

      Deb

    • Anonymous
      March 3, 2007 at 8:03 am

      Hi Pam and Deb. I have been told I have Raynaud’s by my family DR. But even when my hands are not cold and I am not having a Raunaud’s attack my hands hurts at the joints. My knuckles and other joints also hurt and look red my left hands swells up abit and some fingers and it hurts to work lately (production line worker). I take Ibuprofin to help. Sometimes Lyrica helps when I have the tingle numbness Pins and needles pain but when I have the swelling and the joints hurts the only thing that seem to work is Ibuprofin.

      So I am wondering if I am having Raynauds attack sometimes and RA attack other times.
      Thanks for the information Deb. My Father has type 2 diabetes also.
      I will go loook at the link.
      I go see my Neurologist for my nerve testing on Wednesday. I want to be ready asked hersome questions and asker her to send me for blood work. My family DR doesn’t know much about Raynaud’s maybe she will.

      Also Last year once I my results for Hypothyroidism was high then it dropped would want to be tested again to make sure.

      Sue

    • Anonymous
      March 3, 2007 at 8:32 am

      My sister has had MS since 1962, at the time she was the youngest diagnosed in the United States. She is still defying all odds and has been in a nursing home for over 15 years.
      My mother has Parkinsons Disease and I was Dx GBS in 2004.
      As Deb said, I think our genetics set us up for autoimmune weakness. Too bad we don’t get to pick and choose.

    • Anonymous
      March 3, 2007 at 9:43 pm

      My mom has Raynaud’s. She stays in when the weather gets cold out. Her hands turn white as soon as she starts getting chilled. I don’t think she has trouble with her hands and feet as long as she keeps them warm. They always keep the furnace turned up! Speeking of autoimmune diseases — my daughter was diagnosed with RA when she was 27 years old and I got GBS last summer. It may well be a “family” thing.

    • Anonymous
      March 5, 2007 at 1:08 pm

      I have had allergies since I was a baby. My mom would give me a bite of something and I would shake, then my eyes would swell shut, I would have a runny nose. She thought that I had a cold.
      That kept happening until I got really sick and so congested I could hardly breathe.
      They took me to Children’s Hosp in LA then.
      I was so congested it turned into Pneumonia. They said I wasn’t going to survive that one. I did.
      After awhile, our doc figured out that I had allergies. He had no idea how bad.
      I was in and out of the hospital numerous times as a baby, then developed asthma at 16 mos.
      Our doc had me on so many drugs it was awful. My mom says I was drunk most of the time from them.
      They had me on Phenobarbitol, Prednisone, cough meds, etc. I was in and out of the hospital at least 4 times a year until age 5 when they got better meds.
      At age 7, they sent me to an allergy specialist. He couldn’t believe I was on Prednisone that long. My face was puffy and I was always tired.
      He gradually took me off, and introduced new meds to me which helped a lot.
      I was put on inhalers, liquids, pills, you name it.
      They also did allergy tests which told them of new allergies they were not aware of but they had a really bad effect on me. The tests have what you are allergic to in injected under your skin. I don’t think thats a good thing to do when you are already sick.
      I believe they made me sicker.
      I have numerous food allergies, some fatal like peanuts.
      I also have numerous drug allergies which can also be fatal since they go right into your bloodstream.
      I have to read every food label unless I already know what it contains.
      Lots of people don’t realize just how allergies work. They are autoimmune.
      That means your immune system recognizes them as invaders or poison, causing a dangerous reaction, which can kill you.
      I have had people tell me allergies are all in your head. LOL
      Let it happen to them, I say.
      I was diagnosed with RA in 1987, that is also autoimmune.
      Nate had asthma when he was little but outgrew it. His brother Ben still has it.
      When Nate got GBS and I read about what it was, it didn’t surprise me that he had it.
      I believe one can pass immune system problems to your kids now that I have read so much about it.
      I wish I had known more about that when I was younger.
      Natesmom

    • Anonymous
      March 5, 2007 at 2:38 pm

      Hello My daughter was just dx in 2/07 with cidp. My son whom is 11yrs old was dx with asthma when he was 5 months old and been on all types of inhalers and steroids which have caused him to be over weight(150) once in awhile he has to take prednisone especially if he is getting a bad cough.Then about 3yrs ago we took him to an allergist/asthma dr and he also is allergic to lots of things including fish and peanuts and gets shots every week The reason I’m writing is because is this something that is pasted on as far as genes etc.? Sure does make you wonder.

    • Anonymous
      March 5, 2007 at 5:10 pm

      My brother developed diabetes when he was 15. My mother has RA, dx about 48-50 years old, her sister, also. I have a nephew with autism, which they are saying is autoimmune. Then, Dell came down with CIDP at about 5-8 months of age.

      Lori

    • Anonymous
      March 5, 2007 at 6:48 pm

      I have had many emergency room vists due to peanuts being in things I did not know about, also seafood. Read every label, ask restaurant staff if they use peanut oil to cook with and request that they do not cook your food with any food you are allergic to like seafood boiling in water that is used to cook pasta.
      Those types of allergies are very dangerous. If not treated quickly they can be fatal.
      I keep liquid Benadryl on hand always as it works way faster than pills do.
      I cannot take Epinephrine due to Cardiac Arrhythmia.
      Benadryl is the quickest remedy and needs to be taken as soon as the person is aware that an allegic reaction starting. Mine usually start with my throat burning, then my nose runs.
      If just a few more minutes go by I get asthma as loud as a train and huge pain in my chest and stomach. Don’t let it go that far. Its at a critical level by then.
      Benadryl will make you sleepy but thats not usually a problem unless you’re driving.

    • Anonymous
      March 5, 2007 at 9:02 pm

      My maternal grandma has diabetes. My aunt (dad’s sister) has endometriosis. I have endometriosis as well. I also have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) but that is not considered an autoimmune disease. A ton of people in my family have rheumatoid arthritis.

      I believe that I did read somewhere that autoimmune diseases are hereditary but they haven’t discovered the exact gene.

      Kelly

    • Anonymous
      March 5, 2007 at 10:03 pm

      I have RA also besides having asthma and allergies both environmental and food.
      My sister has or did have Ulcerative Colitis until they removed her colon.
      I believe there has to be a genetic link with Nate getting GBS.
      Trudy, natesmom

    • Anonymous
      March 6, 2007 at 7:43 am

      Here is that list again:

      [B][FONT=&quot]From: [/FONT][/B][FONT=&quot][I]aarda.org/research/research_display.php?ID=47[/I]

      [/FONT] [CENTER][CENTER][SIZE=3][B][COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]List of Autoimmune Related Diseases[/FONT][/COLOR][/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]
      [/CENTER]
      [COLOR=Black][B][I][FONT=&quot]A comprehensive list of autoimmune diseases[/FONT][/I][/B][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Acute necrotizing hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Addison’s disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Agammaglobulinemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Allergic asthma [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Allergic rhinitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Alopecia areata [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Amyloidosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Ankylosing spondylitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Anti-GBM/Anti-TBM nephritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune aplastic anemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune dysautonomia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune hepatitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune hyperlipidemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune immunodeficiency [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune myocarditis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Axonal & neuronal neuropathies [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Baló disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Behçet’s disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Bullous pemphigoid [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Cardiomyopathy [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Castleman disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Celiac sprue (nontropical) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Chagas’ disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Chronic fatigue syndrome** [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Churg-Strauss syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Cicatricial pemphigoid/benign mucosal pemphigoid [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Crohn’s disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Cogan’s syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Cold agglutinin disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Congenital heart block [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Coxsackie myocarditis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]CREST disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Demyelinating neuropathies [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Dermatomyositis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Devic disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Discoid lupus [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Dressler’s syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Endometriosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Eosinophilic fasciitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Erythema nodosum [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Evan’s syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Fibromyalgia** [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Fibrosing alveolitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Goodpasture’s syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Graves’ disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Guillain-Barré syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Hashimoto’s disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Hemolytic anemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Henoch-Schonlein purpura [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Herpes gestationis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Hypogammaglobulinemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]IgA nephropathy [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Immunoregulatory lipoproteins [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Inclusion body myositis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Insulin-dependent diabetes (type1) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Interstitial cystitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Juvenile arthritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Juvenile diabetes [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Kawasaki syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Lambert-Eaton syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Leukocytoclastic vasculitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Lichen planus [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Lichen sclerosus [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Ligneous conjunctivitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Linear IgA disease (LAD) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Lupus (SLE) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Lyme disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Meniere’s disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Microscopic polyangiitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Mooren’s ulcer [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Mucha-Habermann disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Multiple sclerosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Myasthenia gravis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Myositis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Narcolepsy [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Neutropenia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Osteoarthritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Palindromic rheumatism [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Parsonnage-Turner syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Pars planitis (peripheral uveitis) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Pemphigus [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Peripheral neuropathy [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Perivenous encephalomyelitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Pernicious anemia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]POEMS syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Polyarteritis nodosa [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Type I, II, & III autoimmune polyglandular syndromes [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Polymyalgia rheumatica [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Polymyositis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Postmyocardial infarction syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Postpericardiotomy syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Progesterone dermatitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Primary biliary cirrhosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Psoriasis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Psoriatic arthritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Pyoderma gangrenosum [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Pure red cell aplasia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Raynaud’s phenomenon [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Reflex sympathetic dystrophy [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Reiter’s syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Relapsing polychondritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Restless legs syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Rheumatic fever [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Rheumatoid arthritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Sarcoidosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Schmidt syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Scleritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Scleroderma [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Sjögren’s syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Sperm & testicular autoimmunity [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Stiff person syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Sympathetic ophthalmia [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Takayasu’s arteritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Temporal arteritis/Giant cell arteritis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Autoimmune thyroid disease [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Tolosa-Hunt syndrome [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Transverse myelitis & necrotizing myelopathy [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Ulcerative colitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Uveitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Vasculitis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Vesiculobullous dermatosis [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Vitiligo [/FONT][/COLOR]
      [COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]Wegener’s granulomatosis
      [B][SIZE=1]
      [/SIZE][/B][/FONT][/COLOR] [B][SIZE=1][COLOR=black][FONT=&quot]**NOTE Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue are listed, not because they are autoimmune, but because many persons who suffer from them have associated autoimmune disease(s)[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

    • Anonymous
      March 6, 2007 at 5:33 pm

      Thanks Jerimy.

      Sue