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Autoimmune disorders in families
My mother had a stroke at age 50 (about 10 years ago) and was later diagnosed with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and lupus. One of her sisters was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over 15 years ago, but has thankfully never developed any symptoms that are too debilitating. Her other sister (age 50 now) was recently diagnosed with Wegener's disease and is undergoing treatment.
I'm in my thirties and consider myself very healthy and health conscious. I'm concerned though because autoimmune disorders seem to run in the family. I had a cardiolipin blood test done last year to check for the presence of antiphospholipid syndrome. The numbers came back 15.1 IGG and 5.4 IGM. The IGG number is considered "weakly positive" and my doctor said there's no reason for concern. I asked if this number might change over time and if I should be retested at regular intervals, and she said no, the number shouldn't change.
Is she correct? Does the weakly positive result indicate that I have a higher predisposition to autoimmune diseases that may show up in the coming decades? Is there anything I can do now to try to prevent this from happening? I am doing all the standard things -- eating well, exercising, not smoking. I just wonder if there's anything else that can be done. Autoimmune disorders often seem to strike people who are doing everything right in terms of a healthy lifestyle. Would regular monitoring of my antibody levels be worthwhile?
Thanks -
Stephanie
I'm in my thirties and consider myself very healthy and health conscious. I'm concerned though because autoimmune disorders seem to run in the family. I had a cardiolipin blood test done last year to check for the presence of antiphospholipid syndrome. The numbers came back 15.1 IGG and 5.4 IGM. The IGG number is considered "weakly positive" and my doctor said there's no reason for concern. I asked if this number might change over time and if I should be retested at regular intervals, and she said no, the number shouldn't change.
Is she correct? Does the weakly positive result indicate that I have a higher predisposition to autoimmune diseases that may show up in the coming decades? Is there anything I can do now to try to prevent this from happening? I am doing all the standard things -- eating well, exercising, not smoking. I just wonder if there's anything else that can be done. Autoimmune disorders often seem to strike people who are doing everything right in terms of a healthy lifestyle. Would regular monitoring of my antibody levels be worthwhile?
Thanks -
Stephanie
I think it runs in families. I have some sort of connective tissue disorder (still trying to get a diagnosis, though have previously been diagnosed with lupus and now they say it's definitely a connective tissue, may be a mixed connective tissue disease or something not other wise specified because I only have 3 out of the 4 criteria for lupus so not quite enough to get that diagnosis and other symptoms that are found in other connective tissue diseases like scleroderma and polymiositis but I don't have enough criteria for those either. SO it's like some from column a, some from column B and some from column C.). So, 15 years of fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, and bad immune system. I also have raynauds syndrome, which my grandmother, mother, myself and one of my sisters has.
My mother has graves disease and raynauds. My grandmother had raynauds and possibly something else but never went in to get it figured out which is strange because my grandfather was a doctor (he died in his 60s). A couple of my cousins have rhumatoid arthritis. And then there's me, with whatever they'll find. I think the mixed connective tissue is part of it, but I know the raynauds is. One of my aunts has had problems with her joints and muscles and fatigue for so many years. For a long time they thought it was lupus, then fibromyalgia, then some sort of connective tissue disorder. Now she has Parkinsons on top of all that, and they still haven't figured out what the other stuff was, though they think it is an autoimmune thing, not fibromyalgia. Same boat I feel like I'm in, but I didnt' give up with the doctors like she did. But now that she has Parkinsons, she has to see doctors again. Maybe they'll figure her out. The autoimmune stuff comes from both my mother and father's side of the family. My grandmother said that she remembers her mother when she was little, having joint pain and fatigue all day, but back then they didn't diagnose stuff and if you were poor, well, tough luck. My grandmother said she used to sing this song, and she can't remember the tune, but sung about how she was afraid that she was too tired, too unhealthy, and afraid her husband would leave her. I vaguely remember my great-grandmother when I was a small child. I also know that my great-uncle (my grandmother's brother) lived with her until the day she died because she was in too much pain and had too much fatigue to care for herself. Never got a medical diagnosis. But she lived until she was 93 or so. Had another great-grandmother who was diabetic, drinker, smoker, obese, everything wrong (and my dad said she would cheat on her diet all the time). She lived until she was 95. And the stupid thing is, all the people in my family who have done everythign wrong with cholesterol levels out the roof and autoimmune diseases or arthritis of some sort, have lived to ripe old ages, whereas the healthy one who do everythign right, no autoimmune problems, have died at like 50 or 60. So, like I guess if I have an autoimmune disease, am overweight, and have diabetes, I'll probably live till I'm 90, but with great pain like them. So, does God have a wierd sense of humor here? Well, maybe He'll think he ought to run me down with a Mack Truck tomorrow to teach me a lesson about making statements like that. :)
My health declined when I was 18, immediately after I had mononucleosis (however you spell it). After I had mono, I started getting joint pain, fatigue that just got worse and worse, and started having health problems. Then I started getting muscle pain and muscle weakness much later. I'm in my 30s now. 15 years and still the doctors are not quite sure, but the rhumatologist is saying it's definitely connective tissue, autoimmune disorder.
What is this baceteria vs. genetic predisposition? Did I catch cooties from my mom and dad? *grin*
I have a healthy sister and healthy brother. And then I have lots of relatives who have a few issues, but it's less than half of them in their famillies.
My mother has graves disease and raynauds. My grandmother had raynauds and possibly something else but never went in to get it figured out which is strange because my grandfather was a doctor (he died in his 60s). A couple of my cousins have rhumatoid arthritis. And then there's me, with whatever they'll find. I think the mixed connective tissue is part of it, but I know the raynauds is. One of my aunts has had problems with her joints and muscles and fatigue for so many years. For a long time they thought it was lupus, then fibromyalgia, then some sort of connective tissue disorder. Now she has Parkinsons on top of all that, and they still haven't figured out what the other stuff was, though they think it is an autoimmune thing, not fibromyalgia. Same boat I feel like I'm in, but I didnt' give up with the doctors like she did. But now that she has Parkinsons, she has to see doctors again. Maybe they'll figure her out. The autoimmune stuff comes from both my mother and father's side of the family. My grandmother said that she remembers her mother when she was little, having joint pain and fatigue all day, but back then they didn't diagnose stuff and if you were poor, well, tough luck. My grandmother said she used to sing this song, and she can't remember the tune, but sung about how she was afraid that she was too tired, too unhealthy, and afraid her husband would leave her. I vaguely remember my great-grandmother when I was a small child. I also know that my great-uncle (my grandmother's brother) lived with her until the day she died because she was in too much pain and had too much fatigue to care for herself. Never got a medical diagnosis. But she lived until she was 93 or so. Had another great-grandmother who was diabetic, drinker, smoker, obese, everything wrong (and my dad said she would cheat on her diet all the time). She lived until she was 95. And the stupid thing is, all the people in my family who have done everythign wrong with cholesterol levels out the roof and autoimmune diseases or arthritis of some sort, have lived to ripe old ages, whereas the healthy one who do everythign right, no autoimmune problems, have died at like 50 or 60. So, like I guess if I have an autoimmune disease, am overweight, and have diabetes, I'll probably live till I'm 90, but with great pain like them. So, does God have a wierd sense of humor here? Well, maybe He'll think he ought to run me down with a Mack Truck tomorrow to teach me a lesson about making statements like that. :)
My health declined when I was 18, immediately after I had mononucleosis (however you spell it). After I had mono, I started getting joint pain, fatigue that just got worse and worse, and started having health problems. Then I started getting muscle pain and muscle weakness much later. I'm in my 30s now. 15 years and still the doctors are not quite sure, but the rhumatologist is saying it's definitely connective tissue, autoimmune disorder.
What is this baceteria vs. genetic predisposition? Did I catch cooties from my mom and dad? *grin*
I have a healthy sister and healthy brother. And then I have lots of relatives who have a few issues, but it's less than half of them in their famillies.
Bacteria vs. genetic predisposition: the spread of chronic disease in families
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/31/family/
Bacteria vs. genetic predisposition: the spread of chronic disease in families
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/31/family/
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