Testing

[omega23]

Autoimmune diseases run in my family, which we have just found out these last couple of years. Diagnosis is usually later in life which I'm told is not common. My grandmother, aunt and uncle have all been diagnosed with autoimmune disorders in the last few years, leaving only my mother who hasn't yet been. Can you be tested for an autoimmune disease before showing symptoms, even if you don't know which one your looking for?

[Jody515]

My daughter works for medical billing & she has told me that unless symptoms are there that insurance companies won't pay for any type of testing.  We have lots of autoimmune diseases in our family also.  I have asked my 3 grown children to have tests ran to see if anything shows up in blood work but have been told they can't.  I have autoimmune hepatitis, my younger brother has NASH, my older brother has crohns & rhuemetoid arthritis all of which are autoimmune.  Nothing showed in any of our blood work though, other things had to be done for these diseases to show.  For instance, both my younger brother & I had to have a liver biopsy to discover our diseases, my older brother had to have 27' of intestines removed before it was discovered he had crohns, but of course the arthritis things showed up when he started having crippled bones.  This has all hit us after age 50. My maternal aunt passed away from lupus & her daughter passed away recently from autoimmune pulmonary disease. My brother is also in the final stages of his life due to the NASH & his ineligibility to receive a transplant.  I am sorry this is basically all I know & I believe it is a gene factor that passes this stuff down the line.  
Any other info you think I might have or if you just need a shoulder, we are all out here.
Jo

[omega23]

Thank you, that definitely answered my question. Fortunately my families diagnoses have been much easier than yours, but it is good to know that sometimes someone has to go through a little more trouble to hear the bad news. I wish you luck, and your children good health.