autoimmune diseases

[Needhelp16]

This might have been already asked, but how many of us have more than 1 autoimmune disease and what are they?

I have MS and hypothyroidism.  I'm afraid that after my knee surgery next Friday I'm going to find out I have RA too.

Thanks in advance for any responses,
Laura

[supermum_ms]

ROFL Laura, Well you see, i just dont look at it, life, family etc that way, it doesn't really matter what happens in your life time, there's always, 'Always' someone (much much) worse off than you, so from my perspective, i'm lucky! I can always see the positive in any given situation, its not a bad way to be, sunny side up lol

I'm very much a 'keep it real' kind of personality type, that makes me sometimes a little too honest lol The how do you keep it together or I dont know how you do it, type comments (usually relating to my kids) have always been a shock to me, because i truely dont understand them. In my head all i'm thinking is what do you mean, these kids are incredible why can't you see all thats good about them!

Anyhooooo, wow i really dont understand "punished" the flip side of that is blessed, and if you think about it, it could always be so much worse than it is! ;0)

Cheers............JJ

[I reject your reality and substitute it with my own] lol  

[Needhelp16]

JJ- Holy cow!  What a nightmare! How do you keep it together? Your situation really puts mine in perspective. I know once you have 1 autoimmune disease that the likely of having another is greater.  I just don't know why we should be punished with so many!

Laura

[Jacksmom516]

Hello   Laura  I have three

MS, Hypothyroidism and Reynauds!  As I tell people I am an autoimmune nightmare!!!

LOL have to laugh cause the alternative just takes too much out of you!

Tracy

[supermum_ms]

Good question, there are over 80 autoimmune diseases from mild to serious and (at this stage) MS is one of them. It isn't unusual to have another autoimmune condition but be totally unaware that its a seperate stand alone (autoimmune) diagnosable condition, you just assume its related to the condition you've been dx with. This is an incomplete list....

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/list-of-autoimmune-diseases.html#C

I have been 'suspected' of or dx with none MS related conditions at some stage during my life time but they have 'mostly' been retracked and redx at some stages as well, so with some I dont actually know if they were 'ever' really true based on test evidence at the time or if its just what i was told so opinion based only lol i've just lumped them into my list. ** still dx, R retracted dx.

Childhood dx with chronic chillblains [**] autoimmune causation - over reactive immune response to cold temperature. Lifetime later and now once it starts 'almost' every joint in my body is affected but its my fingers and toes that are most affected by the swollen tight difficult to bend digits, knuckle growths, twisting, painful(!!) and ulcerations. It looks like really bad RA but it totally goes away with everything back to normal, when the temperature warms up, its seasonal only! [**] still dx and currently experiencing the beggining stages.

Dx Raynauds [R], intermittent patchy discoloration of finger tips and feet (purple to blue black) unlike true raynauds the temperature is irrelevant, no pattern disernable. When i had all my veins and artery's ultra sounded (lol is that even a word?) they said i couldn't have Raynaud's because there was no abnormalities normally seen with the dx of Raynaud's. This is 'suspected' to be an autonomatic dysfunction as no other cause found.

Dx Toximia, first pregnancy but 'Atypical' because there was no hypertension, hospitalised based on positive blood tests and off the planet swelling leaving dints when poked lol I'd been sent to the hospital because of the swelling, they sent me home because of the no hypertension part, emergency call to come back immediately. lol Told at the time I had an (undx) underlying autoimmune disease.

Dx Hypoglycemia [R] not one abnormal glucose reading, tested repeatedly but never confirmed by testing, periodic episodes hmmmmmmm wouldn't be misdx RRMS now would it lol

Over the years Lupus, and RA have been the top two autoimmune diseases that dr's 'suspect', I cant even say how many times i've been tested but never have I tested positive to either. I've been repeatedly told my immune system is hyper or over reactive because it doesn't react within normal limits, my immune system goes on the attack and doesn't know when to stop based on overly high WBC. So i was aware of the wonkie immune system but now wonder how much of what i've been dx with or told, was just 'I dont know' incognito or if today's probable MS is just another example of my immune system on the attack, and still wonkie!

Cheers..........JJ

[Ojibajo]

I posted a similar question a few months ago. I have MS and am being I guess monitored for Lupus. I have had both positive and negative tests for it, and I have many symptoms. I also have a degenerative kind of arthritis, but it's not RA, just bad luck and genes I guess. :)

[Sidesteps]

I don't. I am sorry you are going through this.