Autoimmune diseases within families

[warge]

Hi

I am not sure where this should be but it is interesting how these run in families.

My father has dermatitis - My mother had varicose eczema and allergies -
therefore I have Crohns plus lots of allergies to food, substances, medication

My husband has diabetes, psoriasis and various allergies
Therefore my two daughters have developed allergies to food, psoriasis, celiac disease

Therefore my grandson has psoriasis

We seem to be typical in that we are all suffering from some sort of autoimmune disease. It would be wonderful if someone could find a cure for these sort of diseases and why the immune system turns on itself.

It would be interesting to know whether anyone else has families that suffer from the same sort of things.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated and wonder if anyone else out there is interested in this sort of thing.

Warge

 

[emmaaaargh]

My parents don't have anything, but my brother suffers from severe psoriasis. Not sure if anyone else in the family has anything autoimmune. Think we're the first generation 8(

 

[CrohnsChicago]

Eczema and diabetes are common on my mother's side of the family.

Not sure if any other autoimmune issues exist but I do know things like cancer (ovarian & bone marrow), cerebral palsy and epilepsy have been diagnosed on both sides of my family for aunts/uncles grandparents and my father.

I am the only one I know of in my family to ever have crohn's.

**I forgot to add thyroid issues as well...you just reminded me sarabear lol.

 

[SarahBear]

My family is quite unhealthy in general! Diabetes, cancer, thyroid issues, etc. all run in the family. As far as I know, I'm the first with Crohn's, although a distant cousin had it and my mom has mentioned my grandfather had symptoms that may have pointed towards it. He also had colon cancer. My mom has IBS and fibromyalgia, which some seem to consider an autoimmune disorder but it isn't classified as one.

My brother, however, is completely healthy - right down to his 20/11 eyesight. :voodoo:

 

[AlliRuns]

My maternal grandmother had psoriasis and so does my mother and brother. My paternal grandmother had Lupus. I don't know of any other family members with Crohn's, but both of my parents come from large catholic families and I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins that I don't know.

 

[2thFairy]

Diabetes and lupus in my immediate family.

 

[Sparkle2012]

Autoimmune disorders in families

And I will add to this text string that my mother has Rheumatoid Arthritis an autoimmune disorder....as did my maternal great grandfather. My maternal grandfather had asthma and allergies. I have asthma. allergies, rosacea and stricturing Crohns. My brother has dermatitis and diverticulitis. I know of one distant family member who died at 16 due to bowel block and another distant who had bowel cancer. My father used to talk about his "messed up gut" a lot. Nothing diagnosed. Interesting how all these dots seem to connect.

:blush::blush:Afterthought: I also have anemia which is common I'm sure in Crohns but have suffered with migraines for 20 years as did my father. I'm told people with migraines also generally have "IBS" and rosacea. I have an inherited gene mutation that makes me prothrombin (bloodclots). My mother has had 2 strokes.

 

[Kip1]

Mum has crohns & I had psoriasis for a while then I got crohns.

 

[Natty]

Im reading a book about autoimmune disease that talks about the family relationships. I bought a copy for each person in my family. Its called Living Well With Autoimmune Disease by Mary J Shomon. Warge, you might find it useful.

 

[Irene3]

After I was diagnosed, I found out that my aunt, who lives overseas, also had crohns. Apparantly she was in horrid pain with it, and she's now in remission, thanks to diet alone. Lots of 'yoghurt'?!? We're not in contact as its my mothers sister, and they don't speak to each other. My father died of pancreousitis (no idea how to spell that), but that was overseas as well. Other then that, no one else in my family has any bowel issues.

 

[PhoenixBird]

My mother has MS and my sister has CVID (Common Variable Immune Deficiency). My grandmother had undiagnosed colitis, and my other grandmother died of bowel cancer, so maybe I was always gonna get it in the guts, who knows.

 

[cleuger]

This is an interesting thread. My Aunt has Ulcerated Colitis. My son has Type 1 Diabetes. Daughter being tested for RA. My father had Type 2 Diabetes. My mom had a Thyroid disorder she had a goiter. She died at 47 they found she had Pulmonary fibrosis. She never had any other illnesses basically healthy. Grandmother died at age 86 Parkinson's disease not sure about anyone else.

 

[warge]

Thank you al for your replies it is realy interesting finding out about the family connections. It is something i have been thinking about this for a while and am thinking of researching this further.

Thank you Natty for the book recommendation. it is much appreciated.

 

[Grumbletum]

Psoriasis, asthma, excema, Rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 and 2 diabetes among my parents and siblings. My GP said with that family history, it's no surprise my immune system eventually acted up, but it's a mystery as to why it's Crohn's with me.

 

[LisaL]

Interesting thread...I was diagnosed with Crohns about 18 years ago. At the time the only other family member with anything remotely relate was my maternal aunt who has RA. Since then, my cousin, also on my mother's side was diagnosed with Colitis and my mother has developed RA. I am now waiting for results on my own RA blood testing. Clearly these autoimmune diseases cluster together. Bummer!

 

[Sparkle2012]

This is truly interesting.

 

[tiredofbeingsick]

OP Thank you so very much for posting this! Autoimmune Diseases are something that I have researched quite a lot through the years. My mothers side of the Family is of Northern European Descent and according to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association a lot of Autoimmune Diseases are common in folks of that nationality.

They run rampant in my family in the following ways:

• Me: Probable AIH, IBS, Migraines, Heart Murmur/Regurgitation, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Anemia, Kidney Stones, Hypertension, Migraines
• My Son: TORCH Syndrome, Psoriasis, Hemolytic Anemia, High Blood Pressure
• My Daughter: Uticaria, Anemia, Migraines, Childhood Absence Epilepsy
• My Son: IBS
• My Mother:Pernicious Anemia, Thyroid Disorder, Diabetes Type 2, Heart Murmur/Valve Regurgitation, CHF, Abdominal Issues, Migraines
• 1st Cousins on Moms Side: Type 1 Juvenile Onset Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis
• Second Cousins on Moms Side: Type 1 Diabetes, MS
• Sister: Type 1 Diabetes, Hypertension, PAD
• Sister: Fibromyalgia, Thyroid Disorder
• Second Cousin, Moms Side: Fibromyalgia
• Numerous Relatives Moms Side: Bad Appendix including my daughter, two cousins on moms side died in childbirth due to a ruptured appendix
• My Father: Hypertension, Kidney Failure, Lung Cancer, his Intestines completley shut down about a month before he died. Do not know if it was related to his Cancer or what but he had to have a Colostomy.
• Brother: IBS
• Nephew: IBS

So there are quite a few autoimmune diseases running in our family. Hope this helps someone and I am anxious to see what others post as well.

 

[LittleChloe]

Chloe's grandmother has sarcoidosis.

 

[acheallova]

I myself have always been the healthiest with major migraines, debilitating and dehydrating.
Mother- diabetes, hypothyroid, chf, ibs, migraines, gallstones, rosacea, hbp, stroke, heart attack
Father- cancer, diabetes, celiac, gan green, hbp
Younger bother- RA,lupus, stroke, blood clots
Older brother- graves disease, arthritis

Now i have moved on to thyroid investigation, as they need more tests( think its cancer) discovered when dx'd with crohns, Crohn's, enlarged appendix ( discovered w/crohns) left untreated, osteoporosis at 23, severe allergies now, asthma, reynauds disease, gan green ( manifestation of crohns), eczema, hiatel hernia ( discovered with crohns), arthritis, degenerative disc disease & crushed vertebrae ( discovered with crohns), gallstones, ulcers ( discovered w/crohns)

My girls have asthma, severe allergies, eczema, migraines, arthritis
Seems to link somewhere....ugh

Awesome thread. Thx

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Diabetes is on my Mom's dad's side of the family and runs in every generation. Mom is prediabetic along with diagnosed with diverticulitis, one cousin of mine has UC, I have Crohn's, hand eczema & iritis plus, my sister hasn't been diagnosed but is having some stomach problems.

 

[StaceyQ]

I am the only one in my family and going back cannot find anyoen with anythign remotly similiar x

 

[Calamity Moo]

Myself and my sister both have psoriasis, as did my late mother who was also diagnosed with diverticulitis, osteoporosis and a host of other ailments, and I have osteopenia.

My nephew (18) was diagnosed with Crohn's yesterday. Until then I was the only family member with the illness. One of my other sisters has asthma and eczema - until my nephew's diagnosis it was only the women in the family who had been afflicted with any illness, my two older brothers are completely healthy, as was my dad!

 

[B Baker]

My mother has lupus, asthma and antiphospholipid syndrome. My uncle MS, my auntie rhematoid arthritis, my grandad lupus and antiphosphoipid syndrome and a distant cousin has crohn's. All on my mums side, my dad and his family are very healthy!!

 

[Pine Barrens]

Mum has Crohns
Grandma (on my dad's side) has Crohns

Think I was done either way!

 

[xSophiexx]

My nanny has crohns and her sister has colitis skipped a generation and i got lumbered with it lol

 

[IAmTheWalrus]

I am the only one in my family and going back cannot find anyone with anything remotely similar x

Same here, the only person with a chronic illness in my family is my nanny who has type 2 diabetes but she was quite overweight, which was likely the cause. It's just a game of chance when it comes to auto immune ailments, I had the same lifestyles as all my friends, yet I get diagnosed with Crohn's, :ybatty:

It's mind boggling how your immune system can turn on you, the main component that keeps you alive is systematically trying to eat away at your digestive system! :lol2:

The irony, oh no, I shouldn't be laughing, sure if ya can't laugh at it, what can ya do.

 

[Sparkle2012]

It's interesting how families are just peppered with the various immune disorders.....makes me wonder if there isn't some simple solution that we aren't seeing that could just "switch" it all back to normal. Aside from immunodepressants. Maybe one day they can weed things like that out of our DNA. They probably have the technology now.

 

[warge]

Sparkle2012 - It is amazing how the immune system works and very frustrating.

It is also very interesting to see that most of the answers have been that other family members has some sort of auto immune disease. My poor kids and their kids do not stand a chance really!

I cannot for the life of me understand why they cannot come up with some sort of treatment or cure for these diseases as we probably have the technology. Perhaps they could come up with an injection that works on the faulty genes or a tablet that we could take to tel the immune system to behave itself.

EVERYONE - thank you for your relies I have been amazed by the replies and what people have to put up with in their daily lifes. I think you are all amazing, how on earth we manage to keep our sense of humour I do not know, but without it i think we would not be able to cope.

 

[acheallova]

Warge,
They are in a way. My GI is trying to convince me to g into a trial near Canada where you are given injections of " immune stimualors" . They think it's a small piece of the long coming cure .

 

[warge]

Acheallova - that is really interesting. I would probably go into a trial like that as it probably can be any worse than now.

 

[B Baker]

Acheallova thats really interesting and good to hear, are you going to try it?

 

[acheallova]

I've been considering it. My husband has been through everything with me. He has some input on this, and we are considering every option with extensive research before we jump into anything fun .

 

[Sparkle2012]

Warge,
They are in a way. My GI is trying to convince me to g into a trial near Canada where you are given injections of " immune stimualors" . They think it's a small piece of the long coming cure .

God bless Canada!

 

[flowergirl]

My dad has crohns. My mom has celiac and sjorgens and fibromyalgia. My son has eczema. Hopefully that's all he'll end up getting.

 

[Tesscorm]

My son has crohns; in our family...

Maternal (my) side - grandmother's cousin has crohns

Paternal - cousin has colitis, grandmother has possiblle RA

 

[warge]

Sparkle2012 - if you do the trial would you let us know and how they go. I would love to know if it is available in this country and would have probably gone for it myself if I was not having so much problem with my resection op. I think I might find out about it after everything settles down.