Crohn's Disease and Other Autoimmune Diseases?

[empidonaxdvg]

Greetings,

After my initial diagnosis of Crohn's Disease, I found myself rather surprised (in addition to the terrible feeling of shock one experiences with such a diagnosis) given that I knew this was a genetic-based disease and no one in my family has CD or even Ulcerative Colitis.

Later research revealing that CD is also thought to be an autoimmune disease began to put the situation in a new perspective, as my mother has lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

I am wondering, how many of you know of a family member with an autoimmune disease other than CD? Given a suite of similar symptoms and even treatments with other autoimmune disease, it would make sense that there could be an underlying similarity in the genetics of CD.

Thanks for your responses and happy digestion to you all.

-Cody

 

[Jessi]

Hi Cody. Interesting that you thought of this.

My dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in his 30's. My cousin was diagnosed with Lupus in her late 20's. I was diagnosed with Psoriasis in my teen years, Psoriatic Arthritis in my 20's, and Ulcerative Colitis in my 30's.

It would be very intriguing to see a study be done on the subject.

 

[MADiMarc]

Way too many to count! Let's see, lupus, fibromyalgia, some type of connective tissue disease that cannt be classified, brittle bone disease (don't know if that is auto immune or not), asthma, Graves disease. Now that is not my immediate family, this list contains uncles, aunts and first cousins. My immediate family appears to be of the CD variety!

 

[sawdust]

Lupus, MS, a few cases of RA. That's cousins, aunts/uncles and closer for me as well.

 

[kenyasolovely]

My mother's had Sjorgrens and RA AND Fibro...
My dad has my mom. Awww...how sweet! j/k

 

[KazT17]

Underactive Thyroid and diabetes xxx

 

[Jessi]

Is Diabetes autoimmune? Add that to my list then. My aunt has the type where she has to give herself insulin shots every day.

 

[Jin]

There's a few auto-immune diseases in my family, also. RA, Fibromyalgia, UC, and if Diabetes is an AID also, then Diabetes. All of these by immediate family members. If there IS a connection that'd be very interesting to know.

 

[Cookie]

My mother has schleroderma and RA. That was the first thing that prompted my GP to look for IBD when I complained of my symptoms.

 

[julies-child]

:sign0085:

HI~JUST WONDERING IF ANY ONE OUT THEIR HAS HAS SUCCESS TREATING MS AND CROHNS! i have tried everything but this knew drug called gilenya sounds like my g.i and neuro think it will work for both

 

[Jessi]

My GI wants to test me for MS. You can look at my thread if you want.

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=21079

I have not tried any of these yet, but I've been told of these drugs for both diseases: Tysabri, Low-Dose Naltrexone, Avonex, Betaseron (Interferon)

Vitamin D is great for both. Also, short-term steroids help with both MS relaspse and IBD flare-up. Sorry I couldn't help more. Good luck. :hug:

 

[KazT17]

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the pancreas, resulting in a lack of insulin. There is also recent evidence that the same gene affecting diabetics is present in Crohn's patients too.

Kaz xxx

 

[outlier]

autoimmune disease are very common even allergies are autoimmune. So it's hard to throw a stone with out finding one. With just as many theories of why they are so common in the modern world.

having said that the hla gene family is being studied to look at how it affects autoimmune disease such as hla-b27 is associated with AS therfor also with IBD and psoriasis to some extent. as well as several other gene families.

 

[tiloah]

Jessi - Same as you. I have a maternal aunt with type 1 diabetes (type 1 is considered autoimmune).

I'm not sure about other autoimmune diseases in my family. My sister has allergies. I also have vitiligo and possibly psoriasis. My mom had severe pernicious anemia and they're not sure why.

 

[Sonoma1]

I'm convinced the autoimmune diseases are inter-related. For some reason the body has a heightened or misguided inflammatory response. In addition to Crohn's, I'm mildly asthmatic and also prone to eczema.

 

[lizzy16]

i just spoke to my baby sister in Oz yesterday (well... she is 24 and I am 27 but she's always been my baby!), she's been having health problems for a long time including joint pains, abdominal pain and recently an inflamed liver(!). She's finally been able to see a specialist who suspects Crohn's or more likely Lupus, she's having all her tests done now. My poor chicken! I've only been diagnosed since October so I'm still fairly new to Crohn's, I know it is definitely manageable but I'm bummed that my sis might have to go through the same thing with a chronic illness. At least she's on her way to getting diagnosed, there's nothing worse than not knowing what is wrong! So we both have autoimmune issues (we also both have asthma), no one else in my family has been affected though.

 

[braveheart]

My father have had rheumatoid Arthritis since he was 25.

 

[Grumbletum]

It was my GP who first suggested to me that, with my family history, it was not that surprising that my immune system went haywire but doesn't know why I'm the only one with Crohns.
RA: mother, grandmother, first cousin
Diabetes: grandmother, sister
Excema: brother, four nephews/nieces
Asthma: mother, two brothers, two nieces
Dad: Psoriasis

 

[lisakuney]

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is autoimmune along with Crohn's.

 

[suschex]

My sister has Wegener's granulomatosis and Hashimoto's.