Autoimmune

[tracy-h]

I have heard and read lots of information on the link between autoimmune disease and Adult Children of Alcoholics. I know this is true not only for myself, but several others in ACOA. Very interesting what trama, stress and neglect can do to a person.

[Kai--]

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Yes, indeed, tracy-h. Trauma, stress, & neglect do indeed leave their mark. 😔

If this interests you at all: Healing Power of Resilience, Optimism, & Hope: Moving Forward from Trauma, PTSD, Physical & Psychological Abuse & Illness — Dave Pelzer: healthunlocked.com/nras/pos...

Wishing you the very best. 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞

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🎄 🔖 🎁 🎅 ❄️ ☃️ 🌨

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[brcdeer]

WoW! This hit home for me. My father’s family had many alcoholics. Dad’s did not really begin until he retired. He drank occasionally over the years but never daily. He kept beer in the frig but it might be in there for a month. But his father was killed due to alcohol. He was driving while drunk and stopped on a railroad track. Seriously. I was about 10 at the time. Then one of his brothers was not the same after the war and he became an alcoholic. Because of these two my mother wouldn’t let me ever stay with my grandmother. She was very wise & I am thankful for that. He ended up in a mental facility and that is where he died. Then my dad’s other brother also drank but more than my father thru the years. Upon retirement he hit it heavy too. So that is 3 men in a family unit that were alcoholics. So my mother, sister & I are not drinkers. We saw enough to know not to head down that road. I couldn’t tell you when the last drink I had was. Sometimes a wedding or Christmas. Anyway, I have later onset of RA. I am 60 years old, female and 20 years ago diagnosed as hypothyroid. Took some time to get to the right dosage but even now I do have some hypo symptoms even though taking synthroid which is the most prescribed medication for hypo or low thyroid. The first symptoms I had of RA was finger pain followed by knots. Just noticed another one yesterday. Have one (they are calcified feeling) in the toe. One finger feels like it is broken. Hurts all the time. Also have back pain that comes & goes as well as shoulder and hip. I stumbled upon something by accident. Funny how that happens. My rheumy started me in methotrexate and the first week I was so pleased that I did not have any side effects. The second week I began having heaviness in the chest. A trip to the ER showed everything normal and I followed up w/cardiologist. Treadmill first and now scheduled for nuclear stress test. But the rheumy says he believes the mtxe caused spasms of the esophagus. I stopped mtxe and have an appt Feb 12 with rheumy. Meanwhile about 8 months ago I had what I thought was a Whitehead pimple on my eyelid. I didn’t do anything to it but it wouldn’t go away. I went to determotoligist who prescribed Minocin one every 12 hours. The whitehead is gone. 3 months later I had a cyst in the underarm. The dermatologist had given me a refill so I started taking the Minocin. I started to notice a major change in movement and level of pain. I looked up Minocin and basically it is an antibiotic to treat various infections. It must have anti-inflammatory properties because I feel better. Much better. Online it does mention a small amount of RA sufferers find relief with Minocin but it hasn’t been FDA approved for RA. So I’m continuing to take it until my next appt. and ask if I can continue it. Fingers crossed!!!

So that’s a whole lot of chatter but now I am seeing how RA is possibly a result of adult children of alcoholics. Can you share what you meds you take and how well it works? I forgot to mention that rheumy had also diagnosed fibromyalgia. But I just know I hurt not which one is doing what. So 3 auto immunes which now I know if you have one it is more likely you will be diagnosed with another. A friend of mine’s 24 year old daughter has lupus, POTS disease and a cyst on her spine. ankylosing spondylitis and a Tarlov cyst (on the spine) as a result of the lupus. Scheduled to go to Dallas specialist for removal.

[Crackerjack4u]

Hello All, I'm relatively new to posting on the forum, but certainly not to living in constant daily pain related to both autoimmune disorders/disease as well as injury, and surgery related chronic pain issues. I'll try not to go into a lengthy review of all my medical conditions as it is pretty extensive, but just touching the surface of them ends up being a lot, so I'll try to stay to a minimum in order to not bore everybody to death lol.

I am disabled. I have hypothyroidism, Fibromyalgia, CAD, CVD, PAD, PVD, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, severe carpal tunnel in both hands, COPD, all the large muscles are torn on one side of my back and in my rib area on that same side. I have permanent nerve damage in my neck, and back. I have Ankylosing spondylitis, and facet overgrowth in my spine, atherosclerosis, DDD, blockages in both carotid arteries, 75% blockage in my coronary artery, ablations needed on both my legs, tendonitis/bursitis and joint deterioration in both my shoulders, I am 99.9% sure I have undiagnosed EDS, and possibly RA-(but the tests have so far for RA have come back negative, but some of the symptoms I have makes both myself, and my Rheumy suspect it). I have also had a total of 38 Surgeries (I am also needing 4 additional surgeries now, but I keep putting them off because my entire body is totally shot, and I'm not sure how much more I can take). I also have an implanted pain pump that requires me to have surgery every 6 years to replace it too. Prior to finally just throwing in the towel because of the constant unbearable pain, etc., and going on total disability I was a RN.

Having been out of the nursing loop for many years now, and having been very ill, and in so much pain, I don't always do the amount of research that I'd like to do, but I can honestly say this is the 1st time I have ever heard of the link between autoimmune diseases, and Adult Children of Alcoholics. But having been a physically abused child having grown up with an alcoholic mom, dad, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, and brother this makes absolute sense. My sister and my brother both also have multiple autoimmune diseases, as does several of my cousins.

So I just wanted to say hi to you all, and to say thank you for sharing this info, and maybe giving me one of the missing links to my already complicated puzzle. Have a wonderful Night!!

[Debb721 in reply to Crackerjack4u]

Mild warm hugs

[Crackerjack4u in reply to Debb721]

Thank you Debb

[Debb721]

I am so sorry; hope things start to get better