How many of you have a family member with some sort of auto-immune disease?

[BevMyers]

I have a sister who suffers from fibromyalgia and has at times been confined to a wheelchair, she also has real problems with swallowing and reflux and constant problems with her joints (particularly her hands).

[Hidden]

Other than high blood pressure and arthritis, nothing really runs in the family. Or at least nothing that I know of.

[Geordie_Kate]

No-one in the family Bev but interestingly, a few people at work (centralised in a new building a couple of years ago) are now reporting symptoms of auto immune type stuff. Environmental factors have always been on the 'possible causes' list. A friend saw an article in a French magazine while on hols there last summer. I think it tried to link auto immune conditions to genetics. Might be worth a Google? From experience, some drugs that help reflux actually make it worse. There might be others that the consultant could suggest for your sis? It's no fun sleeping propped up

[Hanosity]

Auto-immune diseases run right though my family, sister, mum, grandma all had over-active thyriod and my grandma also had rheumatoid arthritis, and my uncle has Myasthenia gravis. I think I missed the over-active thyriod and just to be awkward got scleroderma instead!

[BevMyers]

There must be some connection...??

[Coldfeet]

No, not in my family. I think it is important to appreciate that Raynauds is a symptom that can be caused by a variety of diagnoses. It isnt a diagnosis in itself. Some people will have an auto immune component to it and others wont.

[NigelC]

Hello Bev

My father had lupus, he may have had it a long time before being diagnosed. No one else seems to have any auto-immune disease. I have three sisters and one brother.

[annmarie72]

i have a sister with lupis and raynards

[LynnD in reply to annmarie72]

i also have Lupus sle and raynards and i feel for anyone who has it not very nice.

[annebrown]

I have a sister with fbromyalgia and suspected lupus. My mother has PBC, fibromyalgia and rheumatodi arthritis. I have PBC, raynauds and mixed connective tissue disease - possible scleroderma.

[LynnCox]

I have autoimmune hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and my sister has hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). There is no other automimmune disease known in our family.

[Philip]

FMS or Fibromyalgia isnt an Auto imune disease but it can over lap with symptoms and RA and also many other illnesses.

[Papeena]

Hi , Im new to this site and I do have Scleroderma, MS, Lupus, Psoriasis's and Sarcoidosis, I also have Optic Neuritis and Bliferitis and Scleritis of the eyes. Autoimmune Diseases are genetic and related to each other, therefore there is an Autoimmune Connection.

If anyone wants to know more about Autoimmune Related Diseases then please go to aarda.org as they have a wealth of info there, and a list as there are over 150 Autoimmune Diseases out there. We all need to teach each other and our healthcare providers as well as the media about all of these diseases as they can be devastating as well as fatal.

[Papeena]

About Autoimmunity and Autoimmune Diseases

There are more than 80 known autoimmune diseases including myasthenia gravis, scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, polymyositis, vasculitis, lupus, autoimmune hepatitis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Sjögren's syndrome, Crohn's disease and Graves' disease. Autoimmunity is the underlying cause of these diseases. It is the process whereby the immune system mistakenly recognizes the body's own proteins as foreign invaders and begins producing antibodies that attack healthy cells and tissues, causing a variety of diseases.

About American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is the nation's only non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity as a category of disease and a major women's health issue, and promoting a collaborative research effort in order to find better treatments and a cure for all autoimmune diseases.

For more information or help in determining your family AQ, please visit aarda.org or call 586-776-3900 or 800-598-4668.

[darkdreamer]

I have Raynauds and Ulcertative colitis. My mum has Raynauds, schleroderma, Sjogrens and we think she might also have ulcerative colitis. She also has arthritis. She, one of my sisters and my daughter have a dairy allergy.