Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Other autoimmune illnesses?

Does anyone have other autoimmune illnesses as well as AS and if so do they wax and wane or do they seem progressive like AS? thanks

I had UC long before I ever experienced symptoms of AS. Many on here seem to have colitis, but I'm not sure how many of those are UC. I had a flare of that when I was 16 and a final flare at 21 and surgery. I think this disease migrated to other parts of my body and decided to attack those.

I have Systemic Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hypothyroidism, Sjogrens, Reynauds and about any autoimmune disease you can think of.

I think you will find quite a few people on the forum with these and/or other diseases.

The Sjogrens and Reynauds have kind of taken a hiatus for me. The RA is raging as is the Lupus. Hypothyroidism is being taken care of my medication.

Hope this helps answer your question. I am sure there will be many other answers.

Blessings.
Possi

Yep!

I have/had J-RA, AS/uSpA, HMs (which may or may not be autoimmune)

Other autoimmune in my immediate family - lupus, fibromyalgia, OA, MS, shogren's, reynaud's, and trigeminal neuralgia.

Hope that helps.

Coeliac and Sjogrens for me (though I'm not actually diagnosed with the spine stuff) and I'm beginning to wonder about raynauds as well from the way my feet and hands change colour. Also seem to have gut stuff that isn't coeliac and isn't really IBS that also isn't diagnosed. Usually when my gut is flaring badly my bones aren't as bad.

Dear ramakentesh:

AS speaks: "My name is LEGION, for we are MANY."

I see so many people counting up their diseases like medals on a uniform, like nobody has MORE diseases than ME.

However, I see AS as ONE disease with ONE CAUSE and only ONE mechanism explains not only the common (salient) symptoms of AS, but also symptoms of other 'diseases' which are really just 'conditions' related to primary AS; sequelae.

The chances of having two distinctly different autoimmune diseases is the product of their fractional probabilities; they are "possible" but very improbable. Doctors obfuscate the problem by using descriptive names which become new disease labels for the same disease: AS.

I did not have asthma as a separate disease, but the asthma was just one of many RESULTS of my AS. Ditto iritis, periostitis (shin splints), renal calculi (kidney stones), plantar fasciitis, etc etc. Yes, once I got rid of the AS the asthma also went away and it had begun at the zenith of my AS (even before NSAIDs--one of the few bad sequelae I don't blame on NSAIDs!).

All of the misdiagnoses will be equally progressive as the AS, typically.

About two percent of people with AS will also develop RA later, but most people with AS will have many indications of psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis in general and any or most ReAs, too.

Some actual genetic information can be indicative:

HLA B27 (B7CREG, B39, B60 and a few other MHCs): AS
HLA DR4/DR1: RA
HLA DR2/DR3: SLE
HLA B51: Behcet's Disease

There are several others unrelated to the current discussion, and this might not be the current level of our technology, but a 'genetic counselor' could better help determine our risks.

HEALTH,
John

Thank you, John. Well said.

I agree with John, all these different conditions are all related. I have AS, UC, psoriasis, and who knows what else. I had eczema and conjunctivitis both disappear when my GI put me on 6-MP for my UC. My Grandmother, brothers and at least one cousin all have similar health problems. I hope that someday they find an answer to all of this so that my granddaughters don't have to suffer like we have.

My Rheumy is undecided whether I have PsA or AS (HLA B27+). I have been diagnosed with Celiac, Reynauds, Sjogrens, Vetiligo [looking at Autoimmune inner ear disease] - thyroid problems - health issue just keep coming.

Hugs
Gerri & Makaylah

RA, Lupus, Diabetis type 1 & 2, Porphyria run in my family

My doctor calls this an autoimmune overlap. I think that is a pretty good way of putting it.

Blessings.
Possi