I hope someone can help me on this one ;) I don't have a family history of diabetes and became a diabetic after a bout with bronchitis. Test after test later, they tell me that my diabetes is autoimmune.
Flash forward 11 years and now they think I have another one. I am having rashes and extreme joint pain so they are doing all of the testing for either Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. I can not even begine to imagine how I would deal with either one. All of this on top of the diabetes is beginning to wear on me.
Is anyone else dealing with more than one autoimmune disorder? If so, how are you dealing with both conditions at the same time? It amazes me that the system that is supposed to protect you can turn on you with such a vengeance

Hi Mommyof4. I too, have two auto-immune conditions. When I was around 9 years old my left eyelid became droopy and then I started feeling lethargic and collapsing frequently. The doctors did tests as an outpatient but couldn't come up with an answer. Then one morning I woke up paralysed, couldn't speak, swallow or hardly breath. I thought I was going to die. I was taken into hospital where I spent the next nine months. They discovered I had a condition called Myasthenia Gravis which is an auto-immune condition. It is basically a muscle wasting disease. After an operation and lots of medication I learned to walk and talk again and they discharged me. I still have the condition as it wont ever go away, they've never found a cure for it. I find that I get tired easily and my eyelids droop constantly. I wont be entering the New York Marathon this year!

When I was 28 I was in my third pregnancy and I developed gestational diabetes. I was put onto insulin but it was too late as bad sugar control over the majority of the pregnancy resulted in my baby being premature and having cerebral palsy. After delivery the diabetes went away until two years later during my fourth preganancy when it was picked up very quickly and I managed my sugars very well. I had a healthy daughter and then the diabetes disappeared again. That was until nearly four years ago when I was 36 and I was getting infection after infection all over my body. After three months of antibiotics, the doctor decided to do a blood test which confirmed type 1 diabetes. I've been on insulin every since.

I am used to the Myasthenia Gravis as I grew up with it and its a way of life for me now but I have more problems dealing with the diabetes as its a more recent onset and I feel its much more challenging. I wish you all the best for your tests and hope that whatever they turn up, you are able to cope with the outcome. You'll receive lots of support on here, I'm sure.

Take care now.

Hi Mindy,

It's nice to see you. Sorry about your health problems. Waiting for a diagnosis is the worst part. You probably know this, but just in case...people who have an auto-immune disease are more likely to get more. I have two in addition to T1...hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's) and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (they're not 100% sure that's auto-immune, but they believe it is).

Sharon :)

hi,
I have hypothyroid disease, Raynauds, mixed connective tissue disease, fibromyalgia, mitral valve prolapse, and possible multiple sclerosis. I do fine mentally once I am educated to know what I am dealing with. The biggest problem is FATIGUE! I take it a day at a time and try to balance my work and my rest.

My mother has diabetes and thyroid problems. She started out with diabetes and then she had graves disease. She took the rai treatment and has to take levothroid forever.

Sone meds can cause other disease, such as bp meds (beta blocker) caused my mom's thyroid issues.

Hi Mindy,
I am so very sorry to hear that you are facing yet another major health problem. I understand how you feel, as I've dealt with multiple health problems myself for many years and am now battling yet another one. Individually, each thing is manageable, but taken all together...well, sometimes it feels like I'm just being "eroded" away!

From what I've read, it's quite common for people to develop more than one autoimmune illness. I know that people with lupus also tend to get fibromyalgia very frequently, and somewhere I read about the prevalence of dual-diagnosis auto-immune illnesses although I can't for the life of me remember where.

The only "good" thing is that they usually don't occur all at once, so we have a chance to get used to one (such as diabetes) and learn how to manage it before we get hit with another. It still stinks, however!

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

I'm sorry to hear about your new health challenges. It does stink sometimes, doesn't it? Hang in there!

Sharon :)

It seems to be common to have more than 1 autoimmune disease. See my post on this thread re type.
BVan (Betty)

Hi Sharon,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. You know me...I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on! But let me tell you...somedays I wish God didn't think so darned highly of me, lol.

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

I know what you mean! :)

Sharon :)

I hope someone can help me on this one ;) I don't have a family history of diabetes and became a diabetic after a bout with bronchitis. Test after test later, they tell me that my diabetes is autoimmune.
Flash forward 11 years and now they think I have another one. I am having rashes and extreme joint pain so they are doing all of the testing for either Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. I can not even begine to imagine how I would deal with either one. All of this on top of the diabetes is beginning to wear on me.
Is anyone else dealing with more than one autoimmune disorder? If so, how are you dealing with both conditions at the same time? It amazes me that the system that is supposed to protect you can turn on you with such a vengeance


Hi there Im a 39 yr old mum and just about at my wits end, I have thyroid and now have an incredible rash to b seen too plus the type 1 diabetes, like you I got sick two yrs ago and woke up in intensive care with acidisiosis, no fun I tell you and like you no history of diabetes. I have been in and out of hosp continually on ever insulin and still no better. At the moment am having lows in the middle of night 1.2 really scarey. I used to have nightmares but now its pure luck, the cat one night, my son the other.

Hi Mommy of 4...I, too have two diseases to deal with. I have MS and Diabetes. Luckily, the MS is]easier on me so far. The diabetes is very difficult to deal with. My best to you. Hang in there. I fell apart when I got the MS dx and then came Diabetes almost a year later. I am coping much better as time goes by. I am on great medication. :angel:

Hi ther was wondering if yr mum is type 1, and if she is how does she find thyroid probs and diabetes, does she have ups and downs in blood sugars and r they hard to regulate cheers karen