Where do you think your autoimmune diseases came from? Whether it’s Myositis or any other…
I was told nobody knows what causes Myositis. That it can be chemically induced (I’ve spoken to a woman who believes she got it from working with materials from around the world), brought on by a medicine (in those cases once you stop taking the med it usually goes away), or stress…I believe mine could have been stress.
Some say if anybody in your family has an AI disease that you are likely to get one, but I’ve read that Myositis is absolutely not genetic.
I know a lot of people who believe AI diseases are the result of the foods we grew up eating, but I’ve seen plenty of very healthy eating people with AI diseases. Although I do believe a healthy diet can help the symptoms in some people. Everybody’s different.
My primary autoimmune disease is Psoriatic Arthritis, secondary are Sjogren's Syndrome and Raynaud's Phenomenon. The first 2 are systemic A1 diseases, all were carried genetically from my mother's side of the family. My grandmothers from as far back as anyone can recall were hunched, hump-backed, gnalred and crippled up with arthritis, and probably suffered the other two as well. According to my Rheum they are proven to be genetic diseases.
My fingernails have always been pitted, my back has always ached, it takes me longer than anyone else to get over a cold or flu, or surgery. I've always needed more sleep than anyone else in the family.
Though I can look back and see these on my heels, it was the third car accident, all three I was rear ended, that I could never get over, I swore my back was broken! I dragged myself to work 12 hours a day, until I was bedridden for 6 months!
Today I was told that I will NOT be able to resume Enbrel or take any other biologic, as they lower my immune system far too much, so I have to go to an eye specialist and get cleared to try Plaquenil for the Sjogren's as it seemed to really come on with a vengence when I stopped the Enbrel in January!
I think from my horrible pregnancy. Was vomiting and just plain sick the whole 9 month. After delivering is when I got inflamed toes and blisters in my palms, started having rashes, was told I had Lupus. Of course now I'm told I don't have Lupus. One doctor said that when I was pregnant my blood and the baby's blood mixed and my body didn't recognize the baby's blood as friendly and it was attacking in and settling in my toes. Nothing ever came of it all these yrs. 20+ till now.
You've been through hell and back, that's terrible! I'm glad you're with us. Doesn't matter what autoimmune you have, we're all family.
SK said:
My primary autoimmune disease is Psoriatic Arthritis, secondary are Sjogren's Syndrome and Raynaud's Phenomenon. The first 2 are systemic A1 diseases, all were carried genetically from my mother's side of the family. My grandmothers from as far back as anyone can recall were hunched, hump-backed, gnalred and crippled up with arthritis, and probably suffered the other two as well. According to my Rheum they are proven to be genetic diseases.
My fingernails have always been pitted, my back has always ached, it takes me longer than anyone else to get over a cold or flu, or surgery. I've always needed more sleep than anyone else in the family.
Though I can look back and see these on my heels, it was the third car accident, all three I was rear ended, that I could never get over, I swore my back was broken! I dragged myself to work 12 hours a day, until I was bedridden for 6 months!
Today I was told that I will NOT be able to resume Enbrel or take any other biologic, as they lower my immune system far too much, so I have to go to an eye specialist and get cleared to try Plaquenil for the Sjogren's as it seemed to really come on with a vengence when I stopped the Enbrel in January!
I reckon mine came from aliens who took my good body in the night and replaced it with this shite one.
Seriously though, I had picked up a horrible bug on a trip abroad (to American, Dallas as it happens, not that I'm saying America is full of bugs :-) and I'm sure that set it off, coupled with being extremely stressed over a period of a few months.
SK, Im sure all autoimmune disease are related, its just that each of us expresses them in different ways.
I could buy the alien theory, sometimes I think they are still living here though…I call one mother-in-law. :-P
Sorry you come to America and pick up a horrible bug. I always hear of people going out of America and catching bugs but not the other way around. I guess it goes both ways!
suzedablooze said:
I reckon mine came from aliens who took my good body in the night and replaced it with this shite one.
Seriously though, I had picked up a horrible bug on a trip abroad (to American, Dallas as it happens, not that I'm saying America is full of bugs :-) and I'm sure that set it off, coupled with being extremely stressed over a period of a few months.
SK, Im sure all autoimmune disease are related, its just that each of us expresses them in different ways.
Well I think bugs are global. I do wonder if they’ll ever find out the underlying cause of DM (other than cancer that is). Must be something pretty unusual to suddenly cause our bodies to go mad like that. Maybe it’s to mining too. Isn’t it more prevalent in middle aged women? Wonder if that life stage has something that makes us susceptible (I know you’re not middle aged though Nichole)
I do believe it is more prevalent in middle aged women. I could be considered middle aged at 37, I was diagnosed at 35, I'm really not sure what middle age is anymore! But, I did have a hysterectomy in 2006, so possibly my body thought I was older than I really was….hmmmm. One day we may know more.
suzedablooze said:
Well I think bugs are global. I do wonder if they'll ever find out the underlying cause of DM (other than cancer that is). Must be something pretty unusual to suddenly cause our bodies to go mad like that. Maybe it's to mining too. Isn't it more prevalent in middle aged women? Wonder if that life stage has something that makes us susceptible (I know you're not middle aged though Nichole)
After finally getting a correct diagnosis I started polling my scattered family members. My mom had diabetes and my next older brother has an insulin pump (in his 60's). One of his sons has many environmental allergies, other has one allergy. (Allergies are an exaggerated immune reaction). My little sister has an AI ailment, both of my daughters have AI ailments. I've long understood that the TENDENCY for allergies is inherited, but not the specific allergy. Now I'm sure that the same is true for AI illness. As the genome is further mapped, I suspect they will find the same gene responsible for both.
Much medical knowledge is found by accident. A few years ago a Canadian researcher stumbled upon the fact that asthmatics (another AI illness) are far less likely to die of cancer. Since all the AI illnesses I know of are related to an overly aggressive immune system attacking it's host person, it makes sense that it would fight cancer better.
Anyway, hope it helps, don't hold me to it, and your mileage may vary. Best, Paul
I've heard of cases where mom's body didn't recognize the baby's blood as friendly, I never thought of it creating chronic disease. Just crazy how all of us could have gotten ours differently.
Charlotte said:
I think from my horrible pregnancy. Was vomiting and just plain sick the whole 9 month. After delivering is when I got inflamed toes and blisters in my palms, started having rashes, was told I had Lupus. Of course now I'm told I don't have Lupus. One doctor said that when I was pregnant my blood and the baby's blood mixed and my body didn't recognize the baby's blood as friendly and it was attacking in and settling in my toes. Nothing ever came of it all these yrs. 20+ till now.
I was talking to a friend the other day about how we could have gotten our DM. I was very stressed with everything going on, but right before I started school and right after I was forced out of work, I had to have surgery. Not to be too explicit, but it was in my bum. (Sorry, but it is conducive to the story)…well it was supposed to be simple surgery but the surgeon acted a little strange after. I didn't like the way she interacted with me.
Well about a week later I was at home and experienced a huge loss of blood from, well, you know where. Went to the ER, got sent home from the ER because the on call doc thought it was no big deal. Ended up passing out at home. Went back to ER, then ended up with a blood transfusion because, guess what? It was a big deal.
So this surgeon who did the bum surgery comes in and says that a stitch had come out internally and that's why I had lost so much blood. Now mind you, I had an internal hemorrhoid removed. I may be a conspiracy theorist, but I have this thought in my mind that she knicked some major artery in my bum (I know, there are probably no major arteries in your bum), and stitched it up during surgery, and THAT'S what came undone and why I nearly bled out.
So, was it the stress? I was worried it could have been the transfusion, but I'm pretty confident those are safe.
lol, you made me laugh, as for an answer, i don't have one. This question was put on another site and there were so many answers, but the one that came up most was stress. I think virus or trauma to the body maybe? Or just anything that has thrown the body out of whack, and maybe you are already predisposed for some reason. I'm glad you got help in time. don't believe that's the reason, just one stitch?
Yeah, one stitch breaks loose and I bleed out, doesn’t add up to me either.
How are you?
Charlotte said:
lol, you made me laugh, as for an answer, i don't have one. This question was put on another site and there were so many answers, but the one that came up most was stress. I think virus or trauma to the body maybe? Or just anything that has thrown the body out of whack, and maybe you are already predisposed for some reason. I'm glad you got help in time. don't believe that's the reason, just one stitch?
had a lot of pain through the night, bad this morning, in my hips down to my calves. Just put my hubby's dinner in the crock pot, have to work this afternoon. Tip of the day: Never pick in your itchy nose with your finger after you just diced jalepenos with no gloves on! lol Any way doing laundry, missing my dog I had put to sleep this weekend really bad. Think my other dog who is the same age is missing her, she's following me around a lot. Wish next month wound get here so I can see the Rheum. Hope you have a good day.
Nichole, that's horrendous! My god, surely not just a single stitch, how horrifying. BTW isn't bum a great word for your bottom/posterior/buttock region.
Charlotte, so sorry about your dog. I had to let mine die last June (she also had an autoimmune disease and diabetes and other things) it took me months to really get on top of loosing her and I still miss her very much now, but I know she was a very happy girl when she was well and Im sure your dog was too. As for the jalepeno pain, Ive a story about my brother and him itching his goolies moments after cutting some up -you know how it ends I guess, several showers later and he was still in pain.
Thanks, my Mia had diabetes to, and arthritis and liver disease, it was time, but sure is hard, it's like she's at the vet or something and will be coming home. Bet that burned him good. I've washed my hands several times but it doesn't work. Made the mistake of rubbing my eye too. Ouch!