Additional Autoimmune Disease

[holdthegluten]

what percentage of celiacs develop additional autoimmune disorders?

[Ann1231]

what percentage of celiacs develop additional autoimmune disorders?

I don't know what the percentages are but after reading on this board, I'd say it's fairly high! I have developed rheumatoid arthritis plus my hypothyroid, hypoglycemia and fibromyalgia.

[Generic]

I don't know if they have a hard percentage number, but it is very common. Scientist for years have thought all the auto-immune diseases are linked to celiac plus many other things. They have even linked schizophrenia with celiac. A interesting book to read that talks about this is called Dangerous Grains, can't remember the author right now. My mom is borrowing my copy.

I personally have asthma, hypoglycemia plus fibromyalgia.

[2kids4me]

I dont know ther percentage , but if you read my signature...my kids and I are a statistic, see this article: Open Original Shared Link

it may be helpful.

Anyone with one autoimmune disease is more susceptible to developing another autoimmune problem.

[pixiegirl]

I'm not sure I'd buy the statistic if I saw one! There are so many undiagnosed Celiac's that I'm not sure a % of current celiac's would be representative and probably won't be until doctors are more open to making a celiac diagnosis.

I will say that from reading this list and talking to other celiac's it sure seems like a lot of us have other issues going on. I have allergies and eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

But I wish there was a lot more study on autoimmune system disorders.

Susan

[wowzer]

I have asthma and thyroid. My arthritis symptoms pretty much went into remission when I went gluten free.

[darlindeb25]

Sometimes, I wonder if the problem is that so many celiac's go undiagnosed for so long, then other autoimmune diseases work their way into the process. Many times, other diseases are diagnosed before celiac disease has been found. Some say, if the celiac disease is diagnosed soon enough, then possibly the other autoimmune diseases just will not happen. Personally, I do not think they know enough yet about celiac disease to know what is what yet!

I have Raynauds and Peripheral Neuropathy, along with Celiac Disease. As of yet, the doctors haven't figured anything else out, so who knows.

[elye]

One in eight type one diabetics are also celiac. Again, I strongly suspect that the number is higher, but many diabetics have celiac without knowing it.

[CMCM]

There is an association of celiac disease with various other autoimmune diseases. However, not all people with autoimmune diseases have celiac disease, but a great many with celiac disease (especially, untreated celiac disease) go on to develop other autoimmune diseases, perhaps because of the continual assault of gluten on the immune system, thus weakening it. I've read many places that one excellent reason to take even the POSSIBILITY of celiac disease seriously is to eliminate gluten and thus be in a better position to prevent another autoimmune disease from developing in the first place. Once something else crops up, such as arthritis, eliminating gluten may reduce symptoms but you are less likely to get rid of it entirely. Prevention is a much better option.

Also, there are many people with autoimmune diseases whose symptoms are greatly reduced by eliminating gluten and dairy, even though they aren't celiac and don't have the genes.

The more I read, the more evidence points to the general and widespread evils of gluten on our systems. I really believe that everyone, celiac or not, should never eat gluten. However, I doubt if it will be in any of our lifetimes that the medical community accepts this conclusion. And even if they did, I'll bet most people wouldn't give up gluten.

[Respira]

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn's disease here...

[taweavmo3]

Yep....my 8 year old was diagnosed with psoriasis two years ago, but the rashes started when he was three. He tested negative for Celiac, but he's gluten/casein free anyway. The diet hasn't really helped his psoriasis. I guess like with any other auto immune disorder, once the trigger has been pulled, the damage is done. But I'm hoping the diet will at least slow his psoriasis down, or hopefully prevent some of the major complications that can arise from it.

It's a running joke that just like our family, even our immune systems are dysfunctional, lol. On my mom's side of the family, we have colitis, chrons and rheumatoid arthritis.

[taweavmo3]

sorry, double post.

[Electra]

what percentage of celiacs develop additional autoimmune disorders?

I have Pernicious Anemia