Re: Gastrointestinal/RA linked?

[Guest guest]

Hi

Ruth!

Crohn’s

and ulcerative colitis as well as some other gastrointestinal disorders are auto-immune

diseases like RA. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis about6 months before

the RA diagnosis. The docs were not surprised. Hope you don’t have

either one! It’s not too pleasant!!!!!

I

wish you well!!!!

Carla

-----Original Message-----

From: Ruth

[mailto:nurseru@...]

Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003

6:43 AM

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject:

Gastrointestinal/RA linked?

I have a question for y'all. I see my rheumatologist next

Friday for the first time, so I will be asking him the same question then too.

In my reading I have come across references to Crohns and other

gastrointestinal disorders being linked to or a cause of RA. Does anyone

know how they are linked? Or have a web reference I could go to?

Thanks

Ru

)0(

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[Guest guest]

Dear Ruth:

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis eight years ago after the birth of my son. The onset was very fast and the disease was classified as severe. After about 3 or 4 years, lots of drugs, lots of alternative medicine, lots of stress-reducing therapies, I feel as though I can now say that I went into complete remission. About three years ago, I started experiencing a lot of foot pain - then I began to realize that what was going on was systemic. I remember reading that arthritis was a side-effect of UC and Crohns sometimes. I went to see my gastro guy, who sent me to a rheumy and they concluded I had colitic arthritis. My rheumy did say when he first tested me, that I also carried antibodies for RA, but he didn't think that was the case. A year later after much messing around with different meds with no relief, I went back to the rheumy and was then positively diagnosed with RA.

Is there a connection? I think Sandy is right in that both are autoimmune diseases and that surely there is a strong link between stress and flares. I don't know why I ended up with two different AI diseases. From what I read here, it's not uncommon to have more than one autoimmune disease. Stress plays a huge part in my life (do you know any working mother who doesn't have any stress?) and I guess I need to figure out a more effective way of handling it. Sometimes I think that I didn't finish figuring out what was going on when I had the UC and then got RA to get my attention back on track. But maybe that's being a bit overdramatic.

Good luck to you.

gloria

[Guest guest]

Ruth - the only relationship I know is that all are autoimmune disorders. I don't think any one causes another. Good luck with rheumy...please keep us posted? Sandy

From: "Ruth"

Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject: Gastrointestinal/RA linked? Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 06:42:43 -0400

I have a question for y'all. I see my rheumatologist next Friday for the first time, so I will be asking him the same question then too.

In my reading I have come across references to Crohns and other gastrointestinal disorders being linked to or a cause of RA. Does anyone know how they are linked? Or have a web reference I could go to?

Thanks

Ru )0(

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Y'all for the information. I do not (so far!!) have UC or IBS. My mother did, but she died 9 years ago at 52 (lung cancer--yes she was a smoker) I do not know too much of the family history on that side as mom was sort of adopted by one sister from another, and the biological mom has had a stroke and does not speak. (we do know she has Parkinson's).

The reason I asked about the gastro relation is that I had a duodenal switch ( a surgery for weight loss, but not the one most people think of as "stomach stapling") almost 2 years ago, it involves re-routing of the small intestine into 2 segments, only one of which is used to carry food, the other carries only bile. There are some symptoms in common with IBS, not so sure about chrones. I meet with my surgeon two Fridays after my rheum appt (this Friday). to go over protein and other blood levels, to see if that may be a contributing/causing factor.

I did read over lightly the website advocating antibiotics as a treatment. I do think it odd that my pain started after I came off a long 6 month course of flagyl. Something else I am going to ask the rheum and my surgeon.

Ru )0(

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[Guest guest]

>diseases and that surely there is a strong link between stress and flares. I

There is a direct link between stress and flares. When your adrenal glands are

depleted they can't function properly and you have a flare.

--

Kara Hoover

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