Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

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

From: Maggie

Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 4:10 PM

Subject: RE: Anemia of Chronic Disease

I've had severe anemia over the years. At one point my internal medicine doctor wanted to take tests to see if I was bleeding somewhere on the inside. My last couple of blood tests from my RA doctor have been normal...I think they are normal cuz I'm taking my vitamins and folic acid on a regular basis. Someone told me tho, that people w/RA and who take certain drugs stay anemic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Maggiehttp://www.4HockeyFans.comhttp://www.4FloridaHockey.comMSN: Maggies1429AOL: Maggies85-----Original Message-----From: kathy_d87 [mailto:kathy_d87@...]Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 3:05 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Anemia of Chronic DiseaseHi everyone -Does anyone on the board have anemia of chronic disease? I wasdiagnosed a few years ago after RA and this common in RA patients. Itwent away when my rheumy put me on injectable methotrexate and folicacid. Now, since I can't get the injectable metho it's back. Thetreatment is to treat the underlying disease, in this case the RA isnot being adequately controlled--inflammation wise. It is myunderstanding that iron supplements/vitamins do not help this type ofanemia.If anyone has any information on how they can keep this anemiacondition under control, please let me know. My rheumy is running outof options with me. Prednisone + Plaquenil + Bextra + Humira. Remicade is out of the question since I can't take metho unlessinjected due to stomach problems (caused by RA meds.) Ibuprofens areout as well--bad allergic reactions.

April 5, 2005

would this be something that a rheumy would check for automatically?

Thanks - kins

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

From: Maggie

Date: 04/04/05 18:10:41

Subject: RE: Anemia of Chronic Disease

I've had severe anemia over the years. At one point my internal medicine doctor wanted to take tests to see if I was bleeding somewhere on the inside. My last couple of blood tests from my RA doctor have been normal...I think they are normal cuz I'm taking my vitamins and folic acid on a regular basis. Someone told me tho, that people w/RA and who take certain drugs stay anemic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Maggiehttp://www.4HockeyFans.comhttp://www.4FloridaHockey.comMSN: Maggies1429AOL: Maggies85-----Original Message-----From: kathy_d87 [mailto:kathy_d87@...]Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 3:05 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Anemia of Chronic DiseaseHi everyone -Does anyone on the board have anemia of chronic disease? I wasdiagnosed a few years ago after RA and this common in RA patients. Itwent away when my rheumy put me on injectable methotrexate and folicacid. Now, since I can't get the injectable metho it's back. Thetreatment is to treat the underlying disease, in this case the RA isnot being adequately controlled--inflammation wise. It is myunderstanding that iron supplements/vitamins do not help this type ofanemia.If anyone has any information on how they can keep this anemiacondition under control, please let me know. My rheumy is running outof options with me. Prednisone + Plaquenil + Bextra + Humira. Remicade is out of the question since I can't take metho unlessinjected due to stomach problems (caused by RA meds.) Ibuprofens areout as well--bad allergic reactions.

"Storm Rider"

Original Art © Detha

Used with written permission according to terms

Nellum Designs

April 5, 2005

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

From: kins

> would this be something that a rheumy would check for automatically?

Mine does and so does my PCP.

Nina

April 5, 2005

Thank you - appreciate the response

kins

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

From: Nina

Date: 04/05/05 11:40:32

Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

----- Original Message ----- From: kins > would this be something that a rheumy would check for automatically? Mine does and so does my PCP.Nina

April 5, 2005

I take 20 mg of MTX a week - I think that's the max.

gloria

April 5, 2005

I just came home from my appointment. I am slightly anemic and my RA doctor says it's from the disease. I was also reading a pamphlet while waiting and anemia is a sign of RA.

Now my MTX has been upped 7 2.5 mg pills a week and my prednisone decreased again. Somewhere I read the maximum amount of MTX for RA treatment is 22 mgs a week. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie

MSN: Maggies1429

AOL: Maggies85

-----Original Message-----From: kins [mailto:farfromhome@...]Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 12:44 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

Thank you - appreciate the response

kins

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

From: Nina

Date: 04/05/05 11:40:32

http://www.icomm.ca/geneinfo/waha.htm

Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

----- Original Message ----- From: kins > would this be something that a rheumy would check for automatically? Mine does and so does my PCP.Nina

April 5, 2005

Yeah, I was born iron deficient anemic, but with all the vitamins I'm

taking (pre-natal) apparently the tests are showing more blood loss

than my benchmark tests in the past. I just got off the phone with my

rheumy's nurse and she's ordered more tests, which I think is strange,

since I have a gastro physician for my upper GI problems (gastritis)

who could do the tests.

She said if these tests come back normal and it's not a digestive

thing, then it would be another autoimmune disease that I've collected

(yeah, I'd thrilled, not). I didn't really understand what she was

talking about and she said she didn't want to speculate, but apparently

there is a type of anemia that is an autoimmune disease on it's own,

separate from the " normal " anemias (B-12, iron).

Maggie, based on your past experiences with anemia, have you heard of

an anemia like this?

Thx,

K

--- In Rheumatoid Arthritis , " Maggie " <meshouse@e...>

wrote:

> I've had severe anemia over the years. At one point my internal

medicine

> doctor wanted to take tests to see if I was bleeding somewhere on the

> inside. My last couple of blood tests from my RA doctor have been

normal...I

> think they are normal cuz I'm taking my vitamins and folic acid on a

> regular basis. Someone told me tho, that people w/RA and who take

certain

> drugs stay anemic.

April 5, 2005

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

From: kathy_d87

> Maggie, based on your past experiences with anemia, have you heard of an anemia like this?

I've never heard of it, but one can become anemic if they have autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis due to varices.

Nina

April 5, 2005

I haven't heard of anything. One of my aunts has had to get B12 shots for 20 years that I know of for anemia. She was always jaundice and real tired. Now I hear she has something wrong w/her liver.

I'd THINK that since a symptom of RA is anemia, and the medications we take can make us anemic, we're women and have monthly blood loss (not all of us).......we're bound to be anemic at some point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Maggiehttp://www.4HockeyFans.comhttp://www.4FloridaHockey.comMSN: Maggies1429AOL: Maggies85-----Original Message-----From: kathy_d87 [mailto:kathy_d87@...]Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 5:33 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic DiseaseMaggie, based on your past experiences with anemia, have you heard ofan anemia like this?Thx,K

April 5, 2005

Here's an autoimmune anemia I found doing a google search.

Nina

April 6, 2005

Hi Kathy, I don't usually recommend anything until I've tried it but from what I understand Chorophyll is supposed to be able to help us absorb the iron more efficiently in regards to RA and Anemia. It's very inexpensive and I'm sure you can get it at any health food store (I purchased mine from a friend who is in the health industry). I'm planning to try it but I have to get myself prepared for going in for the blood tests on an ongoing basis again and I'm just not quite ready to do that yet.

If you do try it, let us all know how it works out, but do follow up with blood tests checking your iron level, you don't want to go high in iron either.

Dorey

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

From: kathy_d87

Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 12:05 PM

Subject: Anemia of Chronic Disease

Hi everyone -Does anyone on the board have anemia of chronic disease? I was diagnosed a few years ago after RA and this common in RA patients. It went away when my rheumy put me on injectable methotrexate and folic acid. Now, since I can't get the injectable metho it's back. The treatment is to treat the underlying disease, in this case the RA is not being adequately controlled--inflammation wise. It is my understanding that iron supplements/vitamins do not help this type of anemia.If anyone has any information on how they can keep this anemia condition under control, please let me know. My rheumy is running out of options with me. Prednisone + Plaquenil + Bextra + Humira. Remicade is out of the question since I can't take metho unless injected due to stomach problems (caused by RA meds.) Ibuprofens are out as well--bad allergic reactions.

April 6, 2005

I was on 25 mg of MTX before adding Remicade. My doc said that was the maximum but it sounds like there is not unanimous agreement in the medical community about that.

I was severely anemic when I was diagnosed with RA. Iron pills did not increase my hemoglobin but about 6 months after I started on agressive RA therapy my hemoglobin returned to normal. The rheumy said the anemia was because of the RA and the drugs were bringing the disease under control.. I have not been anemic since. The doctor routinely runs a CBC but I think that is standard procedure. This is an example of why we need to be under the care of a rheumatologist. My PCP wanted to run all sorts of GI tests to look for internal bleeding and he did not think it was due to the RA. I chose to believe my rheumy -- and he was right!

Pat

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

From: Maggie

Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 4:48 PM

Subject: RE: Anemia of Chronic Disease

I just came home from my appointment. I am slightly anemic and my RA doctor says it's from the disease. I was also reading a pamphlet while waiting and anemia is a sign of RA.

Now my MTX has been upped 7 2.5 mg pills a week and my prednisone decreased again. Somewhere I read the maximum amount of MTX for RA treatment is 22 mgs a week. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie

MSN: Maggies1429

AOL: Maggies85

-----Original Message-----From: kins [mailto:farfromhome@...]Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 12:44 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

Thank you - appreciate the response

kins

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

From: Nina

Date: 04/05/05 11:40:32

Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

----- Original Message ----- From: kins > would this be something that a rheumy would check for automatically? Mine does and so does my PCP.Nina

April 6, 2005

I've had a couple of times when my rheumy was reviewing my blood work

and commented that it showed some anemia. I asked if I needed to be

taking additional iron, but he said that the test results showed it

wasn't caused by lack of iron, but was a signal that the disease was

being active at that time. I don't know exactly what in the blood

work made him say that, but he said it's pretty common with active

RA. The next time I was in he said the lab results were normal, and

asked how I was feeling. At that time I was feeling like things were

under control, so the lab work seemed to match up.

Beth

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: kathy_d87

>

> > Maggie, based on your past experiences with anemia, have you heard

of

> an anemia like this?

>

> I've never heard of it, but one can become anemic if they have

autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis due to varices.

>

> Nina

April 6, 2005

That is EXACTLY the case with me. Since Feb I have been back under the care of a rheumatologist and he's run the whole battery of blood tests every visit. Last checkup (FEB) my blood was normal...today he told me the last visits (MARCH) blood test showed slightly anemic. Before I went to see him my PCP wanted to run all the same GI tests yours wanted to run. I am SO glad I went to see a rheumatologist and put myself at ease. My PCP had me all stressed out thru the holidays worrying about internal bleeding. Now I am relieved again. *whew*

Twenty five mgs is a lot of MTX for RA I guess. I'm a little worried about bumping the MTX up again...but he's the dr..and I'll give it a try. I hope to stabalize and not have to go up anymore. For years I was only taking 4 pills a week. He said he's bumping up the MTX to 7 pills a week and I'm cutting down on the prednisone from 7.5 mgs a day to 7.5 mgs one day, 5 mgs the next and so on for the next month. The reason being is that my joints are puffy...the only pain I have is on the side of my right hand. *shrugs*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie

> http://www.icomm.ca/geneinfo/waha.htm

MSN: Maggies1429

AOL: Maggies85

-----Original Message-----From: Pat Berens [mailto:pberens@...]Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 10:13 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

I was on 25 mg of MTX before adding Remicade. My doc said that was the maximum but it sounds like there is not unanimous agreement in the medical community about that.

I was severely anemic when I was diagnosed with RA. Iron pills did not increase my hemoglobin but about 6 months after I started on agressive RA therapy my hemoglobin returned to normal. The rheumy said the anemia was because of the RA and the drugs were bringing the disease under control.. I have not been anemic since. The doctor routinely runs a CBC but I think that is standard procedure. This is an example of why we need to be under the care of a rheumatologist. My PCP wanted to run all sorts of GI tests to look for internal bleeding and he did not think it was due to the RA. I chose to believe my rheumy -- and he was right!

Pat

April 6, 2005

Thanks Nina for the information! I pray that it will be a simple

anemia problem that can be corrected, but just my luck it will probably

be something weird like this--I collect autoimmune diseases like people

collect stamps. For some reason my body just doesn't like itself. ;-)

K

>

> Here's an autoimmune anemia I found doing a google search.

>

> Nina

April 7, 2005

Wow, that's interesting to hear of a new drug. I'd think it might mask some of the thing that could be wrong with us?

I've been anemic in my teens too. I had bad monthly's and would often pass out at school or home while cooking due to anemia. I tried to explain that to my PCP, but she was dead set on running the tests to find the cause for my anemia. I think that it was more of a CYA for her than anything and because I have good insurance, like I said, I've had normal tests and a slightly anemic test since Feb. Nothing like what she was saying I had. The PCP I've seen in the last year is not my regular doctor. My regular doctor in an internal medicine doc who went to Atlanta to do some studies for a year. He has NEVER mentioned any problems with my blood work over the last 10 years...so I found it odd this PCP (temp) would. I'm hoping that my Internal Medicine doc willl be back in July..he said he was going to be gone for a year. I'm still going to the RA doctor if he returns...makes me feel more secure seeing a specialist.

Let me know how Chorophyll works for you when you try it

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie

MSN: Maggies1429

AOL: Maggies85

-----Original Message-----From: Dorey [mailto:ddorey@...]Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 9:55 PMRheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

Maggie as I understand it anemia is common for anyone with RA. My doctor first told me I was anemic but then he did another test that showed that I was recieving enough iron, which of course confused me some so I did some research and found that often with RA we don't process the iron we recieve correctly leaving us anemic. Oddly I've been anemic since my teens with it never being discovered why, I suppose it was an early sign. Anyway they are now developing a new drug that will help with this problem, however the problem with this is that if this new drug works too well, causing the person to absorb the iron over efficiently then this person will be left with an over abundance of iron and that is considered more dangerous. I discussed this with my doctor (wasn't he surprised that I knew about this) and he agreed that it's best to just try to control the iron intake. One of the products that claims to help with this is Chorophyll and I have some but I just hate it so much I haven't yet gotten to a point where I'll take it daily. When I do though I will go for blood tests every 2 weeks to monitor what is happening to my iron levels. I should mention, I'm controlling my disease strictly through nutrition and meditation so there are no meds causing the anemia and I'm not severely anemic, just slightly but as it's the only thing I haven't completely controlled I have the desire, just not quite enough yet to mix up the green water each day and drink it.

Dorey

April 9, 2005

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

From: kathy_d87

> Thanks Nina for the information! I pray that it will be a simple anemia problem that can be corrected, but just my luck it will probably be something weird like this--I collect autoimmune diseases like people collect stamps. For some reason my body just doesn't like itself. ;-)I hope your anemia is something simple. I'm like you, I collect autoimmune diseases, too.

Nina

April 10, 2005

Hi Kathy and Nina, I don't mean to be unkind but if you do pick up autoimmune diseases like people collect stamps could it be that your body is crying out to you that a change is necessary? I wrote a page on pain in my website that kind of explains what I'm asking. If you have one autoimmune disorder and you take a medication to block this disorder does it make sense that your body will then develope another disorder to warn you of the impending danger.........so then you medicate this disorder and the process continues.

It's not always easy to figure out the "Why" to why did I get this disease, but is it possible that until we do we can not be well again?

Forgive me if I have overstepped my boundaries here, but my message does come to you from a very caring heart and I only wish you better days.

Dorey

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

From: Nina

Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2005 12:53 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

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

From: kathy_d87

> Thanks Nina for the information! I pray that it will be a simple anemia problem that can be corrected, but just my luck it will probably be something weird like this--I collect autoimmune diseases like people collect stamps. For some reason my body just doesn't like itself. ;-)I hope your anemia is something simple. I'm like you, I collect autoimmune diseases, too.

Nina

April 10, 2005

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

From: Dorey

> Hi Kathy and Nina, I don't mean to be unkind but if you do pick up autoimmune diseases like people collect stamps could it be that your body is crying out to you that a change is necessary?

, autoimmune diseases cluster in families (meaning many are genetic) and they cluster in individuals (meaning once you have one, you are highly likely to get another). It's a very common phenomenon and not specific to Kathy and me. Check any website on autoimmune diseases and you will find that to be true.

Nina

April 10, 2005

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

From: Marcia Stoyle

> I agree! I have RA, OA and fibro. my sister has thyroid problems, asdoes my younger daughter. my older daughter has Raynaud's. gentle

Because of genetic factors, many people have the propensity to develop autoimmune disorders. Some people will, some people won't. From what I've read and been told, it is often a trigger of some sort that will push an individual over that edge. It can be stress, environmental trigger or another illness or some sort of assault on the body (such as surgery).

On the PBC list I'm on (about 2200 people worldwide), the two things almost everyone has in common is we had our gallbladders out before we were diagnosed and we were exposed to DDT. So there's an example of an illness (or any assault on your body such as surgery) and an environmental (chemical) trigger.

Many of the people I know with Sjogren's Syndrome developed the disease after they had pneumonia (there's the illness). Many people with Fibro (which many consider to be an autoimmune disease) get it due to an injury (such as a car wreck or a fall). In my case, it was a fall at work.

As for genetics, many now consider asthma to be autoimmune. My grandfather had it, my mother had it, I have it, my sister has it, her son has it, my daughter has it, several of my cousins have it. That's what they mean by "clustering" within a family. My mother had psoriasis, though I don't (yet). So there's the genetic component for me to have the propensity to have autoimmune diseases. My oldest sister has Fibro and my next oldest sister has ocular rosacea (sp?).

There are a large number of mothers and daughters that have PBC. So many, in fact, that they are currently doing a study on it. As for Sjogren's, they believe it's a gene you get from both parents, which would explain why mothers and daughters don't usually get it, but siblings do.

I just wish it were so simple that we weren't living right and we could change our destiny by diet, exercise, or whatever. As for medications, I can say that I am one of those people that rarely in her whole life even took a Tylenol, so it surely is not medications. Unfortunately, with autoimmune diseases, it just doesn't work that way.

Nina

April 10, 2005

Hi Nina, I will refer you to the book You Can Heal Your Own Body, by Louise L. You can probably pick this up at the libraby. Of course this book just follows my line of belief but I recommend you read it, much of my belief began with this book......I can very often pick the autoimmune disorder a person has before they tell me based on the personality they have revealed.

I have many reasons for my beliefs.......I'm the only female in my family in 2 generations that hasn't had thryoid problems by the age of 40. I'm the only one in the family who does have RA.

Anyway I encourage you to read this book, check out the personality traits for each dis-ease listed and see if they don't fit.

It's not only what we eat that matters, it's also what we feed our minds......but the mind is very tricky so it's not always clear when we are not feeding it healthy thoughts.

Dorey

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

From: Nina

Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 8:54 AM

Subject: Re: Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

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

From: Marcia Stoyle

> I agree! I have RA, OA and fibro. my sister has thyroid problems, asdoes my younger daughter. my older daughter has Raynaud's. gentle

Because of genetic factors, many people have the propensity to develop autoimmune disorders. Some people will, some people won't. From what I've read and been told, it is often a trigger of some sort that will push an individual over that edge. It can be stress, environmental trigger or another illness or some sort of assault on the body (such as surgery).

On the PBC list I'm on (about 2200 people worldwide), the two things almost everyone has in common is we had our gallbladders out before we were diagnosed and we were exposed to DDT. So there's an example of an illness (or any assault on your body such as surgery) and an environmental (chemical) trigger.

Many of the people I know with Sjogren's Syndrome developed the disease after they had pneumonia (there's the illness). Many people with Fibro (which many consider to be an autoimmune disease) get it due to an injury (such as a car wreck or a fall). In my case, it was a fall at work.

As for genetics, many now consider asthma to be autoimmune. My grandfather had it, my mother had it, I have it, my sister has it, her son has it, my daughter has it, several of my cousins have it. That's what they mean by "clustering" within a family. My mother had psoriasis, though I don't (yet). So there's the genetic component for me to have the propensity to have autoimmune diseases. My oldest sister has Fibro and my next oldest sister has ocular rosacea (sp?).

There are a large number of mothers and daughters that have PBC. So many, in fact, that they are currently doing a study on it. As for Sjogren's, they believe it's a gene you get from both parents, which would explain why mothers and daughters don't usually get it, but siblings do.

I just wish it were so simple that we weren't living right and we could change our destiny by diet, exercise, or whatever. As for medications, I can say that I am one of those people that rarely in her whole life even took a Tylenol, so it surely is not medications. Unfortunately, with autoimmune diseases, it just doesn't work that way.

Nina

April 10, 2005

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

From: Dorey

> I can very often pick the autoimmune disorder a person has before they tell me based on the personality they have revealed.

I think type A personalities tend to get autoimmune problems more than others simply because they work themselves into being run down.

If there were a way to talk myself out of being sick, I would have done it by now.

Nina

April 10, 2005

I’ve

had people tell me what kind of man I should marry based on my favorite color.

I’ve

also had people tell me that RA is psychosomatic.

I’ve

heard people say that cancer is, too.

Wonder

why you don’t hear people say Parkinson’s and MS are?

Gotta

have something to do with the blood….

(yellow

wanders off in a sort of a huff, thinking how her personality may have

drastically

altered

her body’s future. She backhands her well wishes to the group and wishes

she

were in

a limo on her way to a U2 concert in NY.)

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

From: Dorey

[mailto:ddorey@...]

Sent: Sunday, April

10, 2005 12:14 PM

To:

Subject: Re:

Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

Hi Nina, I will refer you to the

book You Can Heal Your Own Body, by Louise L.

You can probably pick this up at the

libraby. Of course this book just follows my line of belief but I

recommend you read it, much of my belief began with this book......I can very

often pick the autoimmune disorder a person has before they tell me based on

the personality they have revealed.

I have many reasons for my

beliefs.......I'm the only female in my family in 2 generations that hasn't had

thryoid problems by the age of 40. I'm the only one in the family who

does have RA.

Anyway I encourage you to read this

book, check out the personality traits for each dis-ease listed and see if they

don't fit.

It's not only what we eat that

matters, it's also what we feed our minds......but the mind is very tricky so

it's not always clear when we are not feeding it healthy thoughts.

Dorey

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

From: Nina

Sent: Sunday, April 10,

2005 8:54 AM

Subject: Re:

Re: Anemia of Chronic Disease

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

From: Marcia

Stoyle

> I agree! I have RA, OA and fibro. my

sister has thyroid problems, as

does my younger daughter. my older daughter

has Raynaud's. gentle

Because

of genetic factors, many people have the propensity to develop autoimmune

disorders. Some people will, some people won't. From what I've read

and been told, it is often a trigger of some sort that will push an individual

over that edge. It can be stress, environmental trigger or another

illness or some sort of assault on the body (such as surgery).

On

the PBC list I'm on (about 2200 people worldwide), the two things almost

everyone has in common is we had our gallbladders out before we were diagnosed

and we were exposed to DDT. So there's an example of an illness (or any

assault on your body such as surgery) and an environmental (chemical)

trigger.

Many

of the people I know with Sjogren's Syndrome developed the disease after they

had pneumonia (there's the illness). Many people with Fibro (which many

consider to be an autoimmune disease) get it due to an injury (such as a

car wreck or a fall). In my case, it was a fall at work.

As

for genetics, many now consider asthma to be autoimmune. My grandfather

had it, my mother had it, I have it, my sister has it, her son has it, my

daughter has it, several of my cousins have it. That's what they mean by

" clustering " within a family. My mother had psoriasis, though I

don't (yet). So there's the genetic component for me to have the

propensity to have autoimmune diseases. My oldest sister has Fibro and my

next oldest sister has ocular rosacea (sp?).

There

are a large number of mothers and daughters that have PBC. So many,

in fact, that they are currently doing a study on it. As for Sjogren's,

they believe it's a gene you get from both parents, which would explain why

mothers and daughters don't usually get it, but siblings do.

I

just wish it were so simple that we weren't living right and we could change

our destiny by diet, exercise, or whatever. As for medications, I

can say that I am one of those people that rarely in her whole life even took a

Tylenol, so it surely is not medications. Unfortunately, with autoimmune

diseases, it just doesn't work that way.

Nina

April 10, 2005

I

just wish it were so simple that we weren't living right and we could change

our destiny by diet, exercise, or whatever. As for medications, I

can say that I am one of those people that rarely in her whole life even took a

Tylenol, so it surely is not medications. Unfortunately, with autoimmune

diseases, it just doesn't work that way.

Nina

Oh my

goodness, Nina. I know what you mean.

I never

had even common health complaints, like head aches and cramps much until I

believe

this

thing started. It’s hard to believe now that a few years back I would

have refused an aspirin!

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

From: Nina

[mailto:ncampbell@...]

Sent: Sunday, April

10, 2005 11:55 AM

To: