Autoimmune diseases/RA and hyperemesis

Discuss the lasting impact from HG on moms and babies: long term health issues, child development, and other ways HG continues to impact your life.

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Autoimmune diseases/RA and hyperemesis

Postby karin1013 » Oct 28, 2006 4:49 pm

Hi everyone. I haven't posted in a long time. My daughter is now 1 year. I had HG through the entire pregnancy, but it stopped the second she popped out. This was my 2nd pregnancy and I had HG with both. I have come down with an auto-immune disease: Rhaumatoid arthritis. It came on 3 months after her birth. It is terrible and very hard to take care of baby with it. I think there is definitely a hormonal link. I have spoken to several women who have RA who also had HG. RA often comes on after childbirth and is more common in women than men (3 to 1). It also is most common in women aged 25-45-- childbearing years.

Does anyone else have autoimmune diseases? Do you think there is a connection? Thanks~karin
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Postby IslandDreamer » Oct 28, 2006 9:03 pm

Me! I do! Fibromyalgia.

I was actually thinking I'd start a thread in polls on chronic diagnoses post HG. :sickfast:
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Postby karin1013 » Oct 28, 2006 9:23 pm

Yes, start a poll about autoimmune disease and HG! I bet they are somehow related due to our wacky hormones. Or it might be due to leaky gut syndrome caused by HG or vice versa. I am on an antibiotic protocol for rheumatoid arthritis and it is helping greatly. Go to roadback.org for more info for fibromyalgia. I can't help but wonder if bacteria entering the system via leaky gut might have caused the RA. I have also wondered if the terrible constipation from Zofran might have caused the RA (due to toxins/bacteria released into the system). Were you on Zofran Suzanne? Have you ever had long-term constipation? When I was on Zofran, I would sometimes go 2 weeks without bowel movements! I also had to have two root canals after I had the baby (from vomit-ruined teeth) and I wonder if the root canals were the cause of bacterial entrance.~Karin
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Postby IslandDreamer » Oct 28, 2006 9:36 pm

The fibro diagnosis was in 2003, I believe, after I had Chris. I wasn't on Zofran with him. I'm wondering what fun new dx will come of my pg with Jack... :roll: .

We've done a fibro roll call and had takers. I will post a more generic chronic disease one. I do know that the Foundation has thousands of surveys that would probably reflect what we see on the boards.

Actually, I need to update my survey.
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Postby Gail » Oct 28, 2006 10:37 pm

I was diagnosed w/ ITP last year. It is an auto -immune disorder. It was diagnosed almost 1 year to the date of my m/c. I have always wondered if they were related. No way to tell, a year later :?
Mom to two girls
Sydney (6-7-95)
Lauren (10-13-99)
Lost Angel (2-9-04)

Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than people who are most content---Bob Dylan
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Postby IslandDreamer » Oct 28, 2006 11:06 pm

Gail, what does ITP stand for?
Last edited by IslandDreamer on Oct 29, 2006 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Gail » Oct 28, 2006 11:55 pm

Ready for this it's long, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura

Basically my immune system is attacking my platlets and destroying them for no good reason. and idiopathic means they don't know why
Nice huh?
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Sydney (6-7-95)
Lauren (10-13-99)
Lost Angel (2-9-04)

Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than people who are most content---Bob Dylan
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Postby IslandDreamer » Oct 29, 2006 12:07 am

Can you explain more how that involves the liver and that other dx I remember you getting of fatty liver?

I've ALWAYS bruised easily. Are you sore a lot?
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Postby Gail » Oct 29, 2006 12:30 am

I don't have a fatty liver. (Have lots of fat other places :lol: ) But I've always brusied easily, it was the small pinpoint bruises that covered my legs and my period that wouldn't stop that alrmed me. I'm not sore usually. I'm just tired, but my iron is low from heavy periods.
Mom to two girls
Sydney (6-7-95)
Lauren (10-13-99)
Lost Angel (2-9-04)

Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than people who are most content---Bob Dylan
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Postby IslandDreamer » Oct 29, 2006 12:39 am

Oh :wink: sorry. Someone else has the fatty liver thing going on.

Night again...
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Postby karin1013 » Oct 29, 2006 7:34 pm

Gail, I recommend you visit roadback.org, too. And read The New Arthritis Breakthrough by Scammell available on Amazon. It applies to all autoimmune diseases, not just RA. I am sooo much improved, and on my wat to remission, I believe. I have been on antibiotics for 7 months. My doctor believes there is an infectious cause to RA.
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Postby teddi » Oct 30, 2006 11:41 pm

I had auto-immune "issues" going on immediately post partum after Bert. I know have early onset osteoarthritis- but for a while I was being tested and treated for possible Lupus.

My labwork was a bit wacky back then, (now as far as I know is normal).

Anyway, any disease that is "traumatic" for the body can trigger an auto-immune response. That may be why things start up after HG. Between the HG trauma and the pregnancy hormones actually (pregnancy itself could be considered like a temporary auto-immune change or condition) is a likely cause. I would say however, the genetic predisposition is probably there- the HG/pregnancy can be the "trigger" which turns it on.
Teddi
Bert , 3/2000 HG#1, wk 6 - birth, GB removed @ 16wks
Chloe & Kaylie, 12/2004 HG #2, wk 7 - birth, pre-E/pancreatitis
~Angel babe~ March 2012
~ Baby Chuckles~ July 2013
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Postby JennyK » Oct 31, 2006 12:48 am

I have a friend who had two severe HG pregnancies and now has RA. She believes there may be a connection.

I had two HG pregnancies, too, but no autoimmune problems at this point. (Fingers crossed.)
Jenny
Annie, January '04
Will, August '06
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Postby Cobysmom75 » Nov 09, 2006 6:36 pm

OMG!!! I just came across this post. I just finished up my horrible 9 month pregnancy and delivered a baby girl on October 12th after suffering the entire 9 months with HG. Took Zofran up until the day I delivered, HG went away the second I pushed her out. I have always in the back of my head thought that there was a connection between HG and autoimmune disorders. Before becoming pregnant I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and a connective tissue disorder. They were going to start running some tests to determine why my ANA levels were so elevated. Lups and RA were suspected. Lupus was ruled out. My mother suffers from Autoimmune Chronic Hepatitis and my brother has Systemic Lupus. My joints ALWAYS hurt me. Before getting pregnant my inflamation tests came back 9 out of 10 was taking Mobic for it. Now that Ia m no longer pregnant I will go back for more tests to see if they can pin point exactly what I have. I just know that there has to be a connection here. I did not have any of these problems when I was pregnant with my son 9 years ago. I hope they find an answer for HG sufferers one day. Because of HG I will not have any more children, I am too scared to go through that again.
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Postby IslandDreamer » Nov 10, 2006 11:14 am

I've got the osteoarthiritis, too, Teddi, but it's always been attributed to over-use, which I thought was the cause.
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Postby teddi » Nov 15, 2006 1:59 am

My Rhuemi told me that it was likely related to the trauma on the body... which triggers auto immune reactions...

Speaking of your other thread- have you had lots of labwork done to rule out other things besides fibro?

Cobysmom-
During the whole period when stuff was wacky, I too had elevated ANA titers and my C4 complement was abnormal. Don't ask me what the C4 means, I honestly don't quite understand that. I was being tested and ruled out for the same things- RA and Lupus.

I too have a family hx of auto- immune stuff on my mom's side of the family.

I too have connective tissues issues. LoL that sounds funny. That I also have a family hx of- it's actually hypermobility aka HMS (lucky the benign form, not ehlers-danlos or marfans) and chronic pain I am dealing with. Now that I have had since age 13, but it got MUCH worse after pregnancy #1. Though ironically during pregnancy I actually have less (upper) back pain.
Teddi
Bert , 3/2000 HG#1, wk 6 - birth, GB removed @ 16wks
Chloe & Kaylie, 12/2004 HG #2, wk 7 - birth, pre-E/pancreatitis
~Angel babe~ March 2012
~ Baby Chuckles~ July 2013
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Postby mrsbigdog » Nov 15, 2006 10:15 am

I remember this topic coming up before and it was a great percentage of us who have autoimmunine diseases or a family history of them (I know I do although mine is rather mild). I really think we did have an old poll about this but maybe it was just a topic. It would be great if we could find the old info and combine it with info from people here now.

Donna
3x HG survivor: Theresa - 11/88, Katie - 1/95, Emily - 1/06
(one HG baby in each of the last three decades! - yes, just call me crazy)

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Postby megs4413 » Nov 22, 2006 3:56 pm

this is fascinating to me.

does anyone know if the body suppresses the immune system during pregnancy to keep the mother's body from rejecting the fetus? is that true or am I making it up? it would make sense, then, that pregnancy itself is an autoimmune disorder of kinds and would leave open the door for more autoimmune reactions (possibly HG?). I wonder what kind of research has been done in this area.

I myself have:
pernicious anemia
seizure disorder
hashimoto's chronic thyroiditis
arrythmia (that developed DURING my HG pg with DD and didn't go away!)
early onset osteoarthritis, believed to be due to overuse (jinx suzanne!)

there are other conditions they have suspected or i have had in the past:
anemia (iron deficiency due to endometriosis)
endometriosis (can only be verified through surgery and um...no....)
RA (never confirmed)
MS (tested negative)
lupus (never been tested)
factor V leiden (suspected)
Mobitz II (just depends which doc you ask!)
autoimmune deficiency disease (as a kid)


I also had h pylori as a teenager.....

this all has to add up somehow! i can't believe how many of us have these rare conditions.
Megs
DD 2005 severe HG
DS 2007 moderate HG
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Postby julliam » Dec 06, 2006 1:43 pm

Well...I'm really beginning to wonder about the HG - autoimmune connection. I have been ttc #3 for over a year after surviving severe HG twice.

I just had bloodwork done that indicates that I am having an autoimmune response to early pg. My immune cells are basically attacking and destroying all of my embryos. I am also coming up positive for thrombophilia which causes blood clotting problems and can also starve an embryo.

I conceived my DD and DS in less than 3 months each. I have never felt myself physically since giving birth in 03. I wonder if the autoimmune response began then? I'm ashamed to say that I never went in for even a physical after my back to back HG pgs (not until recently).

I can't believe that HG is still making things so hard for me! :cry:
Bonni
Mom to Julia (4/02), William (9/03),
and Thomas & Patrick (10/07)
3 HG pregnancies, 4 miracles
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Postby JulieinMinn » Dec 15, 2006 12:28 pm

This certainly is an interesting topic.

In the last year and 1/2 I have had the most odd things happen to me. It started last year with dizzy spells, not debilitating, but just feeling "off" in the head. It would last for a while and then disappear. I have experienced anxiety, shaking in the body and hands, tired muscles, achy joints (always had those), continual sinus trouble, fatigue, and now as of recent, numbness and tingling in the toes. Just yesterday I had a very long day out of the house with my 5 children and today I am utterly exhausted, and on the dizzy side again. My right hip joint, I can hardly lay on, I have this muscle pull sensation in the gall bladder area, etc. These things all come and hang around for a while, then go, then something else weird pops up. Just the other day I had a HUGE dizzy spell, not like the others, where it just hit me and the whole room was wobbling for a while. It subsided, but scary.

The frustrating part:

This last year I have seen the following:
Chiropractor/natural path ~ his tests say stress and anxiety
Endocrinoloigst (I have thyroid nodules) ~ lab work for here keeps coming back completely normal
Nuerologist 2X ~ Tests and blood work have come back fine and normal and even the second time I went in to see him for repeat weird sx, he did his testing again and sent me home saying..."I don't have anything........." and pretty much gave me the stress diagnosis after telling me that he wants to catch things that are going on and not attribute sx to stress (makes sense, he wants to cover his bases)
OB ~ just to check in with him. He examed, and thought it was stress also
counselor ~ ok, maybe I'm just nuts, huh! He had me pegged for severe anxiety and depression. Thing is I don't FEEL depressed, except when I'm having these unexplained junk go on that takes me away from my motherly duties for a day or 2. I think that would be pretty normal, wouldn't you?
nurse practitioner ~ thought I might be having allergies :roll:

I have had blood work drawn 4- 5 times this year. All come back normal.

For a year or so, I have been feeling this way. If it is not one thing, it's another, I rarely get a goofy symptom break and frankly it just makes me tired to be dealing emotionally with this all the time. I did have 1 break recently for a week. My family and I took a lovely vacation south about a month ago, and we had no obligations whatsoever. I felt completely fine, anxiety, nuerologically, mentally, energy wise, except a sore hip joint which was tolerable and a bad cold. It was heaven to feel good for this week!

I just don't know where to turn anymore. I just go to doctor to doctor, and they all tell me similar things. Who do I see next? Do I just ignore this stuff cuz I'm sick of running to doctors? Frankly, I am terrified of what's going on and I'm sick and tired of living in fear of what symptom the next day is going to bring and if I overdo it, I'm out of the game for a day. I feel like I'm half of I was. I also wonder if I'm going to make it to see my children grow up at the rate things are going.

I am a 6X HG'er, 5 living babies, 1 in heaven, I have had IV zofran for 4 of my pgs, all fist/second trimester HG, then my last 2 babies, zofran/unisom/b6 combo throughout the end or I would end up throwing up 24 hours after my missed dose.

It really is the only connection I can make to all these things.

If you've been with me thus far, I thank you. I guess I'm just commiserating with you all, and looking for answers wanting to live outside the fear........................
Mom to 5 blessings,1 with the Lord, 6XHG survivor!
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