Lately when I run into a Type 1 diabetic friend they always seem to have something else going on in addition to their diabetes. For instance, one friend just told me that he has celiac disease in addition to his Type 1 diabetes. Celiac disease can affect how nutrients are absorbed in the body and can often affect blood sugar levels. Many celiacs must stop consuming foods with gluten. My friend is one of those who lives a gluten free diet.
My own husband has Type 1 diabetes and Addison’s disease. Addison’s disease is an adrenal insufficiency in the body. John F. Kennedy was known to have this rare disorder. Instead of worrying about high blood pressure, my husband has to take medication to keep his blood pressure up. It can also affect the melatonin in his skin and how he deals with stress.
Other Type 1 diabetics I’ve run into have thyroid problems or thyroid disorders.
My question: Why did my husband and many others get these disorders in addition to their diabetes??
Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disorder where a person’s immune system attacks healthy tissues as if they were foreign invaders. That is perhaps why many diabetics later develop diseases like celiac, Addison’s, or thyroid problems. Thyroid disease is the most common in Type 1 diabetics and is seen in approximately 15-20% of those with Type 1 diabetes. Celiac disease affects approximately 1 in every 20 Type 1 diabetics. Addison’s is the most rare, but often accompanies those with Type 1 diabetes.
Do you have other disorders in addition to Type 1 diabetes?
I come from an extended family laden with type 1’s. Several also have rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune disorder.
I myself have hypothyroidism.
Well, at least we live in times when there’s a lot of information available and most of the additional conditions can be properly diagnosed and managed.
They are all related because they are all autoimmune diseases. They share similar susceptibility genes, involve an environmental trigger (like food or bacteria) and involve intestinal permeability(leaky gut).
I only have 1 autoimmune disease (type 1 diabetes) but my endo told me I had 50% chance of getting hypothyroidism because of the autoantibodies toward my thyroid. My mom has hypothyroidism though.
I am a Type 1 since age 3 and was dxd. with Hypothyroidism when I was about 35. I was prescribed Levothyroxine and Dur K by a former Endo. I saw the test results. My present Endo says the continual test results show that I do not have Hypothyroidism. I was dxd. with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 24/25 y/o. It is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the joints. It can also attack the heart, lungs and some other organs. I sure know, that I do have severe RA.
Move over twixcookie, i think I was 1st in line! My father died back in the mid-50s at the age of 42 due to Addison’s Disease. According to my endo years ago that put me at risk for autoimmune diseases. At that time I was diagnosed with Graves Disease (autoimmune hyperthyroid disease). Since then I have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune Hepatitis and T1. I also developed endometriosis which some believe is autoimmune in nature. I got them all, my sister got NONE. Not fair!!!
My son has T1, but I’m the one with hypothyroidism. I’m told by the endocrinologist I’m writing with that the relationship between hypothyroid and T1D is far greater than the 15-20% that’s often cited–there are no hard numbers because it hasn’t been really studied, but she says that it’s more like 90% if you take into account not just the individual, but their family members. She says that you almost ALWAYS see one of two things: either the T1D has (or eventually develops) hypothyroid disorder, OR someone else in the family has/develops hypothyroidism. Puts an interesting spin on my son’s genetics - his paternal grandfather had diabetes (we don’t know what type) but MY grandfather had rheumatoid arthritis.
I have T1, and past bloodwork came back w/ low thyroid so we are watching that. My mother and paternal grandmother have/had hypothroidism. And an aunt on my maternal side has RA. I think another aunt also has RA, but she has not been diagnosed.
Seven years after my Type 1 diagnosis, I’m just getting over a rare thyroid problem called De Quervain’s thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disorder. In a nutshell, my body attacked my thyroid (much like it did my pancreas) but the attack stopped and I’m now healing. There aren’t any medications to treat this condition so I just have to wait it out. My endo says it’s unlikely to happen again but if it does, my thyroid will be toast. Well, those are my words, not his.
I have all you mentioned!!! I am a T1 diabetic, was just diagnosed with celiac, have hypothyroidism and now adrenal insufficiency from steroid use, which in 2 months if my adrenal glands do not perk up they say they can diagnose me with addisons disease but because I was on prolonged steroids they have to wait for 6 months and keep doing the stim ?sp tests and stuff and taking the Cortef. I also have asthma (dx in august)
Kristen~ You are my blonde twin! I also have T1, celiac, hypothyroidism and asthma. I will be seeing a doctor soon to check on adrenal insufficiency as well. I also had HELLP syndrome of pregnancy. So happy to find others who make me feel somewhat normal!
The ones I know about: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pernicious Anemia, Celiac Disease, Hypothyroidism, and LADA/Type 1 Diabetes. More stuff in my family…
Here is a good article talking about multiple autoimmune problems. They do tend to get grouped together. Besides T1, I also have Hashimotos and suspect Celiacs. I did not do the testing for Celiacs because it was useless to ask the doctors I had at the time and just went gluten free on my own. I suspect I have RA but have never had the testing done for it.
I have Type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto’s disease (autoimmune hypothyroidism). My mother and her mother had hypothyroidism, but I am the first to have Type 1 diabetes. Some time ago I read a statistic that stated that 80% of women who have T1 and are over age 40 also have Hashimoto’s.
If you think that you have RA, why wouldn’t you have the testing done? There are many treatments for RA that can help prevent some of the horrible damage that RA can do to your body. There are also many different kinds of inflammatory arthritis, so you may or may not have RA. But if it were me, I would certainly want to know and start getting appropriate treatment.
Some times it gets scary to count up all the specialists some of have to see for the various autoimmune conditions we have.
Lathump, I would like to have the testing done. Getting doctors around here to do anything pretty much requires putting a gun to their head - I am not quite ready to do that! I had one doctor tell me they thought I did but never tested for it. I have appointments coming up in May & July in Pittsburgh with 2 new doctors. I am also looking for a new PCP and will probably go to Pittsburgh for that also. Hopefully, I will get somewhere!
