# IBS and auto immune disorder



## Ilovebikes83 (Oct 3, 2012)

Hi,I have been seeing 2 doctors a rheumy and my gastro doc. First I was seeing a gastro doc because my stomach was upset, mucous, etc. I thought I was gluten intolerant or lactose intolerant because it occurred most with gluten and lactose. Typically, it was the worse pain ever when I combined the 2- couldn't even stand up straight. I went thru tons of tests, no celiac, so they diagnosed me with IBS.In the meantime, I started have very scary, sharp chest pains. I thought I was having a heart attack. I went in to the doc and he diagnosed me with costochronitis. It is very painful. The doc said it would be better in 2 weeks, but it had already been months so I went in for a bone scan to see if I had a broken rib (I ride horses and bikes and had crashed my bike, not too bad so we wanted to double check). Well my bone scan came back with inflammation in the SI, hips, chest (abnormal), and shoulders. I do have fatigue, joint swelling sometimes, pain in my limbs. The rheumy says I have an autoimmune disease but they can't figure out which one.Does anyone have an autoimmune disease along with their IBS?Are their common autoimmune disorders that occur with IBS?I have been tested for Lupus (genetic testing), celiac, AS, and RA and I have none of those.


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## screeb (Jul 25, 2001)

IBS is associated with increased colonic sensitivity. A steroidal hormone, GnRH causes increased motility and pain in sensitized colons. New research has shown that GnRH is underexpressed in the Enteric Nervous System and there are anti-bodies produced against GnRH in the serum (thus an autoimmune disorder). Sex increases GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) and increases propulsion, but it causes pain as well. I think this would be a good application for asmidoline (a colon pain pill), that is nearing FDA approval and mass marketing.


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## Ilovebikes83 (Oct 3, 2012)

screeb said:


> IBS is associated with increased colonic sensitivity. A steroidal hormone, GnRH causes increased motility and pain in sensitized colons. New research has shown that GnRH is underexpressed in the Enteric Nervous System and there are anti-bodies produced against GnRH in the serum (thus an autoimmune disorder). Sex increases GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) and increases propulsion, but it causes pain as well. I think this would be a good application for asmidoline (a colon pain pill), that is nearing FDA approval and mass marketing.


Thats interesting. Do you think more studies will show IBS as a autoimmune disorder? Are you suggesting IBS could have caused by bone inflammation as an autoimmune itself? Or that IBS is a symptom of another autoimmune disorder. I have heard many people saying IBS is seen in Lupus and MS patients.


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## TummyGrumble (Oct 11, 2012)

Hi, it's quite an interesting thread you've started here actually







and i think you could well be onto something!!My old boss had IBS and also suffered terribly with arthritis which is autoimmune.Myself, i have a horrible autoimmune disease called lichens sclerosis and IBS too. My parents do not have IBS but both have autoimmune problems. My dad has vetiligo. My mum has celiacs disease, arthritis, diabetes, thyroid problems to name but a few! So autoimmune problems un in my family really bad!My fiancés mum has IBS and also has arthritis.


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## cr12 (Oct 23, 2012)

Okay, I haven't been diagnosed with IBS but I have been researching auto immune stuff for a little while and I have to reply to this one....I get the chest pains too! I have never heard of someone else getting them and one doctor told me it might be gas







i disagreed. It's a really intense pain almost right in the middle of my chest but just a little bit to the left from the center and its always in that same spot. I thought I was having a heart attack as well. If I may, let me just describe my symptoms...About four years ago I remember one day I thought I had somehow broken my pinky, it was so swollen and it hurt to move it. The next day it was perfectly fine but two fingers on my OTHER hand swelled up and i was having trouble moving them and it went on from there. It mostly happens in my fingers randomly and the balls of my feet and it hurts really bad. Also, there have been times when my lips have swelled up if someone bit one of them while kissing me..which is embarrassing. My doctor thought it was an allergy but I don't really have a wide pallet of food and I don't change soap or anything, she tested me for lupus but didn't think that was it. Well then almost 2 years ago I woke up with a rash all over my arms, hands, legs, and feet. I went to the health center at my college and every single nurse practitioner was in there "examining" me. They had no idea what to tell me so I made a doctor's appointment for the next day but when I woke up it was gone. Very similar to the swelling the rash will flare up randomly then go away in about a day or half a day. I have started to take pictures of it because I can't seem to get into a doctor to look at it when I actually have it. I have paid attention very closely to what I eat, what I am doing, anything really that could cause this. But the doctors think it's auto immune now. The chest pains started around the same time when I first got my rash. I am very frustrated now I don't want to keep going to the doctor for them to not know what it is. But your post made me realize I too also almost constantly have mucus in my throat I am having to cough up even when I am not sick. I was thinking maybe I had Crohn's disease but I don't know anymore. Just frustrated over here...


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## screeb (Jul 25, 2001)

On 10/23/12 the "IBS Reporter Newsfeed" Forum reported on an article entitled "Possible overlap exists between inflammatory bowel disease and IBS." It says that IBS-D (specifically) can be treated by an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract. Patient's abdominal pain and stool consistency for two months or more during the test was measured by C-reactive protein, which improved 261% more than placebo. Says "IBS is a more mild expression of intolerance of the person's immune system to the environment of the gut in that it disturbs function rather than destroying structure...as seen in Crohn's and UC."The second entry that I had made in this thread was not that important or good.


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## usagoldie (Oct 14, 2011)

I have Shy Draggers, an autoimmune disease. Also IBS. The only time I don't have abdominal pain is when I ride my horses and paint.


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## Pepper H (Jan 3, 2013)

I also have auto-immune diseases as well as IBS! I'm having thyroid issues (it's on auto-destruction mode, apparently someday I won't have one anymore) and I have vitiligo (melanin from the skin dying out, leaving white patches all over the body).

Doctors often tell me that you generally get 3 auto-immune diseases at a time. Maybe IBS is auto-immune and I don't have to fear something else!


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## AriesAdrift (Feb 11, 2013)

I've had two doctors fighting for years about whether I have Lupus or Sjogren's Syndroms, or both (both are auto-immune disorders). I also have IBS. I remember wondering once if they were connected, but dismissed the idea. I have to wonder after reading this if most people with IBS have an underlying auto-immune disorder, and if so, why the medical community hasn't made the connection...


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## Nicole585 (Mar 16, 2013)

I have Fibromyalgia, IBS-D, Osteo Arthritis, Carpal tunnel, plantar fascitis and sleep apnea. Just recently officially diagnosed with IBS after a bad flare up. Fibromyalgia is an auto immune disease. The list seems to keep growing as I am experiencing crazy new symptoms all the time. From what I know it seems to be linked when the immune system is compromised. But I am not a doctor.


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