I was wondering what autoimmune diseases can cause neuropathy and if a person were to have an autoimmune disease does that make them suceptible to get other ones added on?

I was diagnosed with Graves in 05 and MS in 09. Graves went into remission in 07. I was wondering the same thing. I don't think I could take anymore diseases.

What are your symptoms? Definitely autoimmune disorders can cause neuropathy! The most common that I know of (tho I don't know numbers) would be multiple sclerosis. I'm here searching for information on Hashimoto's encephalopathy...... Any antibody that targets proteins in the brain could cause problems.

And yes, for whatever reason, my understanding is that people with autoantibodies are at higher risk of having other autoimmune problems. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's as a teenager. As an adult, I had a miscarriage and through subsequent research, discovered that I was at higher risk for autoimmune problems. I *forced* my doc to do testing, and sure enough, I had others including antiphospholipid antibodies, which can......drum roll.....cause miscarriages.

For what it's worth, about nine years ago, I had severe neurological problems that the docs were almost positive was due to MS (after ruling out antiphospholipid Ab-mediated stroke), but I never tested positive. So my neurological problems, including both central and peripheral symptoms, were caused by something but NOT MS. So don't be afraid of testing because if it *is* something serious, and you can be treated; if it's not MS, then you try to find the problem for treatment. Good luck!

Many AI diseases can cause neuropathy. I have Sjogren's and antiphospholipid syndrome (with strokes). Sjogren's can cause numerous neurological problems to include central, peripheral and autonomic neuropathies.

Also, many AI diseases can overlap so patients can actually have more than one.

I have Sjogren's Syndrome and now PN that has been building for the past year. I cannot tolerate the traditional drugs for the PN because of the side effects, including drying eyes.
I plan to see a pain management doctor to see if they can help.
Do you have any experience in this regard or recommendations.
Thanks, Lynn

I'm not sure what I have to say is what you want to hear. I have tried all the typical meds for PN (neurontin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, etc). I really had no problem with increased dry eyes from these meds, BUT none of them were effective in reducing the PN pain/symptoms.

PN, if directly from Sjogren's, can be extremely difficult to treat...and in many cases impossible. If your PN is from Sjogren's attack on the DRG (dorsal root ganglia), then there is no effective treatment available to date. If you have a positive skin biopsy for SFN, then I would consider IVIG, as this has been know to be somewhat effective for SFN in autoimmune patients. I used IVIG for 9 years, but can no longer take it after a horrific rare reaction.

I would see what options the pain doctor has to offer. After trying everything out there, the only thing I've found to reduce pain to manageable levels (not eliminate it), is MINIMAL amounts of Percocet. Like I said, it's not to remove pain, just to reduce it enough to function.

You might want to exhaust natural options as well...like B12 supplements, R lipoic Acid, etc. Even Biofreeze for the burning might work for you. MrsD in the PN sub-forum can help with advising supplements. There are 'stickies' at the top of this forum that will also provide you lots of good PN info.

Yes, SFN is characterized by that burning sensation, right? I have Sjogren's and T2 diabetes. I thought my neuropathy was primarily from T2D but it seems I'm experiencing neuropathy even with fairly good BG control. It takes a lot of effort to control your BG and an autoimmune condition. I've gone completely gluten- and dairy-free and I've done some experiments bringing these items back. I can tell you, I definitely react to gluten and dairy: my eyes and throat dry out after 24 hours. These two are so clear cut: I react even to a tiny slice of cheese or butter.

At one point, I was also nightshade-/legume-/soy- and nut-free but that limited my food choices too much. But I never overeat these items - just a little bit of paprika and tomatoes here and there. I'm also fairly low carb (>100g) to control my BG.

One thing you can control is what you eat. It's a full time job but if you eat whole foods and stay away from processed garbage, artificial ingredients and other stuff you react to, your symptoms might improve. At least it seems to me for those who're recently diagnosed. You can read about Terry Wahls and her Minding Your Mitochondria: she was supposedly able to push her MS symptoms into remission by following a strict, wholefood diet.

[QUOTE=en bloc;801685]Many AI diseases can cause neuropathy. I have Sjogren's and antiphospholipid syndrome (with strokes). Sjogren's can cause numerous neurological problems to include central, peripheral and autonomic neuropathies.

Also, many AI diseases can overlap so patients can actually have more than one.[/QUO
I know this posting goes way back, en bloc, but I know you still contribute so often and with a lot of good advice still. If you happen to catch this one, I'd appreciate your input. In a nut shell, I have body-wide neuropathy, absolutely everywhere, pretty bad joint pain and terrible muscle pain. The most recent blood work finding showed a highly positive antiphospholipid antibody. All other blood work is pretty normal, including the specific testing for Sjogren's. Have any doctors ever linked your neuropathy more specifically to aPL than the Sjogren's? I'm really wondering if I'm one of those antibody negative people, especially now that the aPL is so strongly positive. My rheumatologist seemed to think it a possibility it is related to prolonged viral activity since the other rheum blood work is normal. I guess the only reason it would matter is because my treatment options would be different. I know I could get a lip biopsy, but I've been through so much the last couple years and the idea of going through and recovering from yet another procedure that seldom produces anything revealing is too much for me.
Thanks so much for your input. I really appreciate it!

Heb1212, why are you trying to get a lip biopsy? Do you have Sjogren's or not? APLS is often linked to a thrombotic form of SLE, not Sjogren's. If you have very high APLS, then your rheumy should have done a full SLE panel which includes ANA, DS-DNA, SSA/SSB, etc. The last 2 are Sjogren's antibodies but they're used also to diagnose SLE, especially SSA/Ro, since more people with lupus are positive for it than Sjogren's.

That's to make sure that your APLS is not secondary. You need to rule that out since you have muscle aches and joint paints which are indicative of SLE as well as other rheumatic autoimmune diseases. You need to see a rheumy who's up to speed on autoimmune diseases and is up to date with her continuing education requirements, not someone who specializes in gout or osteoporosis.

Make sure your blood records show SLE antibodies (DS-DNA, Smith, Sm-RNP, RNP, Chromatin, SSA/SSB and ANA) and other antibodies for rheumatic autoimmunity like RA, Scleroderma, MCTD, etc. She may not have tested all but a few like CCP or RA factor given your joint pain symptoms.

With regard to neuropathy, that could arise with SLE, Sjogren's, MCTD and even RA, in other words, most rheumatic autoimmune diseases. However, neuropathy is usually not that severe with rheumatic autoimmunity. It's peripheral, i.e., your limbs, not systemic. That's why you really need a good doc who can screen you properly to see what else is lurking.

The most urgent thing for you is to retest that APLS. If it was a false positive and due to some viral activity like your rheumy says, then we don't have to worry about this. But you still need to chase down your joint/muscle and neuropathy issues. After retesting your APLS and making sure your rheumy checked antibodies for rheumatic diseases, I'd go see a neuro for your neuropathy if not solved. .

I don't recommend a lip biopsy; it's disfiguring and has little value. Some doctors do it for their intellectual curiosity. Sjogren's can be easily diagnosed based on symptoms and antibodies. When you don't have dry eyes or a dry throat, there is no point.

[QUOTE=heb1212;1148993]defintely see a rheumy. you should also get tested for diabetes, since diabetic neuropathy causes both PN and AUTONOMIC which would be systemic, and some vitamin deficiencies as well.