Autoimmune diseases do tend to travel in packs.

I don't have diabetes, thankfully, but have had a Graves' Disease diagnosis since 2009. I know there are some diabetics here, but I'm not sure about which type.

RA and thyroid. Diabetes does run in the family tho. Have you check out Meloxicam, it's an anti inflammatory and it seems to work well. From my understanding it's like Motrin on steroids (pun intended). Wish you well. Trish

I don't have diabetes or thyroid issues. But I do have multiple auto immune issues. RA (2009), psoriasis (2014), psoriatic arthritis (2014), Sjogrens syndrome (2009), and alopecia areata (1998). The alopecia has been in remission for several years now and I hope it stays that way, but the others are all active. I know I've had Sjogrens for much longer and probably the RA as well. My symptoms go back to 1996. Back then they just called it an unidentified virus w/inflammation and chronic fatigue.

Once you get one you're more susceptible to getting others. The immune system just plays that way.

Just out of curiosity, why did it take so long to get a diagnosis if you had nodules and a strong family history of RA? It's not my business and you can tell me so. I was just wondering.

I'm sorry you're dealing with so much at once. It can get overwhelming,especially when the diagnosis is new and you have other issues too.

Take care,
Emerald

Thank you to everyone for your responses. This is the first time that I've used a site like this - so I'm new and wasn't sure what to expect.

I checked on meloxicam and it says not to use if you have an allergy to aspirin - so unfortunately it won't work for me.

As for waiting so long for a diagnosis - that was primarily my fault. I let things go because I really didn't want to hear "RA" - and because I also suffer from sleep apnea (fatigue) and 2 frozen shoulders (common in diabetics - but now I wonder if the pain and joint damage was more related to RA) - and I thought the morning stiffness was just part of aging - but now I can see things more clearly.

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sarcoidosis...Diagnosed with them in the last year. The Rhuemy also suspects something with my thyroid but not enough yet to worry just keep an eye on it.

Type one diabetic for 32 years. Thyroid for 29. RA for 6 and yes, just recently added celiac to it. Still trying to figure that one out.

Let me know when you try out prednisone and we can definitely commiserate over insulin woes on that one! I don't find the steroid injections to be as bad but mercy it did take me 5 years to figure out how to handle prednisone tapers and insulin needs.

I like to joke that once I collect all five diseases I get my own free IKEA coffin - with lumbar support!

Keep hanging in there. It can be a huge struggle but there's almost always something amusing about our troubles - even if it takes 5 or 10 years to see the humor in it. Thus the need to keep hanging in there!

wow smith101 there is someone with the same three - I find managing both diabetes and RA to be a challenge - I was on prednisone for a week for an ear/sinus infection and I had uncontrollable highs for about 10 days - which was weird because I've been on an insulin pump since 2003 and I've been able to correct the highs quickly and easily - but not that time. I don't look forward to going on it again -

Thanks for the upbeat message -

smith you get our cumulative warrior award, hands down.

Depot

Sweet a fellow pumper too! I'm on the minimed paradigm right now. Boy does the prednisone soak up the insulin as if it's a thirsty sponge. I really need to use about 220% basals when on it but the stupid pump only goes to 200%! So I compensate and change my carb ratio too and that seems to get me by.

I did try the dexcom 7 realtime monitor for a while but it was when it first came out - let's just say I wanted to throw it through the wall with all it's "talking" to me. I hear it's a lot, lot better now.

Treatments with diabetics can be interesting as I'm considering Orencia infusions right now and because the infusions have maltose in them it gives false highs on some meters. It looks like the way the accuchek nano reads the blood it doesn't get affected by this but other meters do.

That had to be one dozie of a sinus/ear infection. Course if it consumes that much of your head that it takes both the nose and ears out I'd say you found yourself one stubborn cold (that's to put it nicely).

Just think - wait until 2019 and you should be able to have a good hearty laugh at some of this RA crap like I bet you can do with some of the insulin pump issues you've surely run into (looking back I call the first month I wore a pump the paradigm rodeo as I lasso'd every door knob I could find with my infusion set).

Five years isn't as far away as some would think. ;-)

Hey thanks Depot. I like to think I'm good at something - just I hear collecting diseases isn't something you really want to strive at!

I have to wonder how much better my RA symptoms will be once I get a handle on this celiac diagnosis. I still want to say the blood work on the labs was wrong and that the endoscopy was just a bad hair day in my small intestines but I don't think that will fly....

Ooooh, a free Ikea coffin? I have three confirmend autoimmune diseases, and a fourth that I may or may not have that may or may not be autoimmune- does that count? If so, just one more! Any suggestions for a nice, low-maintenence AI disease?

One more addition to this discussion: last month I had an appointment with my endocrinologist, one of the kindest, most competent doctors out there. Anyway, he had a family practice resident following him around. we were going over my meds list, and she wasn't familiar with Orencia. We talked for a few minutes about the biologic drugs. The endo mentioned that they are being tested in early type 1 diabetes- I think he referred to the "golden period"- to see if they can slow or stop destruction of the islet cells. What a miracle that would be!

I thought that I had my diabetes all figured out - with the pump and basal rates and corrections and carb ratios - but since I've been dealing with RA I've had to start all over again - testing and monitoring and trying to predict and understand things all over agin -

I'm also on the minimed paradigm - actually on my 3rd version of the pump - haven't tired the sensor although I have it - just haven't had the energy to begin something new -

smith101 - I've been thinking about celiac disease since you mentioned it - as my mother had it and one of my sister's does too - there seems to so much out there about food and how it impacts diseases - I'd like to see how it goes for you and if it has any impact on your RA and diabetes -