Asperger's / autoimmune link?

[KatieB]

  Hi, I had noticed that a couple people on the list have children with asperger's syndrome. I was curious, as one of my boys has it, if there could be a link. I looked it up and found quite a few articles on this. It worries me a bit as my son has also complained of joint pain and being tired for years. He has never slept well, so it was always attributed to that, but now I'm wondering...

  He had a lot of digestive and growth issues as a young child and was tested for just about everything, but that was several years ago. He doesn't have celiac (they checked), and he's now an almost six feet tall beanpole, so we don't worry about growth anymore! He's just turned 16 and I'd hate to think he has to deal with this stuff too. I read the post on how many of us feel like this all started in the child or teen years, so I know he already could be showing symptoms. I think I was, and I had a positive ANA for awhile at 14 that went back to normal after a course of steroids. They decided that it was caused by severe allergy problems at the time. Like the teen years aren't hard enough...
 
  Does anyone else have family members with any type of autistic spectrum issues? Or know any more about this issue? 
 
 
 

[jmkboyer]

Hi Katie--

So glad you brought this up.  My daughter, 11, is an Aspie.  She has always had gut issues but I don't see the AI link yet.  But my stuff didn't show up until 37 so she has plenty of time.

The funny thing is that my non-Aspie daughter, 9, has all the showings of something AI including anxiety, gut and skin issues, headaches, pain everywhere.  I've had her tested for celiac and food allergies and nothing shows up.  So I think my two girls together equal your son.

I'd be interested if anyone else has read of any connections between ASDs and AI diseases.  It's amazing what all is related....

MB

[engy]

My niece also aspergers & her doctors were definitely interested in all my autoimmune issues. My brother probably has some AI but too stubborn to be tested.

[mshistory]

I have a first cousin with Aspberger's and her mother (my aunt) has Hashimoto's. A lot of my female family members on that side of the family have thyroid disease (either Hashimoto's or Grave's). As far as I know, I'm the only one with SjS, but that is interesting that there may be a connection between ASD and AI disease.

[KatieB]

    I just found a really interesting article on BBC news from 1999.
  News.bbc.co.uk./2/hi/health/382321.stm is the address.

I never had thought of a connection, but it makes a lot of sense. We have traits for both issues throughout my family. My great-grandmother and my dad have RA, and I was just diagnosed this year with the sjogren's.

  If you're interested, I just googled asperger's autoimmune and found several interesting pages to look at.

MB,
   My other two seem okay, so far... Hope they figure it out soon for your daughter, it's so hard as a mom to see them feeling bad. You feel so helpless.   

[Ripvanann]

Wow! I can't believe what I learned today, and how important it was to learn it!

Yes, my oldest son (just turned 11) is autistic. I feel as though my son wil end up Aspie, as he is extremely high functioning at this point. However, his clinical school psychologist says that they have to be a bit older to give that diagnoses. Right, so yes, but what is the link? I tried the one
one you gave, but it just sends me to a search page.

It sounds as if our children share many of the same problems (i.e. Gut issues, joint pain, insomnia/sleep problems). I've always chalked it up to part of autism, not AI.

What's interesting is that I recently took him to the pediatrician for "growing pains" (which I found out here today on another thread are a myth!). She ordered xrays and blood work for "things like RA." The xrays were normal, but I never followed up on the blood work. Figuring the ped was being hyper vigilant to please me, and my "knowing" it was most likely the growing pains (after all the xrays were fine)... Well I lost the prescription for the blood work! I'm calling first thing tomorrow morning and asking her to write a new one.

I hate to think of my big guy going through more than he is and has already, but if something is wrong with him I need to know so I can help him. I'm praying for all of our children. Thank you for this information!

Peace and blessings to you.
~ Andrea

[jmkboyer]

Oh...I feel like we need a subgroup on this!!  You guys are getting me all worked up to have found such like-mates on here.

Andrea--my daughter turned 11 a month ago.  She was concretely given an Asperger's diagnosis in April of 2011 when she was 10.  So a good psychologist who knows his/her stuff about Aspie preteen boys would totally be able to give you a dx.  Most of the times schools employ generalists who don't know Asperger's very well.  It's so individualistic in each kid.  I've been blessed with a fantastic private psychologist who specializes in girls and saw her "stuff" right away (her teacher didn't even get it!)  So if you ever want to message off-list please feel free.  I think we'll find a lot in common.  And the growing pains thing?  YES.

Katie--thanks for the well-wishes.  It is incredibly frustrating.  I hate feeling like I'm a crazy mom taking her kid to every doctor on earth.  Neurologist, GI doc, rheumatologist, ENT...Oh my.  I keep reminding people that I have two others at home who do fairly well!

I love this thread!

MB--Might as well give it up and call myself Meri

[Joe S.]

Last year there was an article in Discover Magazine on Autism Spectrum ailments and a common bacteria. You may want to check it out. I think I have posted on this before. I have a Friend that they called Autistic. He has his PH. D's. in Electronic Engineering and Computer Programming. I would believe that he fits the Asperger's Dx.

[Piebird]

We have an asperger's child here too. I wonder if there is a link or if we are just seeing the regular odds of the average folks having this diagnosis in the family?

[KatieB]

Hi-
 
  Thanks to everyone that responded. I went back and checked the link to the BBC article, not sure why it isn't working, but if you google -BBC news immune link to autism article -it comes right up. I know the incidence for both of these things is rising, and in my family tree we seem to have genes for both. There are some researchers who are suggesting a link between the two, so who knows?

  I'll check out the other article, thanks for suggesting it Joe.

Meri and Andrea,
  It is really great to find people with so much in common! I'm so glad this could help you. If you'd like to continue the discussion please feel free to message me off list as well. I'm in Alaska, so it sometimes seems I'm posting later then a lot of people.    

[SueAnn]

My niece is an aspie and also has health issues.  She complains of dryness and aslo general pain issues and has been tested for different AI's but nothing has been found yet. 

This is a good topice and I will be following it.

SueAnn

[tomsmom]

My 6 year old has Asperger's.  He also inherited my hyperthyroidism (but hasn't had a flare in the last 3 years).  Gotta love genetics.