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Auto Immune?

Posted by Jessica on October 27, 2011 at 9:33pm in Main

Just wanting to find out if Vitiligo is actually an autoimmune disorder? And if it isnt, I have heard that its associated with autoimmune disorders- or can be a symptom of autoimmune. 

 

Does anyone have a associated autoimmue disorder, which causes your vit? Would love to hear your story :)

 

Jess

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Replies

  • Nicole Reid November 26, 2011 at 1:53pm

    Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder,  where your immune system is attacks the melanocytes (pigments) in the skin, and thus leaving the white patches. If you do have an autoimmune disorder, meaning your immune system is is already recgonizing healthy organs (ie your skin) as a foreign body and therefore attacking it, that there is an increased possibility that it will see other organs as foreign bodies as well.

    I have an amazing dermatologist who has been very proactive in  testing me annually since I was diagnosed for other autoimmune disorders. There have been times when some of the tests have come back with either positive for anti necular antibodies, most recently (which is sometimes found in vitiligo patients) or slightly high levels in my anti thyroid antibodies. Each time she has retested over a course of time, or orderd a series of further tests to rule out any other disorders.

    She tells me that just because I have one autoimmune disorder, do not mean I will ever have another, but my risk is increased and she would rather catch it in the earliest of stages, so it can be dealt with right away before I start seeing symptoms.

    So far its just Vitilgo.

  • Amanda Flynn November 22, 2011 at 6:55am

    Doctors say it's an autoimmune disease. From my understanding, if you have Vitiligo you are likely to have other autoimmune disease. Vitiligo itself does not make you more susceptible to them, but having one autoimmune disease means your body is more likely to have other autoimmune diseases like Vitiligo, thyroid issues etc. Now for my personal opinion: Doctors have no idea if it really is an autoimmune disease. Most doctors I know can't tell me much about it at all. I sincerely feeling we will find a cure in forums before the doctors do.

  • Chavaughn Christie November 21, 2011 at 8:34pm
    Idk if it auto immune or not but what I have read so 
    Suggest that it can be. What I noticed is that mine started to
    Appear after large amounts of emotional stress.
  • Jessica October 27, 2011 at 11:58pm

    Thanks for your reply :) it is so hard to know if it really is a auto immune or not?! I guess I'm just wondering whether I should get checked to see if i have any associated auto immune disorder? If thats possible lol. Every doctor has different opinions and advice, sometimes it makes it hard to know what to believe! 

    I have also been to see dermatologists, but recently have been advised that if vit is really auto immune then we should be seeing other specialists - like rheumatologists? 

  • Melanie Anne Chatterley October 27, 2011 at 10:36pm
    I don't think there is enough research to be able to tell, but I have always thought that it was an autoimmune disorder and when you have you are more likely to have another autoimmune disorder alongside it.  Not sure whether vitligo is a cause or a reaction to another.  I only have vitligo atm, the dermatologist that I initially went to explained it to me that some people have light vitiligo so not many patches but they will be more likely to have another autoimmune problem and others will be mostly vitiligo patches and less likely to have an autoimmune disorder in addition.  This is slightly proven wrong by my sister, who has worse vitiligo than me, but also have a underactive thyroid. So not really sure myself, but my vitiligo started initially when I was about 7 with a complete white strip in my hair and a patch on my cheek, and i have had no associated autoimmune disorder.
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