Vitiligo + fatigue?

I'm curious to know if any other parents have witnessed signs of fatigue in their children w/Vitiligo. My daughter just turned 9 and has had vitiligo since she was 3. Lately she's been getting involved in more sporting activities, and we've noticed she gets fatigued easily. I was doing some internet research and read about how with some people, autoimmune disorders occur in pairs (i.e. if you have Vitiligo, you may have another autoimmune disorder along with it). Specifically, I read about how fatigue & muscle weakness is a symptom of Addison's disease. My daughter is also a salt-a-holic (she actually went to ceramics class and chose a salt shaker as her project LOL), and apparently salt cravings are another symptom of Addison's. If anyone else has noticed signs of fatigue in your child w/vitiligo, have you tried digging into the root cause to see if it's related to another autoimmune disorder? I'm wondering how common this really is. Thanks in advance for your responses! Jane

Hello there, in all my research on the subject (for my 5-year old son who was diagnosed last October) I have found info that consistently states those with Vitiligo have a higher risk for the following:

Addison's disease
Symptoms include:
- changes in blood pressure or heart rate
- chronic diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite resulting in weight loss
- darkening of the skin in some places, causing the skin to look patchy
- paleness
- extreme weakness, fatigue and slow, sluggish movement
- mouth lesions on the inside of a cheek
- salt craving

Found article on symptoms in children for this one here: http://www.ehow.com/list_5779755_signs-symptoms-addison_s-disease-c...

Hyperthyroidism brought on by Graves disease
Symptoms include:
- difficulty concentrating
- fatigue and weakness
- frequent bowel movements
- anxiety heat intolerance
- insomnia
- weight loss in spite of increased appetite
- increased sweating
- nervousness and/or restlessness
- diarrhea

For this one, found an article that said "EARLY symptoms of Graves disease in children are vague, and include restlessness--often leading to disruptive behavior in school--and sleep disturbances." Followed by some of the other symptoms as it becomes more severe - found here: http://www.ehow.com/about_5456041_hyperthyroidism-children-symptoms...

HypOthyroidism
Symptoms include:
- lack of energy
- constant tired feeling
- sleeping for long periods
- irritability/moodiness
- constipation
- abnormal sensitivity to cold temps, which can develop gradually
- muscle cramps and stiffness
- weight GAIN in spite of a LOSS of appetite
- dry skin and hair
- hair loss
- hoarseness or husky voice
- slowed heart rate
Pernicious anemia (or B12 deficiency)
Symptoms include:
- diarrhea or constipation
- fatigue, lack of energy, can also have light-headedness/dizziness when standing up or with exertion
- loss of appetite
- pale skin
- difficulty concentrating
- shortness of breath
- swollen, red tongue and/or bleeding gums
Type 1 Diabetes
Symptoms include:
- increased thirst and frequent urination
- extreme hunger with weight loss despite eating more
- fatigue - notably lethargic
- irritability and moodiness and/or unusual behavior
- may experience blurred vision
- in GIRLS, may see frequent yeast infections
Celiac disease (not listed as often but I've found a lot of references to a link between Vitiligo and Celiac)
Symptoms include:
- abdominal pain or bloating of the abdomen
- may experience nausea/vomiting
- may have foul-smelling stool (can also appear more "pale" than normal)
- may have stool that appears more "fatty-looking" than normal
- may experience constipation
- weight loss (due to inability to absorb nutrition efficiently - but the weight loss may not be very noticeable)
- irritability/moodiness
- Less common than the gastrointestinal symptoms are rashes, fatigue, bone/joint pain, tooth discoloration, canker sores

The problem is that so many of these symptoms are interchangeable and can commonly occur withOUT having one of these conditions - it is SO frustrating. You can ask your pediatrician to order blood work and other tests to check for all this stuff - that may be your best bet.

Sorry for the LOOOONG-Winded reply - been gathering tons of info for a while now and I just copy/pasted some info I have in a word doc on my PC. Hope this helps!

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Jane July 25, 2012 at 7:58am

Thanks Becky & Charlie. Charlie, it sounds like you & I have been down a similar path in terms of internet research. And I agree, I think at this point we are going to pursue bloodwork/testing this year to see if it will reveal any companion autoimmune issues going on with our daughter. The world of autoimmune disorders is definitely a tangled web. Appreciate your response! Jane
- Charlie Buelow > Jane July 25, 2012 at 7:59am
  
  No problem at all - I feel your pain in every way. That's what this community is all about. Please keep me posted!
Charlie Buelow July 25, 2012 at 7:33am
Hello there, in all my research on the subject (for my 5-year old son who was diagnosed last October) I have found info that consistently states those with Vitiligo have a higher risk for the following:
- Addison's disease
  Symptoms include:
  
  changes in blood pressure or heart rate
  
  chronic diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite resulting in weight loss
  
  darkening of the skin in some places, causing the skin to look patchy
  
  paleness
  
  extreme weakness, fatigue and slow, sluggish movement
  
  mouth lesions on the inside of a cheek
  
  salt craving
Found article on symptoms in children for this one here: http://www.ehow.com/list_5779755_signs-symptoms-addison_s-disease-c...
- Hyperthyroidism brought on by Graves disease
  Symptoms include:
  
  difficulty concentrating
  
  fatigue and weakness
  
  frequent bowel movements
  
  anxiety heat intolerance
  
  insomnia
  
  weight loss in spite of increased appetite
  
  increased sweating
  
  nervousness and/or restlessness
  
  diarrhea
For this one, found an article that said "EARLY symptoms of Graves disease in children are vague, and include restlessness--often leading to disruptive behavior in school--and sleep disturbances." Followed by some of the other symptoms as it becomes more severe - found here: http://www.ehow.com/about_5456041_hyperthyroidism-children-symptoms...
- HypOthyroidism
  Symptoms include:
  
  lack of energy
  
  constant tired feeling
  
  sleeping for long periods
  
  irritability/moodiness
  
  constipation
  
  abnormal sensitivity to cold temps, which can develop gradually
  
  muscle cramps and stiffness
  
  weight GAIN in spite of a LOSS of appetite
  
  dry skin and hair
  
  hair loss
  
  hoarseness or husky voice
  
  slowed heart rate
- Pernicious anemia (or B12 deficiency)
  Symptoms include:
  
  diarrhea or constipation
  
  fatigue, lack of energy, can also have light-headedness/dizziness when standing up or with exertion
  
  loss of appetite
  
  pale skin
  
  difficulty concentrating
  
  shortness of breath
  
  swollen, red tongue and/or bleeding gums
- Type 1 Diabetes
  Symptoms include:
  
  increased thirst and frequent urination
  
  extreme hunger with weight loss despite eating more
  
  fatigue - notably lethargic
  
  irritability and moodiness and/or unusual behavior
  
  may experience blurred vision
  
  in GIRLS, may see frequent yeast infections
- Celiac disease (not listed as often but I've found a lot of references to a link between Vitiligo and Celiac)
  Symptoms include:
  
  abdominal pain or bloating of the abdomen
  
  may experience nausea/vomiting
  
  may have foul-smelling stool (can also appear more "pale" than normal)
  
  may have stool that appears more "fatty-looking" than normal
  
  may experience constipation
  
  weight loss (due to inability to absorb nutrition efficiently - but the weight loss may not be very noticeable)
  
  irritability/moodiness
  
  Less common than the gastrointestinal symptoms are rashes, fatigue, bone/joint pain, tooth discoloration, canker sores
The problem is that so many of these symptoms are interchangeable and can commonly occur withOUT having one of these conditions - it is SO frustrating. You can ask your pediatrician to order blood work and other tests to check for all this stuff - that may be your best bet.

Sorry for the LOOOONG-Winded reply - been gathering tons of info for a while now and I just copy/pasted some info I have in a word doc on my PC. Hope this helps!
Becki July 12, 2012 at 7:24am

I have not noticed fatigue, but my daughter is either sensitive to gluten or has celiac disease. Not sure which one, but she was having terrible tummy aches, headaches and was generally very lethargic. I kept reading about a possible link between celiac and vitiligo. I had her tested for celiac via bloodwork. It came back normal, however my pediatrician cautioned me that the test was not very reliable. So last fall when she was constantly sick, I decided to take gluten out of her diet. BAM! Instant change. She went from in the nurses office at school 4 times a week, to never again the remainder of the school year. So... not sure if that helps you at all, but there certainly seem to be other ailments that comingle with vitiligo.

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