Dear Doctors: How often are multiple sclerosis (MS) and Type 1 diabetes seen in one individual? In my experience, MS specialists are not familiar with how to treat flares in people with both. I have been advised to get IV steroids to manage a flare, which would have spiked glucose. I find this lack of experience to be frightening.
Dear Reader: In explaining your situation, you have outlined one of the major challenges to crafting a treatment plan for people living with more than one autoimmune condition. This is a phenomenon known as polyautoimmunity. Some studies suggest that up to 30% of people with an autoimmune disease may develop at least one additional autoimmune condition over time. Risk factors include a family history of autoimmune disease and being female. Increased duration of the primary disease also raises the likelihood of developing another.
For those who are not familiar, an autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system mistakenly begins to target and damage the body’s own tissues. In Type 1 diabetes, certain white blood cells, including T cells, attack and destroy the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In multiple sclerosis, T cells and other immune cells target the protective coating around nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.