Do you have a higher chance to get MS with ITP?

Hello,

A few months ago ive heard that you can get some autoimmune dissorders with ITP. Since ive heard that ive got some pain in my fingers. I was going to an internist because i was really scared of rheumatism (ive read that you can get that with ITP). He told me that i had positive rheumatoid factors but that i have no rheumatism. He said to me that much people has positive rheumatoid factors and would never get rheumatism. But he said that i have Vitamin D deficiency. After i heard that the pain in my fingers stopped so i guess it was a placebo effect.

But now i have another problem. After ive heard that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a autoimmune dissorder too ive got symptoms. Iam very forgetful, cant sleep the amount iam used to (now i sleep 6 hours), have a low libido, erectyle dysfunction, sometimes i feel very tired. That all could be symptoms of MS. I was at a neurologist but he yelled at me that iam a hypochondriac and he wont do a test because i´m fine and that arent symptoms of it. Now iam really scared that i could have MS. Maybe it could be placebo too.

Now my question is: do you have a higher chance to get MS with ITP compared to a person without ITP? It would really soothe me when it would be otherwise.

Darky:

The truth is that if you have one autoimmune disorder, your chances of acquiring another one (or two) is greater. That does not mean that it will happen; many people only have ITP. However, there are quite a few people here that do have more than one. MS is one of over 100 autoimmune disorders, but it is not singly associated with ITP. I was diagnosed with Lupus 8 years after I was diagnosed with ITP. The most common autoimmune disorders we see here seem to be Lupus, Graves Disease, Hashimoto's, Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Evans Syndrome, and MS.

Your symptoms do not seem to be very specific to any disorder and could be due to many things. Fatigue and insomnia are common and could be due to something as simple as a Vitamin deficiency. The problems with your uh, sexual dysfunction could be age related possibly? I don't know how old you are. I'm sure there are other reasons both physically and emotionally, but you'd need to speak to your GP about that. Pain in fingers can also be related to age or steroid use...arthritis, etc. They could all be separate things and not necessarily linked to one specific disorder. Maybe start with having Vitamin levels checked. It's simple and easy to fix. Then give it some time. If things get worse, you'd need to pursue it. Doctors tend to blow people off when they come in with diffuse symptoms that do not appear to be readily visible like swelling, rashes, weakness, apparent stiffness, weight loss, etc....so if things progress you'd need to be more insistent. As it stands right now, you do not have a diagnosis so I'd stop worrying unless things get worse and you do get one.

PS - Fatigue is a symptom of Vitamin D deficiency. It can take a long time to recover from that since it can weaken muscles.

Ah, thank you. That really reassures me. By the way, i´m 23 years old, too young to be age related. But you´re right, it really could be mentally. Ive forgot to tell that ive really lost a lot of weight (to the point where it was dangerous). It was because of depressions, i never felt hungry and felt nausea everyday. Since then i take a tricyclic antidepressant (Opipramol) and i felt so much better. Now i discontinue it really slowly. My doctor told me that the above mentioned symptoms could be because i discontinue Opipramol and they will go away after some time.

Withdrawing from the drug is a good possibility. Hopefully that's all it is. Yes, 23 is too young! Stay active as much as you can...sometimes that helps a lot.

Darky, I strongly suggest you cover the basics regarding your health before worrying about MS or other autoimmune disorders. Micronutrient deficiencies can cause a lot of diffuse symptoms, from fatigue and tingling in the fingers and toes to muscle cramps, dizziness, and even low libido. They are not uncommon in people with depression or who are on medication like TCAs. Similarly, adequate nutrition is important for maintaining energy levels and sexual function.

Also, the matter of getting another autoimmune disorder because you have ITP is tricky. The risk of having an autoimmune disorder is slightly greater if you already have one, but they come in certain groups, as Sandi pointed out. Please keep in mind the idea of relative risk here. Yes, the risk is higher, but it is still quite low. Think of it this way: Your risk of being in a plane crash is higher if you fly frequently, but it is still very low.