MCTD disease and chart

[Guest guest]

Help needed!

 

Young lady suffers a lot of her disease MCTD and asks help from

astrologers. Does her chart indicate this disease and are there any

treatments?

 

Birthdata 16.5.1960 klo 18.37 Helsinki.

 

MCTD Mixed connective tissue disease, as first described in 1972, is

"classically" considered as an "overlap" of three diseases, systemic

lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and polymyositis.

 

It is a disorder of the immune system, which normally functions to

protect the body against invading infections and cancers, and toxins.

In Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, as in other autoimmune diseases

parts of the complex immune system is over-active and produces

increased amounts of abnormal antibodies that attack the patient's

own

organs.

 

MCTD can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, skin,

kidneys, lungs, heart, endocrine, digestive, and nervous system,

blood vessels which all are made up of connective tissue. There are

reports of psychiatric disturbances similar to those found in Lupus.

The signs and symptoms of MCTD differ from person to person, with the

symptoms of either Lupus, or Scleroderma, or Myositis or

other autoimmune disease being most prevalent. Since its

manifestations can vary it is often misdiagnosed. The disease can

range from mild to life threatening. It can be mild for many years,

and then after about 20 years of having the disease a medical crisis

may occur. The lungs and kidneys are particularly at risk. Lungs and

kidneys symptoms are particularly serious involvement and should be

monitored vigilantly by both the doctor and the patient.

 

It is estimated to attacks women eight to fifteen times more

frequently than it attacks men. So, it is primarily a woman's

disease,

as are most of the 80 or so autoimmune diseases. It is hypothesized

that there is a hormonal component to the disease, which accounts for

the higher prevalence in women. According to American Autoimmune

Related Diseases Association, Approximately 50 million Americans,

20 percent of the population or one in five people suffer from some

80

autoimmune diseases. Of these, the majority are women with

perhaps 30 million affected.

 

Most people have subtle signs and symptoms of the disease many years

before ever getting a diagnosis. They can include fingers

swelling, joint and or muscular pain, irritable bowel syndrome,

digestive problems, Raynaud's symptoms (fingers turning white when

cold), allergies, general malaise, sleep disturbances and quite

frequently overwhelming fatigue. Sometimes the symptoms feel like the

flu. Some patients have frequent infections including gum infections,

sore throats, stomach infections, and respiratory infections. Symptoms

vary, and each person's illness can be quite different.

 

What causes the disease? No one has an answer at this point. It is

poorly understood, and since it is rare, it is difficult to obtain

subjects or money to support medical studies. Much of what is known

about it is based on knowledge of other diseases. There may be a

genetic predisposition. It is known that autoimmune diseases run in

families, although family members may have different autoimmune

disease. There seems to be some kind of hormonal connection.

 

There are several theories that are discussed in the medical

literature. Somehow, the body's immune system is attacking organs in

the body as if it were an intruding source. Intruding sources could

be

an infection, cancer, bacteria, virus, mycoplasma or environmental

factor. Even fetal cell has been theorized to be sufficient to

activate the immune system. No matter what starts the process (and

this is the most important research going on), the results is an over

production of collagen creating fibrosis in the internal organs

including the kidneys, heart, lungs, stomach and joints all of which

are made up of connective tissue. As of yet no one has proven what

source is attacking the body. Theories include virus, mycoplasma, and

environmental substances. Additionally, a person could have an immune

deficiency, such that their body can not rid itself of attacks from

virus, mycoplasma, bacteria or even fungi. It is not likely there

will

be a cure until the cause of this disease is identified.

 

The treatments for Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder are similar to

those used for other autoimmune diseases. There are few studies of

the effectiveness of most of the medications since this is such a

rare

disease. There are medications to control symptoms, as well as

anti-inflammatory, immune suppressing, immune modifying, which are

used to try and change the course of the illness.

 

Many medications are used to control the various symptoms. Patients

often need to take a combination of medications to eliminate pain

and reduce symptoms. These can include aspirin, Tylenol anti-acids,

medications for diarrhea, reflux. Heart medications sometimes help

control the Raynaud's symptoms (cold extremities). There are ACE

inhibitors which can protect the kidney from damage.

 

Medications for MCTD may also include other non-steroidal

anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarials, corticosteroids, and other

immunosuppressants. Anti-inflammatories Steroids, d-penicillimine,

and

methotrexate are used to reduce inflammation that seems to lead

to fibrosis. But, they depress the immune system and there are great

risks from the long-term side effects. Since the immune system is

suppressed, infection and cancer is a concern. As newer and better

drugs are proven effective, these drugs will not be used in the

future.

 

Other treatments used with people with serious symptoms are the

cancer

and organ transplant medications. These medications also

depress the immune system. Presently Cytoxin a cancer fighting drug

is

being tested in many sites around the nation. Even stem-cell

transplant, which is a very high-risk treatment because it wipes out

the immune system totally, has been used with some success in the

few patients who have undergone that treatment.

 

Newer Treatments: Research in Immunology has lead to immune modifying

treatments such as Gamma Globulin, Photopheresis, and Plasmapheresis

for autoimmune disease.

 

Photopheresis, developed at Yale University, modifies the immune

system by using a light source on the white blood cells that contain

the immune cells (the T-cells and B-cells). It is the only treatment

that has gone through a blinded, phase 3, multi-center trial and found

successful for Scleroderma. 68% of the 31 patients treated with

Photopheresis showed significant skin improvement as compared with

32% of the 25 patients who were treated with D-penicillamine.

 

Gamma Globulin has been shown highly effective to stabilize patients

with many autoimmune diseases, especially Lupus. Gamma

Globulin is made up of the white cells of hundreds of people, and is

given intravenously. Side effects from both Photopheresis and

Gamma Globulin are transient, mainly flu like symptoms.

 

Interferon is being investigated as a treatment for pulmonary

fibrosis

with no know origin (Ideopathic).The fibrosis from MCTD may not

be the same as Ideopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

 

Photopheresis, Gamma Globulin, Interferon, and Plasmapheresis are all

newer treatments and are not well understood, but have been

found effective in slowing or stopping the illness. These treatments

are usually not provided by a Rheumatologist. Photopheresis is

provided by dermatologists; Gamma Globulin by an Immunologist; and

Interferon Gamma by a Pulmonologist. They may not be a cure,

but have put people in a state of remission, without the side effects

of depressing the immune system.

 

Antibiotics for Autoimmunity: Similarly, there are many people

world-wide using low dose long-term antibiotics for autoimmune

diseases. Thomas McPherson Brown MD has shown that antibiotics

enhance

the immune system by removing Mycoplasma that the immune system is

attempting to eliminate. Research studies by O'Dell et al. supported

by the U.S. National Institute of Health have shown that antibiotics

can put Rheumatoid Arthritis into remission. There have been a number

of other studies replicating these results. Low dose Antibiotics have

been found to be useful with any autoimmune disease.

 

Recently, there has been a small study out of Harvard by Trentham, MD

reported in the Journal Lancet, showing that antibiotics put

Scleroderma into remission in most of the subjects who stayed in the

open label study. A larger study with 150 Scleroderma patients is

being held presently. The advantage of this treatment is that there

are relatively few side effects, mainly flu like symptoms, or flares

of the original symptoms, then great improvement. It has no damaging

effects on the body and is relatively inexpensive since the

antibiotics are used in low dosage. It can be used in conjunction

with

almost any other medication. Once it begins to be effective, drugs

that are more toxic can be eliminated. Unfortunately, it is

relatively

slow to get to remission. Therefore, it is better to start this

medication as soon as a diagnosis is made. People with long standing

illnesses will need a longer course of treatment and stronger

antibiotics. With serious symptoms, it is recommended that a doctor

is

located with experience in the use of this treatment.

 

Mixed Connective Tissue Disease At A Glance:

 

1) Connective tissues are the framework of the cells of the body.

2) MCTD is an "overlap" combination of connective tissue diseases.

3) Diagnosis of MCTD is supported by detecting abnormal antibodies in

the blood.

4) Treatment of MCTD is directed at suppressing immune-related

inflammation of tissues.