Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Coxsackie B4 & Onset Type 1

Since Andrew was diagnosed with diabetes, I've often wondered what pushed his body over the edge and into the world of type 1.

Was it eating too much sugar?

Was is not having enough exercise?

Was it being slightly overweight?

After learning more about type 1 being an autoimmune disease, I know it's none of the above. 

Which brings me to my next set of questions:

Am I the one responsible since I have Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease?

Could it be from Lupus being in the family?

Could it be from Crohn's Disease being in the family?


There are definitely autoimmune issues that run through my family.  With Andrew having celiac disease, that just adds yet another autoimmune disease to the list, although there is a strong link between celiac disease and type 1 diabetes.

I can't help think about what the doctor asked me in the hospital when he was admitted, "Has your son been sick recently?".  The only thing I could think of was that he had what I thought was hand-foot-mouth disease a few months prior.  He had ulcers under his tongue, rash and temperature.  The pediatrician was skeptical that's what he had because the rash was in slightly different places.  His younger brother had the same virus, but worse.  He had a lot more trouble eating due to the ulcers. 

I wonder.........
Could something as simple as a cold virus have sent everything in motion?

I guess you can say that we will never know, but it really makes me wonder.   After peaking my curiosity with the hand-foot-mouth disease, I decided to Google any relationship that it would have with the onset of type 1.  I've read that the coxsackie virus, particularly B4, can be responsible for destruction of the beta cells within the pancreas.  I've included some links below that I found relating coxsackie with diabetes. 

With diabetes affecting infants, could that mean that the mother had a cold before she delivered?  Could a cure for diabetes be a vaccination?  These are burning unanswered questions and I hope and pray that they will be answered in the near future.


4 comments:

  1. My 6 year old daughter was diagnosed on 2/17/10 with Type 1 Diabetes. She also had the cocksackie virus. My other kids have all gotten this virus before, but she had the worst case I had ever seen. It was exactly 3 months before her diagnosis with Type 1. I definitely think that there is an association, no doubt about it.

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  2. Hi Crystala,
    This whole thing is just amazing to me. You wonder then what makes some kids get type 1 and their siblings don't when they have all contracted the same virus. My younger son actually had it worse than Andrew. I couldn't believe the ulcers!!!

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  3. I agree with u... there is no doubt it's one of the causes...
    my two and half year old Son had the coxsackie with ulcers in the mouth, fever for about a month, all the medication u can think about for fevers and all of the antibiotics....doctors r stupid at this part of the world .....then it was not 2 month before he was diagnosed type 1 diabetes.(May 1st 2012).. it is called coxsackie B4....does that means before diabetes...damn it there should be a vaccine to prevent future cases...

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  4. with no family history whatsoever...

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