Posted 3/16/2012 11:54 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum, ucwarrior. There are quite a few of us here who have thyroid disease - either Grave's or Hashimoto's - and IBD or other autoimmune diseases. It is well established that anyone who has one autoimmune disease has a significantly increased risk for others.
While there is believed to be a genetic component to this group of diseases, the majority of people have no relatives who are affected, and specific genetic markers haven't been found for most of them. Most likely it's a combination of factors - genetic proclivity may be the root, with environmental factors providing the "triggers" that actually cause the disease to occur.
Good luck with your search, and let us know what you learn.