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One bug after another.

Fuzzyhead

Senior Member
Messages
372
Lately i just seem to get a bug every few weeks. I had a sickness bug a few weeks ago and then on monday night i got pains in my neck and since then i have had a cold, frontal headache, sweating, horrid yellow/orange mucous in the morning, sore throat, aching, pain in my back and generally feel crap. I always get pains in my neck and spleen area before i feel like this It's like my body can't handle all the mucous and then i ache all over etc :(
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
Lately i just seem to get a bug every few weeks. I had a sickness bug a few weeks ago and then on monday night i got pains in my neck and since then i have had a cold, frontal headache, sweating, horrid yellow/orange mucous in the morning, sore throat, aching, pain in my back and generally feel crap. I always get pains in my neck and spleen area before i feel like this It's like my body can't handle all the mucous and then i ache all over etc :(

These could all be due to post-exertional malaise rather than infections. Are you pacing your activities, watching your diet, etc?
 

Spinney Lainey

Senior Member
Messages
148
Location
London
That's a common symptom too.

My sinuses are much better on my leaky-gut regime.

What's your leaky gut regime? I've been taking fibre, probiotics, digestitve enzymes and betaine hcl...........

I'm really despairing at this constant cold I have. It's driving me up the wall. It seems I'm constantly catching bugs, as my husband gets them too. I started a thread to see what tests people would recommend getting done for my immune system, as something is clearly amiss.........

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...d-you-prioritise-for-immune-dysfuntion.28145/
 
Messages
37
Location
Missouri
We had several years where the four of us just passed bugs back and forth, couldn't seem to get well. Finally I started gathering tips on helping cut back on flu and was able to break the cycle. We still get sick but we don't pass it as much and were not sick all winter. Mind you, we're still dealing with major fatigue issues, but not so much cold and flus. Here was the best tips I received:
1) don't brush your teeth in the bathroom or leave toothbrushes in the bathroom. Every time a toilet flushes, it disperses millions of particles ino the air which land on your toohbrush.
2) carry a stainless steal water bottle and never use a drinking fountain
3) remove BPA plastics from your home and especially avoid cooking in them. They suppress the immune system as well as thinning the epigenetic layers of DNA.
4) get an air filter with UVC light.
5) up your antioxidants....but I suspect you're already doing this. :)

Hope this helps.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Hi Spinney, I had this problem for the first 2-3 years of my serious relapse 5 years ago. I would catch every little thing, ne after the other and it would linger for weeks and weeks and then run into the next bug/virus. I have had this with flu, colds, throat infections and stomach bugs.

At one point I was too afraid to go out in case I caught something (which did actually seem to happen every time I left the house!)

My M.E was worse then, so some of it was from pushing, but I could soon see that a family member might also be a bit unwell. Uusally what happened was that I would be ill first and for longest while other family members would be mildly sniffly or just have a bit of a stomach ache - I would in comparison be laid up in bed for a couple of weeks and then a few more weeks to really recover - if I was lucky enough not to catch something else on top.

It was a nightmare! Evn now I still catch things more often and the affect me for longer, but no where near as badly as those couple of years.

I think what helped me was two things

1. I saw a medical herbalist for a couple of years, she prescribed herbal tinctures which I took every day and were for supporting the immune system - it was thanks to her I now finally have had the past two years with only one lung infection and only one course of antibiotics (I had to keep taking them before as my body could never seem to fight off infections on its own)

2. Cut back even further on activities and rest even more. (boring I know!) now that my M.E has slightly improved and I am able to potter at home and study a couple if hours a day (although this does make me still feel sick) I am very careful not to take on any more. I have tried going back to the odd 15 minute slow gentle swim/float in the pool, or the odd half hour gardening, but this ALWAYS causes all my symptoms to worsen and can take a few weeks to months to recover from. Despite being a bit more active I have decided I cannot do exercise at all and have even cut back on ym short walks around the garden, which at one point I was trying to do most days - now I only have a short walk once every week or every two weeks - just walking about the house seems to be enough for now.

I guess the other option is just that I have been ill for longer and the immune system has shifted (as seen in Lipkins research?) i'm sporry ic ant remember how long you have been ill for? I think for some this constant catching of things happens more in the early years and then tails off and turns into never catching anything.

Good luck with it.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
What's your leaky gut regime? I've been taking fibre, probiotics, digestitve enzymes and betaine hcl...........

My regime is summarised in my profile, and other people have detailed theirs in the leaky-gut forum. I've also done a blogpost on the likely links between leaky gut and ME.

I think you need to start by eliminating things that may be causing the problem: possible dietary components and overexertion. Probiotics can be problematic due to the difficulties in ascertaining which ones are good for you and which ones are bad. Prebiotics (e.g. resistant starch) may be better.

Do you know whether you are deficient in stomach acid and need to boost it with betaine HCl? Some people (like myself) seem to benefit from reducing acidity (e.g. with sodium bicarbonate) rather than increasing it.
 

mermaid

Senior Member
Messages
714
Location
UK
[quote="justy, post: 429438, member: 1132"

I guess the other option is just that I have been ill for longer and the immune system has shifted (as seen in Lipkins research?) i'm sporry ic ant remember how long you have been ill for? I think for some this constant catching of things happens more in the early years and then tails off and turns into never catching anything.

Good luck with it.[/quote]


Nice to see you again Justy. :)

I too am having a lot of problems with my immune system since Christmas in particular. I have been ill with ME for 9 years now, so sadly the 'early years' theory is not applicable.

That said, my immune system has shifted a bit I feel. I used to feel absolutely dire for days and feel my immune system was fighting and fighting but not going anywhere. That would go on for a week sometimes or more.

Now, I am actually getting slight colds but oh so many of them! Every blinking time I put my head out the door which isn't often this time of year. On the bright side, none of my colds has turned nasty and into anything worse.

I have a pretty superb diet and feel I am getting the leaky gut sorted gradually. I take loads of appropriate supplements too - maybe too many! Zinc and Vit C anyway. Also I had some testing done which was supposed to look at lympocyte sensitivity - have tried to do all the right things there to help sort the problem out.

I am a big fan of herbal support like Justy. I was certainly getting help from Oil of Oregano dripped under my tongue, but felt I should not keep on the same thing too long. I am just now trying out Echinacea tincture and will alternate I think and see if that helps.

I wonder about mouldy houses too with this problem re immune issues. My husband also is constantly under the weather. Other than moving we have no answers to that one.

I think it will all get better in the Spring!
 

Spinney Lainey

Senior Member
Messages
148
Location
London
Hi Spinney, I had this problem for the first 2-3 years of my serious relapse 5 years ago. I would catch every little thing, ne after the other and it would linger for weeks and weeks and then run into the next bug/virus. I have had this with flu, colds, throat infections and stomach bugs.

At one point I was too afraid to go out in case I caught something (which did actually seem to happen every time I left the house!)

My M.E was worse then, so some of it was from pushing, but I could soon see that a family member might also be a bit unwell. Uusally what happened was that I would be ill first and for longest while other family members would be mildly sniffly or just have a bit of a stomach ache - I would in comparison be laid up in bed for a couple of weeks and then a few more weeks to really recover - if I was lucky enough not to catch something else on top.

It was a nightmare! Evn now I still catch things more often and the affect me for longer, but no where near as badly as those couple of years.

I think what helped me was two things

1. I saw a medical herbalist for a couple of years, she prescribed herbal tinctures which I took every day and were for supporting the immune system - it was thanks to her I now finally have had the past two years with only one lung infection and only one course of antibiotics (I had to keep taking them before as my body could never seem to fight off infections on its own)

2. Cut back even further on activities and rest even more. (boring I know!) now that my M.E has slightly improved and I am able to potter at home and study a couple if hours a day (although this does make me still feel sick) I am very careful not to take on any more. I have tried going back to the odd 15 minute slow gentle swim/float in the pool, or the odd half hour gardening, but this ALWAYS causes all my symptoms to worsen and can take a few weeks to months to recover from. Despite being a bit more active I have decided I cannot do exercise at all and have even cut back on ym short walks around the garden, which at one point I was trying to do most days - now I only have a short walk once every week or every two weeks - just walking about the house seems to be enough for now.

I guess the other option is just that I have been ill for longer and the immune system has shifted (as seen in Lipkins research?) i'm sporry ic ant remember how long you have been ill for? I think for some this constant catching of things happens more in the early years and then tails off and turns into never catching anything.

Good luck with it.

Hi Justy,

Like you, it has been far worse since my major relapse, following appendicitis and appendectomy almost 2 years ago. However, I've always been inclined to be like this ever since I got ME 8 years ago. It is also to be noted that I used to work teaching the flute to kids, also at the time when I came down with ME, so was bombarded by germs all the time. I still have a couple of pupils now, one of whom sometimes gives me colds.

What is this idea about the immune system shifting - Lipkins research?

As for cutting down my activity - I am a totally frustrated musician :( generally I'm not that ill, apart from when I get bugs!

I've tried loads of supplements etc but not gone down the herb route. Which herbs did you try?
 

Spinney Lainey

Senior Member
Messages
148
Location
London
We had several years where the four of us just passed bugs back and forth, couldn't seem to get well. Finally I started gathering tips on helping cut back on flu and was able to break the cycle. We still get sick but we don't pass it as much and were not sick all winter. Mind you, we're still dealing with major fatigue issues, but not so much cold and flus. Here was the best tips I received:
1) don't brush your teeth in the bathroom or leave toothbrushes in the bathroom. Every time a toilet flushes, it disperses millions of particles ino the air which land on your toohbrush.
2) carry a stainless steal water bottle and never use a drinking fountain
3) remove BPA plastics from your home and especially avoid cooking in them. They suppress the immune system as well as thinning the epigenetic layers of DNA.
4) get an air filter with UVC light.
5) up your antioxidants....but I suspect you're already doing this. :)

Hope this helps.

What sort of things are made from BPA plastic? Water bottles? If so, it's hard to win because tap water is not good and water filter harbour germs!
 
Messages
37
Location
Missouri
What sort of things are made from BPA plastic? Water bottles? If so, it's hard to win because tap water is not good and water filter harbour germs!

Most plastic cookware made before 2000 was made with BPA. Most companies in the U.S. have started using other forms of plastic and will advertise as BPA free. Tupperware remains defiant and refuses to stop using BPA except in baby bottles. California, I believe, has banned it. I think your basic water bottles are BPA free and the real danger comes from cooking/microwaving in plastics. Stick with glass or ceramics. The epigenetic research comes from Duke University's Dr. Randy Jirtle and is quite definitive and startling. Our doc was so impressed with the imprvements we saw going off plastics that she started recommending it to all of her patients.
 

Spinney Lainey

Senior Member
Messages
148
Location
London
My regime is summarised in my profile, and other people have detailed theirs in the leaky-gut forum. I've also done a blogpost on the likely links between leaky gut and ME.

I think you need to start by eliminating things that may be causing the problem: possible dietary components and overexertion. Probiotics can be problematic due to the difficulties in ascertaining which ones are good for you and which ones are bad. Prebiotics (e.g. resistant starch) may be better.

Do you know whether you are deficient in stomach acid and need to boost it with betaine HCl? Some people (like myself) seem to benefit from reducing acidity (e.g. with sodium bicarbonate) rather than increasing it.

The reason I know I have low stomach acid is because I did a burping test with bicarbonate of soda (I found out about how to do the test on here).
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
The reason I know I have low stomach acid is because I did a burping test with bicarbonate of soda (I found out about how to do the test on here).

There are questions over whether this gives an accurate indication though. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I vary in my response to bicarb. Usually I burp within minutes (even less than a minute), less often it takes longer, and very occasionally it doesn't happen at all. The latter usually occurs when I am feeling worse than usual, from PEM or a dietary error.
 

Spinney Lainey

Senior Member
Messages
148
Location
London
There are questions over whether this gives an accurate indication though. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I vary in my response to bicarb. Usually I burp within minutes (even less than a minute), less often it takes longer, and very occasionally it doesn't happen at all. The latter usually occurs when I am feeling worse than usual, from PEM or a dietary error.

I didn't burp at all when I tried it and it seems to have helped with my bloating....