Thank you for everyone's replies. Really I was just asking the question at the moment whether it was worth pursuing the immunology issue for myself rather than jumping to the conclusion that I needed an IVIG, since I have no experience in this arena.
I don't really know if immunologists have any other help to offer people like me and yet it seems odd since ME clearly has a lot of immune dysfunction going on, and also clearly there is research going on into that. I guess I am just surprised - though of course perhaps much of that relates to the politics of the whole ME scene (I know for example that on the whole neurologists are rather hostile to ME sufferers unless they can put them into the MS box or some other known neurology label).
Until I have had the repeat blood tests and see which direction things are going in then I won't be making any decisions to ask to see an immunologist - if of course I am able to understand the results, since it seems my GP is no wiser than I am from her own admittance - though i guess that the labs sometimes give a commentary to them?
It is only in recent years (maybe the last 3 or 4) that I have had full blood counts done. Almost unbelievably I had NO blood tests done (other than for underactive thyroid which I was already diagnosed with) prior to being referred to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Unit, and when I got there I saw an immunologist (now retired) and yet he also did no tests.
It was only when I went to a private Dr for a while, and saw an Endocrinologist who did tests, that I began to look at the results and start to see patterns - consistently low lymphocytes over several years, low phagocytes (think that is the right term for things like neutrophils, eosonophils and lymphocytes) and wondered what was going on with my immune system.
No, @Jonathan Edwards maybe I do not have severe immune issues going on all the time (thank God) but there is also something not quite right either as I am constantly fighting the next cold or infection. Oil of Oregano has been my saviour in that regard, and actually my tests this year did show improvements in the phagocytes for the first time for some years. Incidentally I also have now read that IgG levels drop slightly for the over 60s which I am, so that could also account for that being a bit on the lowish side.
As I said, above, I was just asking the question really as also the tests I have had done are pretty basic, and I know that other people have had more in depth testing done by going to private Drs, which the NHS doesn't do unless you get referred to a specialist (an immunologist in this case).
Incidentally, I know that CFS units have little to offer in terms of useful treatment, but I have asked to be rereferred to our local one as my mental symptoms have been worse this year. I decided in part to ask for the blood tests to be repeated to see if there is any consistency of low results over time, since my immune issues are one of my main symptoms, and then I have something to discuss with them, and I would like to ask them why they don't think it's important to make sure these tests are done. This time my GP told me that they like to know weight and height before I go (ho hum - what about the more important stuff I want to ask!).
I don't really know if immunologists have any other help to offer people like me and yet it seems odd since ME clearly has a lot of immune dysfunction going on, and also clearly there is research going on into that. I guess I am just surprised - though of course perhaps much of that relates to the politics of the whole ME scene (I know for example that on the whole neurologists are rather hostile to ME sufferers unless they can put them into the MS box or some other known neurology label).
Until I have had the repeat blood tests and see which direction things are going in then I won't be making any decisions to ask to see an immunologist - if of course I am able to understand the results, since it seems my GP is no wiser than I am from her own admittance - though i guess that the labs sometimes give a commentary to them?
It is only in recent years (maybe the last 3 or 4) that I have had full blood counts done. Almost unbelievably I had NO blood tests done (other than for underactive thyroid which I was already diagnosed with) prior to being referred to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Unit, and when I got there I saw an immunologist (now retired) and yet he also did no tests.
It was only when I went to a private Dr for a while, and saw an Endocrinologist who did tests, that I began to look at the results and start to see patterns - consistently low lymphocytes over several years, low phagocytes (think that is the right term for things like neutrophils, eosonophils and lymphocytes) and wondered what was going on with my immune system.
No, @Jonathan Edwards maybe I do not have severe immune issues going on all the time (thank God) but there is also something not quite right either as I am constantly fighting the next cold or infection. Oil of Oregano has been my saviour in that regard, and actually my tests this year did show improvements in the phagocytes for the first time for some years. Incidentally I also have now read that IgG levels drop slightly for the over 60s which I am, so that could also account for that being a bit on the lowish side.
As I said, above, I was just asking the question really as also the tests I have had done are pretty basic, and I know that other people have had more in depth testing done by going to private Drs, which the NHS doesn't do unless you get referred to a specialist (an immunologist in this case).
Incidentally, I know that CFS units have little to offer in terms of useful treatment, but I have asked to be rereferred to our local one as my mental symptoms have been worse this year. I decided in part to ask for the blood tests to be repeated to see if there is any consistency of low results over time, since my immune issues are one of my main symptoms, and then I have something to discuss with them, and I would like to ask them why they don't think it's important to make sure these tests are done. This time my GP told me that they like to know weight and height before I go (ho hum - what about the more important stuff I want to ask!).
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