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Very poor immunity

Messages
91
my immunity is very poor - infections (cellulitis, influenza, respiratory infections, chronic sinus infections) almost every month , is here anything I can do besides vitamin, healthy diet, cleanliness the obvious.

Many thanks in advance
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
One of the most helpful things that happened on my journey was to have my immune system tested. There are more tests, but testing my immunoglobulins with subclasses, NK cells and a T cell and B cell panel were helpful. And testing for chronic infections.

This led to being treated with intravenous immunoglobulins, antivirals, and antibiotics, which have helped tremendously.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
my immunity is very poor - infections (cellulitis, influenza, respiratory infections, chronic sinus infections) almost every month , is here anything I can do besides vitamin, healthy diet, cleanliness the obvious.

Many thanks in advance
Chronic sinus infections can be a sign of allergies. My allergist said that I could get this under control by treating allergies (decreased exposure to allergens and allergy shots).

When multiple antibiotics were not getting rid of my chronic sinus infections I saw a naturopath who gave me stuff (this was a long time ago) who was successful in getting rid the sinus infections. I still followed up with getting allergy shots.
 
Messages
91
One of the most helpful things that happened on my journey was to have my immune system tested. There are more tests, but testing my immunoglobulins with subclasses, NK cells and a T cell and B cell panel were helpful. And testing for chronic infections.

This led to being treated with intravenous immunoglobulins, antivirals, and antibiotics, which have helped tremendously.

That’s great to hear! Thanks for your reply.

I am presuming I can’t do this in the UK though because I’ve had every test the doctor was prepared to give me here :(
 
Messages
91
Chronic sinus infections can be a sign of allergies. My allergist said that I could get this under control by treating allergies (decreased exposure to allergens and allergy shots).

When multiple antibiotics were not getting rid of my chronic sinus infections I saw a naturopath who gave me stuff (this was a long time ago) who was successful in getting rid the sinus infections. I still followed up with getting allergy shots.

I am going to look at finding a neuropath.
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,932
One of the most helpful things that happened on my journey was to have my immune system tested. There are more tests, but testing my immunoglobulins with subclasses, NK cells and a T cell and B cell panel were helpful. And testing for chronic infections.

This led to being treated with intravenous immunoglobulins, antivirals, and antibiotics, which have helped tremendously.
I can't say better.

I have immunity problems, catching every virus and getting very severe infections from them.

I tested for LymphocytesT (CD4 and CD8), and discovered my CD8 are very low, which is very meaningful.

Another thing that can lower immunity is mitochondrial diseases...I have both...:)
 
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Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
my immunity is very poor - infections (cellulitis, influenza, respiratory infections, chronic sinus infections) almost every month , is here anything I can do besides vitamin, healthy diet, cleanliness the obvious.

Most ME/CFS patients seem to have increased immunity from catching the colds in circulation, but a smaller percentage of patients seem to catch everything going, this poll found.

You would seem to fall in the latter category, although are your sure the respiratory infections are not just the chronic or recurrent sore throat that is a known symptom of ME/CFS?

But the norm is for ME/CFS patients to have increased immunity from catching the colds. It's not clear why some patients become more susceptible to infections



Rich Van Konynenburg had a hypothesis of how this seemingly increased immunity to viral infection arises: he thought that because some parts of the immune system in ME/CFS were working under par, this resulted in other areas of the immune system getting up-regulated in order to compensate. In particular, Rich though that our first line in immune defense — the interferon alpha and interferon beta response — was ramped up in ME/CFS patients in order to compensate for weaknesses in other areas of the immune system (weaknesses in natural killer cell and CD8 T cell function).

If you have your first line in immune defense (interferon) ramped up 24/7, this may mean that any cold virus that happens to land in your mouth or respiratory tract may tend to get immediately eradicated by the interferon response before it has a chance to take hold in the body.
 
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Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
Low glutathione, either from it being used up too fast or being produced too slowly in methylation as Richvank pointed out, can cause impaired immune function.

There are numerous studies supporting this.

Jarred Younger, at UAB, found a subset of patients with immune dysfunction and another subset with chronic infections. At the OMF Symposium, he told me that there's definitely a subset who have infections and immune problems.

I'm one who had both, and boosting my immune function, while fighting infections has dramatically improved my function.
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
That’s great to hear! Thanks for your reply.

I am presuming I can’t do this in the UK though because I’ve had every test the doctor was prepared to give me here :(
There are a couple patients from the UK who've had immune labs done. @justy ?

I know that intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), the treatment I'm getting, is available in the UK, so somehow they are testing patients to qualify for it. You might try contacting the European Society for Immunodeficiencies:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4285526/
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
Chronic sinus infections can be a sign of allergies. My allergist said that I could get this under control by treating allergies (decreased exposure to allergens and allergy shots).

When multiple antibiotics were not getting rid of my chronic sinus infections I saw a naturopath who gave me stuff (this was a long time ago) who was successful in getting rid the sinus infections. I still followed up with getting allergy shots.
Chronic sinus infections can also be fungal, which antibiotics won't help.

Food allergies (grains, milk, nightshade vegetables, etc.) can also promote an environment ripe for sinus infections. Finding I had celiac and allergies to milk, eggs, and corn, and getting them out of my diet helped improve my sinus health.
 

andyguitar

Moderator
Messages
6,595
Location
South east England
Sounds like some of your problems may well be something in the environment. You mention cleanliness. Do you use many household cleaning products ie bleach ect? I am in good health but these sort of thing have a pretty bad effect on me including sinus probs. Only use natural things these days for cleaning.
 

Dmitri

Senior Member
Messages
219
Location
NYC
Until about 1.5 years ago, I would get many bouts of cold/flu each year, especially following exposure to low temperatures.

Since then, I haven't gotten any specific cold symptoms. My condition is otherwise just as bad as it was before, with flares that are longer and more debilitating than colds. My state is constant "flu-like symptoms", but I recognized infections when I had a very sore throat, yellow-tinted mucus and constant cough, none of which happened lately.
 

Sundancer

Senior Member
Messages
569
Location
Holland
yes, I'm one with recurrent infections of sinuses and respiratory. It's february now, after three winters full of snot I seem to have wintered this one well. ( do I dare to write it down, the flu is still hanging around here)

I feel ( hope) that this is a good sign but am not sure how I came here.

Very careful with infection risk, very grateful for GP who comes to my house and has someone coming to my house for bloodtesting. Never ever overexert.. ( that's a hard one, of course I do overexert)Take very good care not to get cold ( not always easy in this old rattling house)

and as supplements I take ( of course) high dose of asorbic acid, codliveroil. Plus curcumine, two caps a day and in winter every day half a mug of elderberry. Oh, and in winter a daily dose of echinaforce
diet, indeed, no milk. Always camomilla tea, when I feel a slightly bad feeling I go over to sagetea

But probably it's just the natural course of things...( and I'm still not sure whether it did go away, time will tell. But it does feel better) Hmm, jotting it down, I added the curcumine to the mix this winter, maybe that was the finishing touch :) helps boost immunesystem, helps fight virus, antioxidant and methyldonor,
that is created just for me:thumbsup:

good stuff, but very yellow, I encapsulate it myself....
 

ljimbo423

Senior Member
Messages
4,705
Location
United States, New Hampshire
my immunity is very poor - infections (cellulitis, influenza, respiratory infections, chronic sinus infections) almost every month , is here anything I can do besides vitamin, healthy diet, cleanliness the obvious.

Many thanks in advance

I thought for several years I was getting 6-8 colds and flus a year, even in the summer and they would last 5-7 days each.

About 3 months ago I realized that by lowering the herbs I was taking to kill off a bacterial overgrowth in my gut, I could stop the "cold or flu" within a day or so, every time!

Since then I have also realized that these "colds and flus" often show up within a few days of me being more active physically. What I have learned is that they aren't colds or flus, they are actually CFS flares.

Usually being caused by too high a dose of herbs I'm taking, over-doing it physically or both. They feel EXACTLY like a cold or a flu but they are not.

If they were, I wouldn't be able to cut down their duration from 5-7 days to 1-1 1/2 days by lowering my intake of herbs and resting. They are also very different from PEM.

I used to take immune boosters like echinacea and astragalus when I started to feel those cold and flu symptoms coming on. Now I realize that they were actually prolonging my flares, rather than helping a cold or a flu!

EDIT- Another thing I couldn't figure out was why I was catching all these colds and flus. I would wash my hands after every time I went out and would often get sick without having any contact with anybody for days!!

Jim
 
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bertiedog

Senior Member
Messages
1,738
Location
South East England, UK
my immunity is very poor - infections (cellulitis, influenza, respiratory infections, chronic sinus infections) almost every month , is here anything I can do besides vitamin, healthy diet, cleanliness the obvious.

Like you Lucy I tended to pick up lots of infections/viruses but since I started trying to improve my gut function, my immune system has improved. I still picked up several viruses but got over them after 2 or 3 days maximum. They would make me feel unwell during those couple of days and then I would start to feel a lot better.

Fingers crossed so far I haven't needed antibiotics and its the first winter for many years that has been the case.

Pam
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
There are a couple patients from the UK who've had immune labs done. @justy ?

I know that intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), the treatment I'm getting, is available in the UK, so somehow they are testing patients to qualify for it

Most of my in depth immune testing was done by KDM in Belgium, not by the NHS in the UK. I did however get my GP to test immunoglobulin levels - IGG, IGM and sub classes

In the UK the only people that get IVIG are people with primary immune deficiency. I used SCIG for about two years and it really helped me, but this was prescribed privately by KDM.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
One of the most helpful things that happened on my journey was to have my immune system tested. There are more tests, but testing my immunoglobulins with subclasses, NK cells and a T cell and B cell panel were helpful. And testing for chronic infections.

This led to being treated with intravenous immunoglobulins, antivirals, and antibiotics, which have helped tremendously.
Did you manage to get IVIG covered by insurance? I'm starting that perilous journey now. Also , did the immunoglobulin actually help with recovery in terms of overall energy/sickness feeling, or did it merely help you with not getting frequent infections?
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
Yes, I was fortunate to have low total IgG as well as low subclasses 1 and 3. I also needed to do a Pneumovax challenge to meet my insurance companies guidelines. There were several ways of qualifying. Due to my diagnosis, which says I'll need it forever, they approved an initial year of treatment, every 3 weeks.

I started antivirals in June, IVIG in August, and IV azithromycin/doxycycline/rifampin in October. It's been a steady trend of improvement over time, though the IVIG gives me symptoms for 4-5 days each time. After that, I do ok until a couple days before the next IVIG.

My brain fog cleared, I don't feel as sick and fatigued, my lymph nodes aren't as swollen all the time, I'm not taking naps hardly at all now, when I was taking 2-3 a day, my POTS is improving, I can focus better and tolerate more exercise, and I almost feel normal at times, though I still have a long way to go to have a normal life.

But feeling normal even in little bits is amazing, given how I felt for 3 years.

So, for me, its been worth it, even though there have been significant side effects at times. And the foundational nutrition and endocrine support had been helpful, too.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
I'm hoping that dr stadtmauer will have some good ideas for endocrine support before we try any stuff with thyroid or get back on abx