Immunosuppressant or immunostimulant?

[Hip]

Bah, I wish things were less complicated.

The simple version of Rich's theory is:


Why You Rarely Catch a Cold in ME/CFS

Some parts of the immune system are weak and not working well in ME/CFS, which means that other parts of the immune system have to fight extra hard to try to compensate for this weakness. It is actually the frontline, first-on-call troops of the immune system that are constantly fighting extra hard in order to try to compensate.

Because these frontline, first-on-call troops are fighting extra hard 24/7, any cold virus that lands in your throat is instantly wiped out by these troops.

 

[August59]

I'm kind of a newbie so please bear with me here. First some facts:

-- I haven't had a cold or any infection at all since I got ME/CFS in 2004. Doesn't matter how much people cough at me.
-- When I become allergic to our cat I get a great energy boost.
-- Got lots of autoimmunity (RA; MS, psoriasis etc) in my family.
-- Swine flu vaccine left me feeling much better for a month.
-- Goji berries, that are supposed to stimulate the immune system, makes me feel like shit for four hours, with aching lymph nodes, heavy feeling over my chest and achy throat.

I draw the conclution that what I need is an immunosuppressant, not a stimulant. Still, the stuff mostly mentioned here, like iisoprisine, are supposed to be stimulants.

Anyone able to sort this out for me?

There is a "poll" on the forum somewhere that indicates many of us have been free of illnesses since coming down with ME/CFS.

Myself have not been sick, other than ME/CFS, in over 10 years. However this past December I was hit with cancer of the tonsils, tongue and 3 or 4 of the associated lymph nodes. I had surgery and 37 sessions of radiation and my 6 month PET-CT Scan was completely free.

I used to get colds a couple of times a year and I have never had the flu in my entire life. I used to get cold sore once or twice a year and I have not a single one since I came down with ME/CFS.

I do think in my situation that the immune system has been modified to a degree, but I can't pin down what has change. Some lab work would probably give me an idea though. I do have a couple of re-activated viruses that I have never found anyone to treat me for.

It also does seem to me that people that have came down with ME/CFS and have become likely to have chronic bacterial infections, which could be related to lymes disease or not. This is just an observation of mine and I don't know this for sure.