Infections Galore

[Jaysinc]

Hi All,

I wanted to ask your opinions/experiences when it comes to infections.

Brief History: I have early / low level liver damage (not too sure how to class it), a significantly enlarged spleen and numerous long standing blood clots, which is possibly caused by a rare blood disease but hard to diagnose and be sure, supposedly this is what has caused the damage to my liver but still not 100%. My platelet count is low although not considered low enough to be of major concern.

Long story short I’ve been ill with various symptoms for past 2 1/2 years. However over the past 3-6 months I seem to be picking up a lot of infections such as eye infections, Staphylococcal infections, ear infections (very bad ones) and even an infected foot from a blister that took 3 months of treatment to completely go away.

My GP seems to think they are completely unrelated and it’s just bad luck, but I never used to get infections, ever. Even whilst taking antibiotics I have developed other infections, for which they just prescribe more antibiotics.

So I’m wondering if any of you have experienced an increase in infections as a result of an enlarged spleen etc. I’ve looked online and seen it can be linked but always a bit sceptical getting info from the web!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Jay

[Hidden]

Hello Jay, your certainly right to be sceptical about the web. I always advice people to try and avoid the American websites as a lot of stuff that goes on over there is different to over here in the UK. Different drugs for example.

Have you ever had your immune system checked?Sometimes people are more susceptible to contracting infection if their immune system is unable to deal with any infection. I would also see what you liver iron levels are like as there might be some slight anaemia.

I'm not sure how old you are but a full health checkup might be an idea. I hope your GP can get to the bottom of this for you. If l was in your shoes, l'd most certainly want to know some answers. Your talking of possible blood disease. I would want to know this for sure, and not be expected to accept, "might be", or "could be". I've recently spoken about this to a gastroenterologist earlier last week. I remined him that there was a time when doctors were regarded as men of science. They would always look and ask, "why". Nowadays they seem to have lost this, as some seem quiet happy with just the, "could be, or might be". Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion either.

Good luck.

[Jaysinc in reply to Hidden]

Hi Richard, thanks for the reply.

I’m currently under Kings for Hepatology and Haematology. The problem with the blood disorder is it’s extremely rare and is very hard to diagnose clearly as my markers fluctuate between positive and negative. I do think anaemia is a possibility but no one has mentioned this to me and I have blood tests every few weeks. I have also taken part in the 100 Genomes Project at Kings which looks at DNA for rare disorders and possible causes. I’m 29 but I think my body thinks it’s about 80!

However it is frustrating not having a definitive diagnosis or solution as I feel like my body is constantly deteriorating and my symptoms worsen and increase over time with no end in site and up until now I have managed to work full-time with time off only for appointments but with these infections that’s becoming much harder.

I will ask about Anaemia etc. at my next consultation.

Cheers

[Hidden]

The infections could well be related to your liver problems. For most of my life I've been extremely healthy rarely getting so much as a cold but for several years before I got sick with hepatitis I got repeated infections such as tonsillitis that lasted for six weeks, skin infections etc. Then after realising that my liver was struggling and adopting a healthy lifestyle that resulted in my liver coming good my immune system is now back to the way it was before my liver problems began. Based on my experience when the liver struggles the immune system can also struggle as a result of the liver problems.

[Jaysinc in reply to Hidden]

Hey Edward,

It’s the same for me, before this all started I don’t think the GP knew I existed and now I’m there so much as I should get a loyalty card.

I agree with the lifestyle part, I’ve changed my diet, I haven’t had a drink in 2 and a half years although I wasn’t a big drinker anyway. Just need to increase my exercise, which shouldn’t be hard as it’s practically non-existent at the moment.

Cheers

[Hidden]

In my case I haven't had a drink of alcohol for over 3 years & 8 months but like you I was never much of a drinker before I gave up. I ran my liver down through over reliance on painkillers which I stopped as soon as I realised that my liver was struggling.

It's taken a long time for my liver to improve & I still don't think it's fully back to normal. Like you my platelet count has been low. It drops down as low as 135 and has never been above 180. At my last blood test it was 143 so still not back to normal (150) & it wouldn't surprise me if it's still low at my next blood test in a month. When my platelet count reached 180 in one of my blood tests I tried to work out what caused it to rise & it appears that it was because I ate multiple small meals daily & never went hungry for long. I suspect that my persistent low platelet count may not be solely due to my liver problems.

I'm continuing to eat multiple times per day because I feel that my body works better that way. I avoid saturated fat and eat plenty of carbs & vegetables plus a little lean meat most days. I also eat a few pieces of fruit daily. I've also taken up drinking coffee after reading that it's good for the liver & I drink several cups per day. I exercise on a treadmill doing power walking for up to 50 mins almost daily. I also get plenty of rest & I'm practicing meditation to try & reduce my stress levels.