Could my APS be the reason that I catch anything that's going around?

[struggling]

My haematologist has told me that she believes that I could well have had APS since birth. All my life I've suffered out of proportion with viruses and infections. When I catch something, it hits me very hard and lasts a lot longer than with other people who appear to have caught the same thing. I dread illness spreading through my workplace, because when (not if) I catch it, it'll just floor me for perhaps a week or two (and I won't feel right for perhaps another couple of weeks), whereas my colleagues will feel poorly for a day or so and that's it. I'm wondering if my immune system has been in a permanently weakened state. Not had a lot of support from docs on this question. Regards to you all.

[WayneL]

Hi, Struggling.

I would think that given the average state of APS patients immune systems, it would seem logical to assume that a weak immune system would not perform to its best and as a result keep you sicker for longer periods than "normal" .

I agree with your hematologists belief, in that the longer you've had this syndrome, the longer it would take to recover from even the smallest infection.

Wayne L

[Suzypawz]

I presume it would affect your immune system like this if you'd had aps since an early stage....

In my case I had a very good immune system when I was young, never got anything...colds, measles even spots!

But when I was in my 20's I caught chicken pox from my kids & was really bad with it, developed allergies then got told I had aps when 31, I still believe I developed it from the big shock when I lost my father? as it was just before I develpoed all these & my immune system went to pot........

I too get very ill from even a cold now.......

Sue.

[emmaj]

ive always suffered terrible with colds, other people seem to be able to carry on but im floored!

[Tomcat]

I've found that since I was diagnosed I do get battered if I catch a cold, I tend to get all the normal symptoms of a cold plus all my usuall APS symptoms get magnfied. I found that if I temporarily increase the steroids for a couple of days then that helps a lot.

[Lesley_D]

Hi there, yup also for me too. I have bout after bout of colds that go straight into a chest infection and pluersy. I find I am on regular steroids.... Which poses another question..... Don't prednisilobe and the like affect our immune system? I wonder is the drug given to help us actually harming us too??!

Lesley

[Jade]

Oh dear maybe I am odd but I really don't catch anything. I always assumed that was because we have an over active immune system which fights everything including ourselves.