Immune system crash v vitamins

[Louise09]

Hi everyone, I have a problem with my immune system.

I don't work (RA & Fibromyalgia to blame!) Therefore I don't go out very often but when I do I end up poorly.

I had my PiP assessment on 23rd October and the day after my hubby had a horrendous cold so I went shopping for cold remedies. The next day I felt so tired, heady and fluey (this could have been because my daughter had an operation on the Saturday before my appointment on Tuesday and I stayed and looked after her) Didn't get up until the Sunday. A week later and we went to a children's birthday party 2 days later I'm back in bed with a cold, sore throat, bunged up nose so I can't sleep etc).

Does anyone else have a similar situation and who takes vitamins to bump their immune system?

Sorry for the rambling but my head is a fuzz of cotton wool.

Xx

[weathervane]

A muli vit with vit c , selenium and zinc can boost your immune system and at the start of a cold take 75mg zinc for a couple of days . I also got a nutribullet and made drinks with berries pineapple spinach/ kale . Plenty of hand washing also helps!! I hope you start to feel better soon as it horrible to feel constantly under the weather. If you are worried do see your gp xx

[NeonkittyUK]

Yes I use a Nutri Ninja too, WV .. Wouldn't be without it .. to make fruit juices and soups to boost vitamin intake, but I still get quite a few people's cold festers. I was just about to ask on here about a certain supplement and if anyone's used Sambucol liquid which I believe is very good for colds and has vitamin c and zinc among other things? I agree about the hand washing too if you are going out and about a lot. As we take immuno-suppressant meds our immunity is quite compromised and I've been told I would get colds much easier. I didn't until this last year after three years of being on Rtx but then I've got much fitter and go out more so mingle with more germs 😑. Hope you soon feel better Louise.

[Shalf in reply to NeonkittyUK]

I've got nutri ninja too! Brilliant wee thing it is!

[NeonkittyUK in reply to Shalf]

I can't live without mine! Hubby addicted to my smoothies too.

[oldtimer]

I presume you are on medication for your RA? That's to reduce your immune response to reduce the damage to your joints. It doesn't seem logical to take something to boost your immune system at the same time...

It isn't possible to avoid all infection from other people altogether. Taking the usual precautions of frequent handwashing and not touching your nose helps, of course. Small amounts of frequent exposure to people and their germs builds up your antibody response to infections in a more manageable way, so avoiding contact with people may be counter-productive as well as being bad for your social life!

[NeonkittyUK in reply to oldtimer]

Exactly why I don't take supplements as I always read and understood that too, but after so many cold festers I'm tempted ...

[Louise09]

Thanks for your replies. I use anti bacterial gel when I'm out and about and couldn't agree more about hand washing. Plus I understand that avoiding germs isn't the best idea (what is a social life anyway?)

I've got the perfect solution - we need a 6 month holiday to the Carribbean, it would save the NHS a fortune!!!

[dbestdeb in reply to Louise09]

Sounds great, but the people there have germs too unfortunately.

[Louise09 in reply to dbestdeb]

But the sunshine...... And fresh fruit. Vitamin D & C. X

[dbestdeb in reply to Louise09]

I live in Florida. Not the Caribbean but still lots of fruit and sunshine. I’m just grateful I can wear flip flops most of the year. 😂😂

[Louise09 in reply to dbestdeb]

I'm on my way! X

[NeonkittyUK in reply to Louise09]

If people would stay home when they are coughing and sneezing it would help a lot!!

[nablur]

I would start wearing a mask whenever you’re around anyone who is ill 😷 . It’s flu season and so much floating around. Did you have a flu shot? I wear one when’re I’m on the floors and in the ER at the hospital. Hope this helps.

[nomoreheels]

Life happens. We can try to avoid all the nasties going around this time of year by swerving people coughing, sneezing & sniffling but in reality we're open to catching anything, we can't hide ourselves away. You don't say which meds you're on but if they're DMARDs then your immune system won't have taken too much of a bashing, it's when we move onto anti-TNF's & biologics that it is properly reduced.

So if you're on DMARDs just be sensible & if you want to take vitamins limit them to those that don't say they boost the immune system, the meds we take are to reduce our already overactive immune system, you're cancelling them out to a degree if you do. Some say taking 1000mg Vitamin C helps but I'd rather have it the natural way in food, I eat those packed with it anyway so just increase the amount I eat over Autumn/Winter. There's little point taking expensive cold remedies, if you don't take it as part of your RD treatment paracetamol helps with the aches & pains & brings down a fever, a decongestant such as Vicks is a must I find too. Both of these are in Lemsip (& most other similar cold relief preparations) but as I touched on they work out more expensive. Also ibuprofen (if you don't take an NSAID) helps too. For a lovely soothing drink try honey (quality Manuka if you can afford for it's antibiotic properties), freshly squeezed lemon & hot water, it's very soothing. For a sore or inflamed throat gargle with salt water.

Again if you're taking a DMARD don't take echinacea, especially if you're on MTX. Both can increase your white blood cells & over stimulate your immune system worsening your RD symptoms. There's limited evidence it works for colds anyway.

I'd just be sure you're eating as heathy diet as you can, avoid people with colds, keep up sensible germ control by using hand sanitizer when touching things other people have touched like public loo doors (use after you've exited the last door), shopping baskets & trolleys, but you get the idea. If you wear a scarf when out you can always cover up your nose & mouth if you can't avoid someone who's coughing or start just as you're passing them. Also arrange to be have the flu & pneumonia vaccines if you haven't already Louise.

I hope you're over the worst of the cold & you receive what you need from PIP too.

[Louise09 in reply to nomoreheels]

I'm on both DMARDS and anti-TNF. Honey and paracetamol, lemons are on my shopping list. Thank you so much for replying. X

[NeonkittyUK in reply to nomoreheels]

Yes we are indeed more compromised on the anti TNFs/the biologics which is exactly what I've discovered. It isn't right though when people like my SIL will invite us to her house knowing full well a member of her family has streaming cold and will "forget" to tell me .. Just so we will go and she can see my husband/her brother. We have had these talks with her and she ignores but she won't let anyone be near her with a cold and she isn't on RA meds or has RA. Just doesn't want a cold. One rule for her and one rule for .. Rest of the world!! My husband is supportive and says we leave if we go anywhere and someone is coughing and sneezing all over me/us. To me it is bad manners too. I cannot stand the strength of Manuka as it is so powerfully medicinal which is what people want but .. I'm a delicate honey lover orange blossom and sunflower (Tesco Finest Orange Blossom honey is divine!) but my husband drinks Manuka every day in hot lemon and honey. I do some days but my own preferred honey and some grated fresh ginger and I never have a sore throat as such so that does help. Just my festers go straight to the chest. Catahhr.

[crazylady57]

Hi there. I know it sounds silly, but I know our meds are to dampen down our immune system, so I couldn't quite work out if it was good to be boosting it with all these immune building foods. I mentioned it to my doctor, and she said it didn't work quite like that and to eat healthily and to have a good immune system. Back to the nuts broccoli etc.