Constant infections are ruining my life!

[Xanthe]

Over the past 10 years I've recovered from ME to 90% normal but in the past 2 years I've lurched from one infection to another - mycoplasma pneumonia, long duration bronchitis, gastritis, ear infections, cold bugs etc. and the 'r getting worse and more frequent. When this happens I have a massive immune reaction like an exaggerated version of the one I get if I eat dairy (I'm allergic to that). My bloods are normal and my last thyroid and adrenal tests were normal too. my GP isn't sympathetic and I don't know where to turn for advice. I suspect that it's my immune system which was hammered 2 years ago with a 3 month course of antibiotics. Can anyone suggest who can help me with this?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Xanthe

What do you do to strengthen your immune system? Prevention is better than cure.

I have to avoid infection because I have progressive lung disease and any cold/chest/lung infection causes me big problems.

To help myself I do the following

* All year round I take 1 teaspoonful of garlic liquid daily (Allimed). If I feel I have an infection starting, I increase the amount.

* Plenty of Vit C daily

* Lots of hand washing (even wear gloves), or even hand gel, as germs are left on shopping trolley handles, door handles, check-in screen at doctors, etc.

* Stay away from people with known infection, tell them not to visit you.

* Homeopathic Oscillococcinum - one pillule on one day per month from October through to March. It's a "flu preventive" and I haven't had a cold for donkeys years. I have mine made up at a homeopathic pharmacy. Can be used as a "treatment" if you do get a cold.

* If I do feel I have an infection then I use Oil of Oregano (capsule form) as it is antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, etc.

[Xanthe in reply to SeasideSusie]

HI Susie,

Thanks for all this information. I take high dose vit C (grams per day) also zinc and selenium on top of a good quality multi vit and mineral, as well as ginger tea. I've just changed to a higher dose probiotic because I know that my "good bacteria" are very depleted. The Allimed sounds very useful so I'll give that a try.

[shaws Administrator]

I would advise you to get a Full Thyroid Function Test and the NHS wont do all of these so I doubt your doctor will.

However, there are some private labs that will do them and it might be worth your while.

These are finger pin-prick tests and you should be well hydrated a couple of days before so blood draw is easier. Blood draw should be at the earliest possible and fasting. Also hands/arms should be warm. If you don't think you can do this, they also have places that will do it for you.

Most members seem to be able to do the blood draw themselves. I haven't so cannot advise.

You need:

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

GP should definitely test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

At one time we used to be diagnosed upon our clinical symptoms alone and doctors gave us a trial of NDT (natural dessicated thyroid hormones). No blood tests then, only the skill of GPs and if we improved we were hypo.

I have read that M.E. - CFS - Fibro were only diagnosed about ten years after the introduction of blood tests, before that we'd be diagnosed upon our clinical symptoms and prescribed NDT.

I'll give you a list:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Nowadays all doctors only diagnose through a blood test and it could ages for it to reach 10 - even if patient is suffering.

What is 'normal' to doctors/endocrinologis isn't normal to us, the patient.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Xanthe in reply to shaws]

Hi Shaws,

Thanks for your advice. My GP is unhelpful - even getting a basic blood test is a struggle - so I use the home finger prick tests where necessary and I'm changing to another GP group. My last thyroid results were:

TSH 0.149 (0.27-4.2)

FT4 13.5 (12 - 22)

FT3 7.11 (3.10-6.80)

As the FT3 was a bit high I adjusted down the porcine glandulars I take (Metavive).

I inject B12 ( last result over 2000 ng/l (180-640) and I use a vit D mouth spray daily.

But you've got me thinking - my last iron panel was a year ago and I have trouble getting the ferritin level up without taking the total iron level over the range, so I'll get that retested, and the folate.

last result (Jan 2017) was:

Iron 21.2 (6.6-26.0)

TIBC 59 (41-77)

Transferrin 36 (20-55)

Ferritin 86 (13-150)

Xanthe

[shaws Administrator in reply to Xanthe]

I will add in SeasideSusie whose knowledge with vits/minerals is brilliant and I'm sure she'll respond.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Xanthe]

These are optimal results for an iron panel

Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range with higher end for men

TIBC or Transferrin: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, high in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron

Saturation: 35 to 45% with higher end for men

Ferritin: Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation. High level with low serum iron/low saturation indicates inflammation or infection

For thyroid hormone to work (that's our own as well as replacement hormone) it's said that ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range.

There's no point in commenting on 2 year old results, they wont mean anything now.

Vit D - The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L [50ng/ml] and the Vit D Society recommends a level between 100-150nmol/L [40-60ng/ml]

Folate - recommended to be at least half way through range

B12 - as you're having injections there's no point in commenting, but when supplementing with B12 in any form we need to take a good B Complex to balance all the B vitamins.

[Xanthe in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks Susie,

I’ve resolved to get an up to date iron test and I’ll redo the folate. The recommended levels you listed for all the iron species is really helpful.

Xanthe

[Hidden]

I don't know if this will help but after 60 years of chronic sinus problems and two major operations I started on Vitamin C every day this was 18 months ago now and I haven't had any sinus problems since. The only other thing I have done is to raise my Vitamin D, however my Vitamin D level was quite good I am sure it's the Vitamin C.

[Xanthe in reply to Hidden]

HI Bunnyjean,

Dr Myhill recommended high dose vit C when I have an infection...and she means to bowel tolerance. I don't always take that much now (in the past I could take 16g before I got the squits). Now I take 2g as soon as I get any symptoms and repeat that every hour or so...it certainly reduces the length of an infection. I also take vit D 3000iU/day. what level of vit C have you found helpful?

I suffered with apparent sinusitis for decades - it got so bad I kept a diary of the attacks. A medical herbalist worked wonders on it, but that took over a year to have an effect. Since the I've found that I have a dairy intolerance. Cutting out all dairy (boo hoo) has stopped virtually all the headaches. Apparently dairy is often the culprit with sinusitis.

Xanthe

[kindwolfer]

hi, I cannot suggest who can help you but what. I think your immune system is quit weak. Could have been weakened from your condition.

In my opinion, you should take some vitamins or natural herbal supplements to boost your health. This is what I did

[Xanthe in reply to kindwolfer]

Thanks. Posting my query helped concentrate my thoughts....after the myco pneumonia I was put on antibiotics for 3 months. So I’ve done a Genova test which checks for parasites as well as gut bacteria. The results: my good bacteria are way down - low bifido bacteria and zero lactobacteria. So I’m taking probiotics and probiotics on top of my usual multi vit and minerals. I expect that it will take a while though.

Xanthe

[kindwolfer in reply to Xanthe]

have you heard of Echinacea?

[Xanthe in reply to kindwolfer]

Hi Kindwolfer,

Yes, I’ve used echinacea in the past. It didn’t seem to make much difference but I’ll give it another try.

Xanthe

[kindwolfer in reply to Xanthe]

sorry for my late reply. It could be the specific product you tried that did not help. Try finding reliable producers who will not mix the herbs with artificial binders and other stuff. Maybe Eu Natural for example. They are reliable

[Jose651]

Hi Xanthe,

Have a look at IgA deficiency. I was diagnosed with this by an Endocrinologist a few years ago.

This was in addition to Vit D def and Vit B12 def/PA.

I have no idea why she did the IgA test but she did say that she only came across it once before in her career.

My GP knew nothing about IgA deficiency so I read up about it.

Basically, it's the amount of Antibodies that are/ are not present in our mucosal areas.....and we have numerous of those.....that can fight infections in those areas.

J ☘️

[Xanthe in reply to Jose651]

Thanks Jose, that’s really useful. I know that my B12 and vit D are OK from recent tests but I hadn’t heard of the IgA connection so I’ll maybe get that checked too.

Xanthe