Anyone else get sick all the time?

[ChocolateLemsip]

NC for this as outing.

I get sick so often. Usually throat viruses. I've had around 6 weeks off work in the last year. I also have a neurological chronic illness which is bad enough and limits what I can do in a big way. But the bugs are just as bad in a way.

Its making me very depressed. I've stopped making plans as I often have to cancel. I get much sicker than others around me. DC (age 9 and 7) bring in viruses of course but they don't get ill like I do, neither do friends.

It feels isolating because nobody really understands the impact of repeated "minor" illnesses throughout the year at random times.

Anyone in the same boat?

Yes! I always get Covid (7 times at least), sick bugs, or I have injuries or problems with a joint etc.
i think my immunity is really low 😒

My husband is very prone to getting colds. I was told about Chaga mushroom tea, which boosts your immunity, and he rarely catches a cold now. It’s rather expensive due to the nature of how it grows, and a bit of a faff to make (I use the chunks as the powder doesn’t seem to be as effective), but it does work.

Yes, or at least I used to be. No matter how good your diet is, if you keep getting ill in this way that probably means you need a boost of essential vitamins and minerals. Start taking multivitamin with added iron for three months and I reckon you will see a huge difference.

@AutumnFroglets glad it helped you but I've been taking multivitamins for over 20 years.

Me too, I rattle from all the supplements I take each day 😂

That's a shame as that would have been a "quick" fix. Generally our diets aren't as good as they used to be. Probably time for a GP visit and asking for some bloods to be done. Good luck.

I feel for you, and I'm exactly the same. I'm particularly bad from early autumn to late Spring. I just have back to back colds and sore throats. Often, I can't even tell when one cold has finished and another one starts. It's a seamless transition. It's slightly better in the summer, but I still do have colds.
I remember my friend telling me she was so upset as she had a cold in September and another cold in November. I couldn't believe it - I'd had about ten colds between September and November!!
The worst thing is, I make a real effort to be healthy. Loads of fruit and veg, 15,000 steps a day, go to bed early, lots of supplements. Blood tests are all normal. I don't know what else to do!!
I do think taking high strength vitamin c and D each day has lessened the severity of my illnesses. Have you tried that?

@Twoshoesnewshoes and @SallyWD sorry you're in the same boat ☹️ Yes I take vit c and D, not seen any noticeable difference. I'm vegan and eat healthily too. I take some elderberry extract when I start to get sick as there is a small amount of evidence for that. I would exercise a lot more if I wasn't ill all the time.
My bloods are normal too and GPs don't want to know, they just dish out antibiotics every tine it goes over 7 days. They would refer me for removal of tonsils if I wanted to though ( you have to have evidence of a certain number of sore throats a year which I'd easily meet) but I'm not convinced it would really help and the operation sounds horrible.

The comment about mushrooms @MissAshworth reminded me some people swear by mushrooms for immunity. There's no good evidence on this that I can find but I figure eating them more regularly can't hurt. I'd be a bit scared to take the tea or supplements though, not sure if they are tested as being safe?

I swear by Kwai Garlic capsules. Must be Kwai as they don't taste or smell and and have a high yield. I take 2 when I feel a bug coming and then every day till it's gone. I haven't had a day off in years as I have symptoms but never enough to keep me at home.

Same as the poster above, I was going to mention garlic. There seems to be a little evidence that it has antiviral properties (and a couple of GPs have recommended it).

You mentioned that your bloods are normal- some people can still experience symptoms at the low end of normal. It might be useful to check the actual results and see if there is anything at the lower end of normal.

Are the multivitamins ones that you take for your vegan diet? Or are they more generic?

Beta glucan supplements. Then you wont get ill

Plenty of suggestions here but I swear by First Action nasal spray. I've started off with 6 colds so far this year and each one has stopped within a day or two. I do one spray in each nostril daily, then when a cold starts, four times a day.

Normally I'm always poorly but this year nothing!

What is that? Never heard of it!

@sequin2000 thanks, that sounds worth a go. Eating a lot of raw garlic isn't really realistic so the capsules sound a good plan.
@Saintmariesleuth thanks, blood results are a bit of a mystery to me (and of course when they come back in normal range you don't hear from GP again) but will try to work it out and see. Yes I've had various different multivitamins over the years but always geared to a vegan diet to make up the B vitamins etc.

Did you used to get ill lots before you turned vegan OP? I have heard some people's health improved after ditching veganism.

Yeah I've heard that occasionally. I've been veggie since I was 15 and eating meat and fish definitely not going to happen, and unfortunately I developed a severe milk intolerance aged 18 and the slightest bit of milk will make me ill for days. So it's not really an option.

Have the doctors checked your ferritin levels?

When checked a year ago my ferritin was 51 (normal range says it's 10-300). I've no idea what that means really? Is that the iron level?

I second First Decence. I haven’t had a cold since last December - and that was because I was on a plane and travelling.

I was briefly a vegan and I’ve never been or felt so ill in my life. Maybe you’ve got it covered but you need to be very careful you are getting all the necessary vitamins, minerals and protein. I know many do - it’s just harder and takes more planning.
I’d get a blood test if I were you.

Do you take vitamin D supplements? Important to from Oct-April.

I’m obsessive about not touching handles when out and about.

Then I’d look at gut health as a huge percentage of our immune system is in our gut. I’m guessing you have lots of vegetables and fruits but if you don’t already then some good pro and prebiotics. Kefir, kombucha, kimchi all good for gut health.

Ferritin store iron. So if you have low ferritin levels, your body likely can't store sufficient amounts of iron (obviously this is very general and things can vary from person to person).

A lot can change in 12 months, so it might be worth getting a more recent profile, including ferritin, iron, vitamin levels etc and go from there.

Also, are there any issues with damp in your home? I kept getting much more ill than normal about 10 years ago (I had no underlying problems, so this was very odd). Eventually my partner and I found rising damp behind some furniture. There was no smell, we hadn't been able to see it. We moved quite quickly after this to a new rental property (our landlord was Mr. Bodge-it) and I have rarely been ill since.

@Delatron yes I probably should pay more attention to the vitamins and minerals. As for the kefir, probiotics etc unfortunately I'm extremely intolerant to them all. I get an upset stomach for days after one small glass of kombucha.
I do take first defence when it's a cold just in case but more often it's a sore throat which turns bacterial.

Ah yes I only spotted the milk intolerance after so kefir wouldn’t be good. And I know kombucha can cause issues in some people.

Do you take vitamin D? And B12 is important if not having meat and dairy.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with supplemental so those are the Ken’s I’d focus on initially.