Am I normal?

[isitnormalorabnormal]

was talking to a friend and somehow ended up on this topic and she was horrified and said it wasn’t normal. Just thought I’d ask on her for perspective as if assumed it was!

I’ve had lots of infections recently. Since the start of 2021 I’ve had around 15-20 (maybe more, im too tired to count properly!) different antibiotic prescriptions. It’s for different things- tooth abscesses/infections, skin infections, ear infections, sinusitis, uti infections, BV. I’ve also had various fungal infections some of which required strong treatment with fungal tablets. I’m usually either coming down with an infection, actively infected with something or recovering from an infection. it’s very rare im totally fine tbh.

nobody has ever flagged the high amount of prescriptions but my friend was horrified and said it’s much more than she’s ever had in her lifetime. The GPS at my practice don’t hand out antibiotics like sweets either- they prefer to watch and wait where possible but each infection has become bad enough that it absolutely required antibiotics or fungal tablets.

is this normal or should I be slightly worried? My hygiene is good, I never rewear clothes or towels, im very fussy about my teeth and my dentist said he couldn’t understand how I ended up with infections as my teeth were completely fine hygiene wise. I’ve had multiple FBC and my immune system is normal , for some reason bugs just seem to love me🤢 Interestingly I rarely seem to come down with viral infections, I seem to be more prone to bacteria and fungal.

is this normal?! Also slightly concerned that the doctors will consider me a frequent flyer like my friend said they will!

I can totally understand people thinking I’m over reacting to the infections but I always try and let them heal themselves or let my immune system deal with it. It never does and it gets to the stage that the doctors are saying it absolutely needs treatment. I’ve seen different doctors too so it’s not as if it’s one who is handing out antibiotics like sweets, we try to avoid antibiotics where possible but it gets so severe to the point I absolutely need them.

I’ve seen my notes on the computer screen in the doctor and it’s just a list of different severe infections and nobody has ever flagged it as a problem so I just sort of assumed it wasn’t. That’s not even including the ones from the dentist aswell.

I don’t diet excessively or worry about my weight. I’ve always been this sort of BMI.

I’ve never had sex before either which makes the UTI and BV etc infections a bit weirder too although maybe that’s unrelated to having sex I don’t actually know

im definitely not diabetic either as that was checked in at least one of the blood tests. I remember them mentioning it and checking and my blood sugar was right in the normal range x

It’s also weird because I honestly went like 20 years without ever needing them in my life! It’s just in the last 2 years it’s all gone to shit

Sounds so stressful. Are you taking pre and probiotics? Really recommend the women's vaginal health ones from Garden of Life or any brand with a large amount of strains from Holland & Barrett! Swig the kombucha and eat some kimchi!

I came down with a really severe strep throat 3 weeks ago.I don't remember ever being so sick with really high temperatures and chills. I couldn't come out from under the blankets and was in bed for a week.
The only positive was that I've only taken antibiotics a few times in my life and 2 days on penicillin was enough to feel an improvement. It was one of those times when you thank God for antibiotics.
You need to follow the good advice given so far and have blood tests taken etc. It sounds smug and I know there's little you can do about it but I'd really worry about how your body would react to a severe infection.

Also check your actual data from your bloods, the NHS has a range of what is considered normal/average that is actually low/close to being deficient in some vitamins. So definitely do your research there especially with your vit D and b12

What is Normal? What are you measuring against?

I had a lot of infections and they found I have a blood disorder
Probably had 50 or more courses of antibiotics

On a tangent but if you get recurring UTIs look at d mannose, and also bottle washing - effectively after you've been to the toilet then you wash your bum with soap and water to rinse off

I would also take a probiotic, it sometimes stops me getting thrush with antibiotics and a decent multi vitamin if you don't already

Blood tests definitely

I know people have said to get blood tests but is there specific types to have? I’ve had multiple full blood counts and hormone/thyroid checks already which were all normal

I would see if you can get a print out of the results. Mine were "normal"
Long story but the short version is I had blood test number 52 or something ridiculous, then saw a locum GP. She rang me that night having opened my previous blood tests properly, and sent me to haematology
I had this undiagnosed condition for at least 8 years that nobody had spotted

I'm on treatment now but I still get regular infections. Looking at last year I had 7 courses of antibiotics and that's normal for me - but I'm immunocompromised and have virtually no neutrophils (which fight infection)

Possibly your gut biome has been knocked out of whack with the first course of AB's you took and your immunity taken a hit ever since. Get a tablet probiotic from the chemist. There's a brand that makes a women's one and it sorted out my UTI's last year.

Add to that the usual kefir, live yoghurt and a mixture of leaves and root veg and you might see an improvement in your body's ability to fight infection.

That’s vast amount yes. Get it checked out.

I have colleagues like that too. Always on antibiotics for what seems like a standard cold or virus. Absolutely I think some people demand them for every sniffle and some doctors give them out wen not really needed.

The only antibiotics I’ve taken in the last five years were for an (unsuccessful) attempt to fix my acne. I still get viruses and lingering coughs at times like everyone else but they go away with or without antibiotics so I just deal with the symptoms without bothering my GP.

Any other symptoms? E.g. dry mouth can cause dental problems and is one sign of Sjögren's syndrome which is an autoimmune condition and wouldn't be flagged on ordinary blood tests.

That sounds pretty alarming to me. Last time I recall having antibiotics was around 7 years ago.

Diabetes
Vitamin deficiency
Other

In the last decade I've had antibiotics 4 times, once for a dental abscess, once aft a dental extraction, once for a chest infection about 6 years ago and once for a UTI while pregnant. I'm 40, overweight and have 2 young children. I get every viral thing going but seems to clear.

This winter my kids have both had antibiotics 4 times for chest infections and tonsillitis, post covid world is a bit infection wild, nursery especially

Not counting UTI antibiotics because I get them incessantly for no good reason...

I think in the last 2 ish years I've had cellulitis x 1 and 2 dental abscesses all requiring antibiotics.

So it definitely seems like a lot. I'd ask the GP to check it out.