Anyone know about immune systems, frequent infections etc?

[fuzzpig]

Did start a thread in chat earlier but no response

Anyway, am now on my 3rd chest infection in 6 months. I seem to get every little thing going. I was diagnosed with CFS/ME and POTS a couple of months ago, but TBH although it has got worse in the last year or two, I think my immune system has always been a bit shit. Loads of throat infections/tonsillitis etc too.

My mum and grandma have a similarly 'prone' chest - and now it seems DS (3) is the same. None of us are asthmatic (although I believe my great grandfather was, and he died from complications), we just always get chest infections if we so much as sneeze, it seems

I don't smoke BTW.

In the process of my CFS referral I was tested for loads of stuff like lupus and other autoimmune disorders but they all came back clear. So is it just bad luck or what? Some kind of genetic weakness? It's really getting me down.

I have ME and am constantly ill with random viruses, also developed adult onset asthma a couple of years ago. Wierdly I never ever get colds-but all the other symptoms. Sorry, not much help but you are not alone!

There are certainly a number of conditions that can cause defective immune systems, primarily the primary immunodeficiencies, but I would be fairly confident that they will have done at least the basic tests for these as part of your previous investigations.

Next time you get a chest infection, make sure that the GP sends off a sputum sample, to ensure a) it is a bacterial infection and not viral, or even just inflammation, and b) that you are on the right antibiotics if so. It could be that this is the same infection that has never really cleared if the antibiotics were inappropriate.

Get well soon!

I am similar - both DS2 and I have mild asthma, which in reality means that we cough a lot, and are very probe to chest infections.

I was about to be referred to a consultant for CFS, when I stumbled across the suggestion that a Vitamin D supplement might help. Started taking one, and I have improved dramatically.

That was two years ago. This winter, I have had the same colds as everyone else, but much shorter in duration than usual, and no chest infection. Also much much less tired.

Thanks for replies. :)

I was wondering about it being the same infection that hasn't cleared. When I had tonsillitis loads of times, the last time I had it I said to the doctor (at walk in, so didn't 'know' me) how often I'd had it. He looked and said it wasn't normal tonsillitis but 'septic' tonsillitis and gave me stronger ABs, and I haven't had it since.

With the chest infection in summer, it lasted 7 weeks, and took 3 lots of different ABs plus some steroids to finally kick it out. I was x-rayed but no pneumonia. In October I started getting symptoms and was given ABs much quicker, and they worked quickly that time.

But then I know you shouldn't have ABs too often - I've had them about 7 times in the last 12 months I think? So that is probably making me resistant. But then if I don't get better on my own (as I used to - I rarely bothered seeking treatment for CIs until a couple of years ago as they'd get better on their own) what else is there to do? :(

I'm really at a loss, and it is so embarrassing frequently calling up sick when I know that my colleagues don't get ill often. I even wondered if it was just getting used to working with the germy public, and the fact that my eldest started school, but it hasn't got at all better.

I have taken vitamin d in the past, I could try them again.

I definitely think there's something in taking too many antibiotics.

I had pleurisy a few years back and required several courses to shift it, steriods too. For that following year I caught every virus going, each one turning into yet another chest infection - I began to think that I'd never get well!

I actually think in the end that the antibiotics lowered my immunity through wiping out all the good germ fighting bacteria too although I have no medical knowledge to back this up!

Out of sheer desperation, in the end I bought high strength echinacea and a multi vitamin specifically for women with higher does of b vits etc. and I have to say that slowly I started to improve.

Ah yes I remember my mum forcing me to take echinacea!

I will think about that though. I have heard about needing to supplement the good bacteria.

My specialist was quite insistent that most supplements are not worth the money but I feel confused and desperate! Today I have started feeling more fluey than last time - having the whole body aches and shivers etc that left me off work for 5 weeks in summer. Bugger.

OP, take a good Zinc/B vits supplement, zinc is heavily involved in healthy immune system and often deficient as hardly ever tested (found out the hard way with my ds, he is now on regular zinc supplement)