Always unwell! Can’t cope anymore.

[ReallyReallyNo]

Last July I caught a nasty virus that lingered for weeks on end, since then I’ve had at least two cough/colds a month.
Beginning of this month I came down with a bad bout of bronchitis, I’ve been recovering but just as I start to feel well I come down with a new cough or cold literally every other week! I’ve now been hit with a flu virus and I’m laid up in bed again missing work.
I honestly can’t cope anymore! I’m living off cuprofen and co-codamol to try and stave off pain and fever but I just feel so so rotten and worn out, it’s been 8 months ffs! When will it end?!!
I’m waiting for another GP appt next week to get blood tests but I’m really worried something more serious is going on. There was a question about possible Lymphoma last summer (a&e doctor) but my GP dismissed it after checking my glands all over. I’m worried now though because I just can’t seem to keep well. I’m taking a daily multivitamin and eating a healthy diet. Not sure what else I can do, I’m utterly depressed and at the end of my tether.

Anyone got any insight in to this or similar experience please?

I’ve been feeling like this since Christmas, so sympathies to you for eight months of it!

It’s good you’re going to get blood tests - I’ve just had some more done and always reassuring to know some things are being checked at least. I hate going to the Dr with vague ‘just feeling unwell’ stuff but it’s worth it to keep checking different avenues I think.

Have you been on antibiotics? I avoid ABs in general but I did once have a cough for three months that had me feeling just a little bit rubbish but not properly ill and eventually went to Drs, had ABs and really did have an effect.

And have you had a chance to properly rest since the first virus? If you were in a kind of post-viral state after that perhaps you have just not had enough rest to recover properly to fight off the subsequent colds and things?

Have you ruled out allergies also? We thought my sister just had constant colds when she was a teenager but eventually twigged it was allergic rhinitis and getting rid of feather duvet, carpet etc went a long way to sorting her out, plus anti-histamines.

I was desperately reading threads on here the other day for ideas and someone mentioned feeling much better from something (stuffy nose/ears??) since going vegan. I’m not quite ready to lose cheese and butter but bearing it in mind as a last ditch thing to try if I keep feeling shitty.

Anyway, good luck, hope we both feel properly better soon!

I thought I was always ill too but it turned out to be chronic rhinitis. I take fexafenadin daily and am wrecked without them. Ask for a referral to ENT clinic.

Vit d and probiotics changed my life !

Thank you for the replies, Tofslan hope you feel better too. Thanks for the tips all I’ll mention them to my GP next week

Vomiting has started. I could honestly just give up I can’t take anymore.

Op, how do you feel this morning? I am really ill at the minute too (different stuff than yours) but I really sympathise with you, do you have anyone to help look after you?

Sounds like you need a second opinion. I went back and forwards to the GP with endless illnesses and eventually found my way to an immunology specialist who found that I had low levels of two antibodies and gave me some jabs to provoke an immune response plus some anti virals in case I was still carrying a viral load from glandular fever. A year on I’ve not been ill again. This was all done privately eventually.

Vomiting has stopped but I’m very weak and wobbly. DH has had to go out so I’m supervising the kids from the sofa, my 12 year old is being a star and keeping DD3 occupied. DH will be back soon and I’ll go back to bed.
Immunology specialist- I’ll ask my GP about that, thank you.
Feel better soon Nogod

reallyreallyno thank you, I appreciate it. Sounds like your immune system has taken a complete battering and never recovered. Apart from medical testing needing done maybe you could research those so called super foods that help boost immune system and vitamins/tonics etc, some people swear by them and I guess they couldn't hurt. For now though just try to rest and recover from this current bug you have and slowly build up your strength with mild bland foods.

rightreckoner might I ask if you had the NHS GP level blood tests for antibodies before seeing the specialist?

My DH is always ill, and seems to have a crap immune system. GP reckons his antibodies are fine, but I wonder how advanced/thorough their NHS tests are.

Yes I had countless ‘full blood screens’ done at the GP. Would show I was fighting infection (because I always was) but nothing about why.

That's really, really interesting rightreckoner. We've had this. They just say well of course it will show you're fighting infection, you have a chest infection. It's just really circular.

Would you be happy to share the details of your consultant? We wouldn't have a clue who to consult, but would view money spent on this as spent well.

Yes I saw Dr Rudenko at the London Allergy Centre (they specialise in allergy but this is not why I went obviously). It's a bit of a strange place to be honest and at first I was dubious but they did seem to find something that the GP hadn't and I haven't been ill for a year (this is after several years of serious bronchial or flu like illness several times a year).

I would have posted my blood results from the clinic but I can't find them so I've cut and paste extracts from the letter I received. It's hard to follow but basically it says that some specific antibodies against flu like illnesses were below reference ranges so they gave me some injections to try to provoke them into reacting. It seems to have worked.

"Evaluation of a patient's immune response -the ability to fight natural infections is essential in assessment of the humoral compartment of immune system. Presence of common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is the most frequent primary immune deficiency can be screened by assessing the response of immune system to
common infections carbohydrate antigens of pneumococcus, tetanus and haemophilus. In case of inadequate leves of pneumococcal antibodies, response of immune system to carbohydrate antigens is assessed in test vaccination with Prevenar 13. The test vaccine is administered twice with an interval of 4 weeks followed by repeat of levels of serotype specific pneumococcal antibodies.

"Pneumococcal vaccines are an ideal tool to evaluate the ability to produce specific antibodies in response to a known stimulus. All pneumococcal vaccines contain antigens from several serotypes so the immunologic evaluation is not based on a single antibody response. Her Haemophilus influenza antibodies were also below the
reference ranges and I have prescribed test vaccination with Menitorix together with the second dose of Prevenar 13.

"I reviewed results of serotype specific pneumococcal antibodies . Serotype specific antibodies to pneumococcus were detected below the reference ranges. This test will allow us to clarify the likelihood of immune deficiency.

"Epstein-Barr virus screen showed that EBNA IgG antibody level was raised that is immunological evidence of previous infection. Presence of high level of antibodies might be an indirect sign of latency in B cells and possible periodic reactivations might stimulate production of antibodies by plasmatic memory B cells. EBV VCA ab.(IgM) is a marker of active infection (including recent primary) and reinfection was not elevated.

"Immune phenotyping test showed decrease in T limphocytes and all sub populations, ESR at the upper reference range, raised MBL consistent with ongoing infection at the time of the test"

I sympathise. I have had the cold since mid-December. I went to the doctor who said it was a sinus infection at the end of January, and prescribed antibiotics and a steroid spray, which did nothing. It seems to come in waves. My theory is that my immune system is knackered and I just keep getting new doses - I teach so am exposed to a lot of germs. My DP hates me because he keeps getting it too. I feel like we have slept in separate rooms for most of the last three months because one or both of us is ill.

I have had to take time off work on three separate occasions because I couldn’t speak, and ended up hitting a trigger point with HR, but fortunately my manager kiboshed that since I am generally never ill or off sick. It is the pits!

Thanks so much rightreckoner I will look him up. I got DH to query CVID with the GP, but he just got pooh-poohed with 'blood tests look fine'. I'll bet the house they didn't do any of the tests you mention. M

As if getting a cold/chest infection every three weeks for nine months every year is normal

I would stop the multivitamins and just increase the fresh food. Get outside in the sunshine in the middle of the day for vitamin d.

Be strict on bedtime for yourself plenty of rest.

I felt better from 6-10 last night, today I’ve woken up with pain all down my left side, shooting pains in my legs and fever, the shivers are setting in now. Back in bed prob for the day. Happy mother’s day all.

Op would you consider seeing an out of hours doctor today, or whatever is available in your area? Your symptoms are so varied that it doesn't simply seem to be virus.

Definitely have the bloods. I ended up being sent to haematology as an emergency, turned out I have anti neutrophil antibodies - so I kill them off (helpful body!)
Without the neutrophils I can't fight infections which is why I was so ill all the time. It took 8 years for the referral

I honestly don’t think they could do anything for me, every doctor I see (3 this month) just says rest, ibuprofen and fluids. Have to see my own GP for a bloods to be ordered, got another 12 days wait for my appt for that but I’m going to ring my GP in the morning and ask if they can just do blood form for me to collect.

@YesQueen was it treatable?

@ReallyReallyNo yes, I inject medication weekly now to boost my neutrophils and haven't been badly unwell since. I get the old cold, but that's it

I'd ask for your vitamins to be checked vit D especially.

This may sound weird. I have had stomach problems for years taking omeprazole. Finally went private had to have a colonoscopy. Took the Moviprep to clean me out completely plus had no food for 26 hours. Ironically my stomach is so much better following the procedure. I do wonder if I did not have some sort of low level thing going on. I am now taking ranitidine for the reflux, but the nausea and palpitations are now almost gone.