Always ill. What am I missing? What supplements do I need? What other action can I take?

[Dogsgottabone]

I am on my fifth illness since September.

A very heavy cold which took a month to go.

A very short cold which looking back was lots of high sneezing and could have been covid (again, Third time)

Three heavy peri periods in 6 weeks in the autumn which has necessitated the iron and HRT detailed below.

A virus in December that was a bit like flu but wasn't and had me in bed for 4 days and I lost lbs.

A cough and cold that started just before Xmas, lasted for five weeks and has me wracked with coughs and which did nothing for keeping my prolapse safe. It was dry and tickly until the last few weeks where it cracked.

Now another horrendous cold, sinuses are throbbing, I haven't slept properly since Friday, my cough is raw and burning and my head is banging once the paracetemol wear off.

None of these coughs are easy to shake as I'm also asthmatic.

Its a bit woe is me really.

Things I already do:

Exercise daily, either hiit, yoga, swimming and then at least 10k steps

Eat 30 types of plant a week.

Take iron every 48 hrs for ferritin depletion, take bit v with it for absorption, take magnesium and iron on the days I'm not taking the iron.

Use HRT for peri.

Live in the countryside, no fumes or smoke.

What else can I do to stop this never ending feeling of being ill? What am I missing?

No advice but I’m ill all the time since I hit peri menopause and it’s shit

defo recommend cutting back massively on alcohol if you haven’t already

A GP once told me that once you'v picked up one thing in Winter - it makes you more vulnerable to pick up more.
I agree with the poster, who suggest you wear a mask. Otherwise, make sure you wash your hands often, as germs are picked up most by the hands.

Im the same, had so much time off work. Was signed off for 2 months after losing my dad suddenly in November. Had flu that absolutely floored me, then a chest infection. Had antibiotics for that and ive just had another 5 days off for a bad heavy cold blocked sinuses and bad chest. Seems i catch everything.

Thought the antibiotics could be the culprit. I do yoga every day and walk my dogs. I dont take any supplements and my diet could be better.

I do have stomach and gallbladder issues as well. Never had all this until 2 years ago. Im mid 50's.

Following your post for information. Hope you start feeling better x

I've been quite ill but not recurring illnesses. When i'm ill I just rest, eat more carbs & don't put pressure on myself to do much. Tbh my main focus in general is to make my life as stress free as possible. I work but don't spend my days rushing around, trying to fit lots in but appreciate that depends on circumstances.

I do think stress really lowers your immunity.

@puppacup i do eat avocado? And sometimes butter if I feel like I want some proper toast. And I eat red meat. I don't exclude anything.

@YearoftheRabbit23 i work in a school office, I'm in a side office on my own or with my assistant so it's not like I am exposed to all the kids all the time. And we do open the window after lunch when it's warmed up a bit, it's a freezing old school.

I will look into the filter thing you mentioned. DH has a gas heater in his study for when it's cold when he is wfh and I hate the smell of the gas as it drifts up to the bedroom (we do have carbon monoxide alarms) . He's at home and refuses to open windows as it's too cold. We live in a very old house.

When he was at work and I was at home most of the day I used to clean more and open the windows more. So that's something to consider.

The thing that immediately enters my head is “you do all that exercise when you’re ill?!”
I’m a keen swimmer who hates missing more than one or two sessions a week, I also walk and cycle so I understand the urge to exercise Op BUT the one exception is when I’m ill- then I rest. I understand for a cold you can’t not do any exercise whatsoever if the cough goes on for 5/6 weeks but it would become a short walk when it’s dry rather than the usual effort put in. How do you expect your body to be able to recover if you are pushing it at the same time? There’s a reason doctors say “rest and drink plenty of fluids”.

BUT having said that- the winter months since Covid have been absolutely brutal. Bring on spring!

I'm not saying that this is your position for a second, but I was you for 20 years...

Asthmatic, working stressful job, children, running a house, daily exercise, great diet.

But always ill, every virus going, couldn't shake them, hormones, digestive issues, bad back, headache. Backwards and forwards to the doctors. Blaming asthma, etc.

Turned out it was all caused by my emotionally abusive marriage, which I hadn't even realised was abusive. I'd internalised the chronic stress over two decades, and it was coming out in other ways.

I'm nearly out of it now and, although it's been hell and nearly broken me, I've actually only had one bug in the last 18 months and I feel physically great.

Chronic stress is a thing.

@Ladyofthelake53 and @Wnikat perhaps there's something about peri/meno that makes us vulnerable to this stuff then.

@puppacup im eating mainly carbs at the moment as I can't smell or taste anything! (cov neg)

It’s probably from work.
I work in a school but have gone (very) part time since Sept and have only had one little sniffle in the last week of term in Dec. When I was full time, by now I’ve normally had at least two heavy colds around Dec-Feb time needing a few days off. It’s the kids!

@Saturdaynoon thats horrendous for you. I am so sorry you had that experience. And I am very pleased that you are feeling better now! You must feel like the world is your oyster.

I’d take vitamin D and B12 as both boost your immune system.
You’re taking 10ug which is 400iu, I take a 4000iu spray daily so I think you need to up your dose.
I use the Better You sprays just because I find them convenient.

When I was deficient in vitamin D, I couldn’t walk more than 20m. I was so fatigued and felt dreadful all the time.

@Vallmo47 ive already had to tone down what I do due to an achilles injury which stopped me running and prolapse difficulties which means I've dropped some of my kettlebell stuff.

Swimming has been hard to keep doing too, I did 20 lengths and felt exhausted at Xmas just as I went down with my bug then.

But I do weighted workouts like bodyfit by amy twice a week and then the other days maybe a bodyweight etc.

I don't feel like I'm pushing myself too much but I do feel like I need to keep doing this stuff as habit or else as I get further into peri meno, the weight will go on and the ability to do the exercises will drop.

Which is why I try to keep it consistent.

However the general message seems to be STOP!

@MrsPnut does that need to be prescription or from Holland and Barrett etc?

avocado, butter, fish like salmon, nuts all good.

@puppacup oh yes I do all that. Love a tinned mackerel in my lunchbox, not sure my colleague loves my tinned mackerel smell though 😃

You've mentioned a couple of things about your husband. How is that relationship?

@BooCrew thats all good thanks.

Sounds very similar to quite a few of my friends, it ended up being long covid which presents as fatigue but not all the time, constantly picking up viruses / low immune system and feeling under the weather, having a couple of good days then a slump... Maybe worth having a look on the NHS website or calling your surgery and asking to speak to a nurse from the long covid clinic? One of my friends has had this for going on for two years now lass, and she's found the more she tries to push through and keep going, the worse it gets. I wish you all the very best

However the general message seems to be STOP!

Exercise is good but I think more than 10k steps plus something else particularly if it's HIIT is quite a lot everyday especially when ill. Throw in work on top, dc, different needs etc it's a lot.

4000iu vitamin d (with vitamin k), 1000mg vitamin c. You could also try 600mg n acetyl cysteine (NAC) as that’s great for your T cells.

do you wash your hands?
have fresh air at work?

It sounds as though you have a constant level of underlying stress especially if it feels aa though your husband isn't partnering you/backing you up?

You don't have to give up the exercise but you might try dialling down the intensity for a bit. Listen to your body.

Have you had a holiday recently? Maybe you need one.

It does sound as though you're not getting enough rest. I know that's not a calming thing to hear when you are already juggling everything into 24 hours per day.

My husband and I are trying probiotic drinks at the moment, partly because he is endlessly ill too a bit like you. They are meant to improve immunity and energy. We are trying one called biomel because we are vegan but there are loads on the market if you have a look. It's only been a week so too early to notice a change but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Never share mugs with other people at work. They don't get washed properly. Always use your own. This may be nonsense but as soon as I started doing this, I stopped getting every cold going (teacher here and avoiding getting sick is very difficult as germs everywhere!)