DD can’t catch a break from being ill - any good tonics?

[Chiaseedling]

Since July early 20s DD has had glandular fever, covid (in past 3 weeks), has now gone back to uni and seems to be ill again with cold symptoms. She’d recovered from covid about 2 weeks ago and it wasn’t too bad a bout. She had bloods taken about a month ago to check liver function after GF and all was well - had full blood count, etc. Has been low iron before but this wasn’t flagged in latest set.
Anything I can recommend she takes to boost immunity. She just sent me a pic and she looks pretty run down - skin not great etc.

I recommend this to everyone who asks similar questions.

My oh kept getting long covid symptoms and was bed bound from exhaustion for weeks at a time. It was like everytime he got a cold he just shut down. Dr said it was likely covid having a long term effect on his immune system.

I did a ton of reading up on studies that were showing anything that could help with long covid or immune system support. Found a number of thing. Pro and pre bionics, b vitamins, vit d, zinc. When I looked into things that had lots of this stuff I found a few options but for convenience started him on a daily Actimel probiotic yoghurt (little bottle) there is one called immune support which contain all of the above.

We consider ourselves big skeptics but bizarrely...he hasn't been ill since! Its been nearly a year. This is after 18months of near constant illness every couple of weeks.

I don't know if this is the answer but he's now refused to stop taking them just in case...

Gosh I sound like a bad advert. Its pro and pre biotics not bionics!!

Honestly we were getting desperate, oh was at risk of losing his job. I was exhausted from carrying everyone. Its possible he just suddenly got better on his own, the illness just run its course but...its a huge turnaround if that's the case.

Gut health really does matter. I've been Healthier and had a reduced amount of illness since I started fermenting my own kimchi and sauerkraut. Just a tablespoon or two a day and good multivitamin and I'm sleeping better, I feel more "alert" and according to my medical record last year I had 4 sets of antibiotics by this time last year and this year I've had 1. It needs to be raw ferments though, you get nothing from pasteurised stuff as all the beneficial stuff is dead.

Metatone tonic is amazing. You can get it in boots/ chemists. I take it when I'm ill or run down

Over the last 14 months I have found Vicks First Defense very effective. I work in schools and travel on public transport so I am exposed a lot, get everything. During this time I've had one cold and that didn't really get a grip like they usually do.

We use metatone for any persistently ill people in this house!

3rd Metatone - I send a bottle to DS when he complains about being run down.

Metatone fan here as well although it seems to be becoming increasingly difficult to find!

Thanks all! I’ll look for the metatone. She’s coming back on the weekend to go to an event so will try and get it before then.
Will mention fermented foods too - prob a bit ££ for a student but I’ll buy her something if I know she’ll eat it!

Cut out all ultra processed food. We have very little and are never ill.

Walking in the sunshine. Grab every chance possible even if it's a boring walk.

I recommend Boots probiotics (usually when 3 for 2!) And floradix

Your body heals from the inside outwards. So stomach first.

😊 anyone reading this with kids who continue to catch colds at school - same rule applies and you can get probiotcs for kids (strawberry flavour)

pls make sure she rests adequately. It takes a really long time to recover from glandular fever and having covid afterwards must have really knocked her. I'm a bit of an evangelist about this now as I had a run of really bad health this year and it's likely I've now got chronic fatigue/post viral fatigue and believe me it's not fun. I am able to do only about 20% of what I was able to do before and I really have to take rest seriously and I may never get better. When I look back on it now, I had Covid and then a run of colds/cold sore outbreaks and my body just wasn't recovering. I also had glandular fever badly in my teens.

Floradix did the job for me & my DCs when run down at the same age. I now take vitamin D in the winter months.

I usually swear by zinc and vitamin C- this thread has reminded me I should probably start taking them again!- cheap and easy to take in tablet form. Sambucol is good for little ones too. Will be looking for metatone after reading the replies!

Very hard as she’s at uni on a limited budget. I cut them massively in the summer when she was at home and I encourage her to eat as well as possible.

Thanks. She’s good at napping, but she also pushes herself a lot in terms of uni work/social stuff etc. I will encourage her to try and rest when she can. It’s a tough one!

Vitamin d and higher strength during the winter months. I’ve read your vitamin d levels should be around 100. It’s a cheap supplement and really helps for many health issues especially immune function.

Floradix liquid

PPs have talked about sleep, a good diet, probiotics, First Defence etc, but can I put in a good word for diligent handwashing, opening doors with your shoulder or bum, trying not to touch things other people have been rubbing their snotty fingers on etc? Will help cut down on getting colds at least.

Another Metatone fan here, at different times and for different reasons all of the family (and now some of our friends) have used it when they have got run down. It's amazing stuff.

I’ve not heard of metatone before, is it fine to take alongside other vitamins ?

This. Us humans spend far too much time indoors and especially these days with the added problem of screens. Lack of natural light and too much looking at screens is a disaster for health. Your immune system needs the UV on the skin and in the eyes.

@C1239 yes it's fine to add to whatever you are already taking; it's a specific "tonic" for when you're run down, so as long as you don't have any sensitivities to any of the specific vitamins and minerals it includes, you should be fine.

I was VERY sceptical before I first tried it - it's bright pink for a start, and I thought it might be about as nutritionally useful as the cardboard box it comes in. But somehow it really does help, and fairly quickly as well.

She’s taking the metatone now & feeling a bit better! Hopefully it’ll continue to work. Thanks all who suggested it.