I read a thread somewhere on this site that stated quite a few lyme sufferers rarely get colds/viruses. I believe there was a supporting statement that had to do with TH1 immune pathway getting clogged up. I am not familiar with that system exactly... but I am curious to hear more thoughts on this topic.
I rarely came down with colds or other illnesses in recent years... I used to attribute it to a strong immune system. If the above is correct, perhaps I was fooling myself:)
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
Funny, I know 2 people personally who have/have had Lyme & say the same thing.
Person #1 got bit & only got 1 treatment of doxy at the very beginning. She has been in pain ever since with so many symptoms.
Her body temp is relatively low to what the norm is. Her max body temp is 99-99.3 & that appears to be the cap for when she feels like she is getting a fever. She says that people around her get sick all the time, but that she never gets the flu/cold or stomach bug that goes around.
Person #2: Went a few months without treatment & almost died of a stroke. She were finally treated a few months & most of their symptoms went away. She attributed their success & ability to not get sick is the consumption of colloidal silver.
She currently has chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, & ear ringing, but she does not get sick when everyone around her gets sick. She also had 4 kids & was in and out of school constantly, but never got sick.
Person #3, me. I get sick with everything & have the toughest time getting rid of everything & anything. It may take someone 2-3 days, where it can take me weeks.
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
I am just experiencing my first virus in several years following 6 weeks of ozone treatment that included injections into my thymus and thyroid gland toward the later part of treatment.
I have been shaking and vomiting. Awful stuff. Every bone in my body hurts. I took my temp this morning and it was still only 97.9.
I wish I could find an old fashioned thermometer - as I find it hard to believe that I have no fever right now. I have been breaking out in hot and cold sweats all night.
Praying that this means my immune system is in the process of repairing itself.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
Not for me. I get bronchitis and sinus every year. Somebody sneezes and I get pneumonia.
All the people I know with lyme have very poor immune systems amd pick up every germ out there.
So funny about the thermometer. I've been feeling icky and have only a low temp on the digital ear thermometer.
I actually took my temp again with a traditional thermometer because I just couldn't believe it.
Turns out, that thermometer read an even lower temp!
It's weird. I often feel that my temp doesn't match how I feel.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
LDN has REALLY helped my immune system.
Last year, I was getting a headcold every month.
This year, knock on wood, I haven't had one. Everyone around me has been sicker than a dog, with headcolds and stomach bugs, but I have been lucky so far.
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
Not me - I catch everything!
Posted by Ellen101 (Member # 35432) on :
I get colds and viruses every yr. I just think its what you are exposed to depending on where you've been. I don't think lyme is playing a role either way.
Posted by Littlesprout (Member # 7406) on :
I don't get colds or flu either...always been like that
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
My doc said we don't get the colds or flus because our immune system is so weak and occupied w these other bugs that it doesn't bother to mount an attack, which of course produces symptoms. I thought this was quite depressing. He said catching colds and flus was a GOOD sign.
Posted by j77 (Member # 42716) on :
lol... that is depressing CD57. I hope he is wrong!
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
I had heard the same thing that CD57 was told.
Once we started catching colds again is when we finally started to see improvement. I know it sounds strange.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
We also have to look at the possibility of the varying organisms we could carry, that some will simply be so invasive and will not allow for other organisms to thrive.
They may produce toxins or byproducts that will not allow "normal" infections to establish & thrive.
Hence the variation in our responses.
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
I have a cold right now. I had one in September, too. I can always count on getting one or two colds a year. Lyme Disease made absolutely no difference. Lyme does seem to prolong the cold, though.
Posted by C.P. (Member # 38378) on :
For the past six or seven years I have not had a cold or flu even though everyone else around me was getting ill. I thought I had a great immune system but my LLMDs told me otherwise. However, just last week I caught a chest cold and even though I feel terrible, I was so happy because my immune system is finally getting back to normal. I know it will take me a long time to rid myself of the cold, but I'm glad I have it.
Posted by lyme in Putnam (Member # 11561) on :
I never get sick and I am around a lot of people including kids.
Posted by bigstan (Member # 11699) on :
I have not had a head cold since Nov 2000, I remember it well. Was diagnose with LD in 2007. I don't understand why.
Posted by Tucker-Bell (Member # 37578) on :
I'm glad I'm not alone with the weird temp thing....my temp is always 96.8 - 97.2....
I know I have a fever when its "normal" aka 98.6. When I feel my worst its usually hovering around 99.3.....
Of course main stream docs never believe me when I try to tell them 99.3 is actually. Pretty substantial temp for me.
Is there one particular infection that seems to cause these low temp issues?
As far as getting sick...
I thought preschool for three years....I caught everything!!! I literally missed so much work. I felt like such a slacker.
This was before I knew I had Lyme.....
I sort of think that being around so many germs, so regularly, taxed my immune system so much that it allowed my hibernation lyme and friends to take over again. But that's just my theory.
Since I've been in treatment though, I have noticed I get less random colds.
Though my head pretty much always feels full, so it might be hard to notice.
I have noticed more intense reactions to foods I'm allergic too...my LLMD said that was a good sign...that it meant my immune system was starting to get stronger.
Posted by aiden424 (Member # 7633) on :
I catch everything! It sets me back for months!!
Kathy
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
I was cold & flu-free for over 4 years after my "bout" with late-stage Lyme. Finally got a "cold" in Jan 2011. Sort of caught me off guard. Lasted 3 or 4 days. I still haven't been hit with anything worse. *I* also attribute it to a revved-up immune system after what I went thru... getting the disseminated (late-stage) Lyme in "remission". [I usually got ~1 or 2 "colds" a year prior to the Lyme.]