Just wondering why lymies don't catch colds. My entire family is infected with a bad cold/flu.
Yet, I feel the best I have in a long long time. Almost 100% today!!
But..the fact that I haven't gotten a cold concerns me.
Posted by stillwater (Member # 30312) on :
You know, I have to agree with you. Since I've had Lyme I just don't get colds or the flu. My wife and son with be sick as dogs and I don't catch anything.
I work retail and touch money all day, and peoples equipment that they've touched. I wash my hands a lot and use a good amount of hand sanitizer.
But still, you'd think I'd get the sniffles once in a while
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
I agree to and dont know why. I would think if our immune systems were so bad we would.
My husband had a horrible chest cough and my daughter had the flu with very high fever. I was taking care of them and never caught a thing? Very strange. Is this the only thing we should be grateful for with lyme?
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
It has to do with the Th1 and Th2 immune pathways. Too complicated for me and I've forgotten how it works but Lyme uses a pathway that people who are well don't. Some how it keeps us from getting colds and flu.
Someone will come along who knows to explain it better.
Posted by nspiker (Member # 22824) on :
I don't know if I believe or understand this, but this is what was told to me, by a holistic doctor. She said that our bodies can only handle one invader at a time. If our immune system is busy focusing on lyme, then it's difficult to have something else invade your system.
She made the analogy of why chemo works for cancer patients. The chemo is so deadly, our body's focus becomes the chemo, and not proliferation of cancer cells.
Posted by trishc (Member # 28731) on :
I have been wondering about this myself. So many around me sick for years and it took me a couple years to think....hmmm, i havent had the cold or flu in so long and I used to be the first to get sick. My son/fiance and husband and every single person at my office 30+ people have been so sick this winter. A couple days I thought i was going to get it, just didnt feel quite right, and finally a cold sore did come out but that was it...nothing else happened. Just so strange after being someone that got every flu and would be so sick from them. Would love to really understand why I dont get sick anymore. People seem to think you must have a good immune system but I know mine is bad, just cant explain it to them.
Posted by Beagle (Member # 29698) on :
I don't ever get colds either. My first reaction to that question is the darn spirochetes are so invincable - I can totally picture them beating the crap out of any other bug trying to take up their space! :/ ?
Beagle
Posted by Jennifer70 (Member # 30280) on :
wow...so strange, i was just thinking about how long it's been since i've had a cold. really interesting. Now...sinus issues i get all the time, but no colds.
Posted by Karensky (Member # 21350) on :
LOL Beagle !
Posted by imagine2 (Member # 3136) on :
I was told that our immune systems were over-stimulated. This year I've had 2 colds in 2 months. My llmd thinks its could be a good thing...that my immune system is trying to reset itself.
Posted by bcb1200 (Member # 25745) on :
I had a sore throat for 1 day 2 weeks ago. Other than that...nothing!
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Well here is a Lymie that used to catch a cold about once every 6 weeks throughout the fall/winter/spring months.... it was like clock work. For years I averaged about 4-5 bad colds per year. Now that I am feeling somewhat better I rarely catch a cold. I partially attribute this to my immune system being more robust than it used to be.
My father who is in his mid 60's has never had any health problems and to my knowledge he has never had a cold or the flu in over 30 years. Come to think of it I have never seen him even catch a cold or flu. He seems to be immune to everything. I believe his never contracting colds or flus is due to his seemingly outstanding immune system.
On the other hand, my mother has usually gotten 1 or 2 colds per year and recently she has developed numerous health problems..... breast cancer being one of them.
My 82 year old grandmother is basically the same way as my father. I have only seen her come down with one or two colds in my lifetime. I also believe that the reason that my grandmother is never sick is because of her seemingly good immune system.
Come to think of it, it is a rarity to see any of my paternal aunts and uncles and great aunts and great uncles come down with a cold or the flu. And the vast majority of them lived to a relatively old age and for the most part disease free.
So, in my opinion, never catching colds or flus can also mean that your immune system is functioning properly.
.
Posted by penguingirl (Member # 28688) on :
I agree with emla. I always get sick- even with my full-blown lyme symptoms I would get a bad cold with coughing.
When I had some strange symptoms years ago that would wax and wane, I would also get colds at least 5 times a year (each for over 2 weeks). I don't know if I had lyme then but I just never had a good immune system ever in my life.
My CD57 is 16 which is pretty low - I don't think it could've gotten that low in a span of 4 months.
Maybe it was parasites though.
Posted by Kerryblue (Member # 4077) on :
Hi, Is interesting. Told not to get the shots, not good for us works against Lyme. Knock on wood been long time since had cold or flu. When 1 time in 10+ yrs. Did have only 1 became quite ill ended up on antibiotics. Ha won`t give for Lyme but give for bad cold because had green stuff. I know YUK!!! Is interesting must be reason, all my friends it is same for them. Huggggssss,TO ALL IN NEED,Kerry
Posted by nspiker (Member # 22824) on :
I hadn't had a cold since beginning lyme/babesia treatment. Then got a cold every month, for three months in a row.
I don't know if it's my immune system kicking into gear, or what.
I thought maybe, a cold was my body's way of detoxing.
Posted by tick battler (Member # 21113) on :
This is interesting because we are seeing the effects on the immune system after lyme is beaten down...we are all getting every cold and virus out there!!!! I have noticed this surge of viruses, particularly with my 4 year old daughter who we think got rid of her lyme about 3 or 4 months ago. She has been sick with colds, coxsackie viruses, etc., ever since!!!
My husband has been in treatment for 3 years and we think we are finally beating his lyme down...and now he is catching every virus as well. He didn't catch anything the first 2 years. Very interesting.
I have heard that sometimes people are sick for awhile after they beat the lyme because their body's immune system is finally recognizing other things. Not sure how this works...hopefully there will be an end in sight! Has anyone else experienced this?
tickbattler
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
I'm not sure of the answer either, but I got my first cold just a few months ago.
My first one in a looooong time and ever since then, I have been feeling good. (knock on wood).
I also ran a fever for over a week and still don't know why. I never really felt bad when I had it.
I'm hoping it means as others have stated that maybe the immune system is trying to work again.
Posted by aiden424 (Member # 7633) on :
Not true for everyone. I catch everything and a virus can really knock me on my butt for weeks.
Kathy
Posted by elizzza811 (Member # 24713) on :
I had a SEVERE sinus infection 2 weeks ago, or was it a cold?...are they the same?
Had that conspicuous nasal-sounding voice, reddened nose and upper lip, but my Lyme has been horrific lately, too.
Am I the oddball here?
Posted by Shahbah (Member # 28735) on :
My intuition tells me it's because of an immune system that is somehow "too strong" , the same mecanism that prevents us from getting colds, is the one that starts "auto immune" reactions, as well as allergies.... and most of us suffer from those... so why is it that we suffer from allergies? why is it that our immune system goes crazy if we eat something that normal people can eat? the answer to this question would give us the answer to the first one...
Posted by aiden424 (Member # 7633) on :
I have a low functioning immune system. I have almost no natural killer cells. I've been sick for almost 25 years, maybe that makes a difference??
Kathy
Posted by searching4truth (Member # 28481) on :
I am not sure about this, but this is my (very simple) understanding. What we experience as a cold or flu is actually our immune response to it. The symptoms (sniffles, cough, fever, aches and pains, etc) are our own body reacting to he invader, and not the invader itself. Lyme messes with our immune system so that it stops fighting, and allows the Lyme to take over.
So I think it might be more that we are not having a response to the cold, but probably still have the actual bugs. This is why it is such a good sign when we start catching colds. It means our immune system is finally strong enough to produce an immune response. Please correct me if I am wrong, but this is my very simple understanding of a very complicated process.
Posted by the3030club (Member # 21898) on :
I still get colds.
I think we just are more careful than most and we get sick less as a result. Not to mention the mountain of supplements most of us take.
To the person who's doctor said "our immune system can only handle one infection at a time" i'd be concerned about going back to that doctor. Almost anyone one this forum will tell you that having multiple simultaneous pathogenic infections is very possible.
Posted by trishc (Member # 28731) on :
Searching4truth i believe you are probably correct in your response. Since I stopped catching the typical cold/flu several years ago and I use to catch it anytime anyone else around me got it I know its from Lyme and I also have RA which tells me my immune is not working. I dont start my treatment for lyme until 2/10 - next week yeahhhhhh.
Posted by iamgreek (Member # 29517) on :
Ok, I have not had a cold or virus since My lyme symptoms. I've
been in treatment a little over 6 months, I finally caught my first
cold, like in 2 years . A bad cold, sneezing, coughing....Strange.
Should I be celebrating ???
Posted by Abxnomore (Member # 18936) on :
I think this article helps explain some of this issues. Lyme disease follows the Th1 pathway and tends to get stuck there rather than moving back and forth between Th1 and Th2 as appropriate given the situation.
Interesting information, thanks abx
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Fort what it's worth, don't very young children, the elderly and people with AIDS usually suffer more with the effects of colds and flus??? And isn't this due to their weakened immune systems???