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How Often Do You Get Sick?
If MS is an autoimmune disease, I'm wondering how often do you get sick?
I'm in Limbo Land, with no dx. One thing that I have noticed during the many years of sx is that while I do have lots of sx, I rarely get sick. I cannot remember my last cold. I did get a sinus infection 3 years ago, the first one in 10 years, and that was something that plagued me in younger years. We had a virulent stomach bug go through the office last year, but I did not get it. Flu? Last time I got the flu was when I was a kid. If anything, I seem to catch less things now than when I was younger.
I do pop temperatures from time to time, but only a temp...thinking of our new friend jumpinjiminy.
So how does your body fight sickness? I'm going to ask you to exclude UTI if you have bladder problems, because that is a complication of not being able to empty the bladder properly.
Please let us know:
Dx'd or in Limbo Land?
How often do you get sick?
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness?
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover?
What does illness do to your other sx?
Audrey
I'm in Limbo Land, with no dx. One thing that I have noticed during the many years of sx is that while I do have lots of sx, I rarely get sick. I cannot remember my last cold. I did get a sinus infection 3 years ago, the first one in 10 years, and that was something that plagued me in younger years. We had a virulent stomach bug go through the office last year, but I did not get it. Flu? Last time I got the flu was when I was a kid. If anything, I seem to catch less things now than when I was younger.
I do pop temperatures from time to time, but only a temp...thinking of our new friend jumpinjiminy.
So how does your body fight sickness? I'm going to ask you to exclude UTI if you have bladder problems, because that is a complication of not being able to empty the bladder properly.
Please let us know:
Dx'd or in Limbo Land?
How often do you get sick?
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness?
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover?
What does illness do to your other sx?
Audrey
Limbo land.
NEVER get sick even though I worked in an elementary school for over a decade and have 5 kids in my house ages 5 months to 18 years. My husband and kids pass each cold from one to the other to the other... yet it ALWAYS skips me... I will get a tiny sore throat or feel a little feverish, and think "Oh here it is, I'm going to get what they have," but then I never do. It goes away. Recently 9 out of 10 of us at work all missed at least 2 days due to a monster virus. You guessed it, I was "the last man standing".
When my husband found out that some treatments for MS can weaken the immune system, his reaction was, "Oh good! Maybe you'll actually see what it feels like to catch a cold!!" (!)
NEVER get sick even though I worked in an elementary school for over a decade and have 5 kids in my house ages 5 months to 18 years. My husband and kids pass each cold from one to the other to the other... yet it ALWAYS skips me... I will get a tiny sore throat or feel a little feverish, and think "Oh here it is, I'm going to get what they have," but then I never do. It goes away. Recently 9 out of 10 of us at work all missed at least 2 days due to a monster virus. You guessed it, I was "the last man standing".
When my husband found out that some treatments for MS can weaken the immune system, his reaction was, "Oh good! Maybe you'll actually see what it feels like to catch a cold!!" (!)
Over the last thirty years, give or take a few, I have only had MS...Ain't that enough to get a sympathy cards? lol
Finally, some people who have my wierd symptom.........or lack of.
In 1980 I had my last cold, which was a duzzy......the following spring I was in hospital 8 days and dx as hemapleic migranes......as I look back now, the s/s were MS but no MS testing was done.........
yep......haven't had a cold since and I worked ER for years.....................feel better after hearing all of you have less colds too!
Interesting how we bring up these little things that docs don't think to ask us about!
In 1980 I had my last cold, which was a duzzy......the following spring I was in hospital 8 days and dx as hemapleic migranes......as I look back now, the s/s were MS but no MS testing was done.........
yep......haven't had a cold since and I worked ER for years.....................feel better after hearing all of you have less colds too!
Interesting how we bring up these little things that docs don't think to ask us about!
How did I miss this thread back when it first started? LOL
As a young adult and teenager, I'd get sick all the time (usually bronchitis, throat and ear infections) - after a good mono infection. Then from my mid 20s on, hardly anything. Every now and then I get whammed with a good lower respiratory infection and sore throat. Once, it turned into pneumonia. The worst one was during my pregnancy with my son (lowered immunities).
As a side note, I'm no longer having the fevers. I think that was related to the thyroid antibodies, because once the fevers disappeared, the TPO antibodies tested in the normal range. Coincidence? But I'm still having new neuro things come on here and there, and had a big flare up in early March after the fevers went away.
I rarely get sick anymore. And glad of that.
As a young adult and teenager, I'd get sick all the time (usually bronchitis, throat and ear infections) - after a good mono infection. Then from my mid 20s on, hardly anything. Every now and then I get whammed with a good lower respiratory infection and sore throat. Once, it turned into pneumonia. The worst one was during my pregnancy with my son (lowered immunities).
As a side note, I'm no longer having the fevers. I think that was related to the thyroid antibodies, because once the fevers disappeared, the TPO antibodies tested in the normal range. Coincidence? But I'm still having new neuro things come on here and there, and had a big flare up in early March after the fevers went away.
I rarely get sick anymore. And glad of that.
Dx'd or in Limbo Land? I'm in Limbo Land
How often do you get sick? I rarely get sick. Up until I was about 17 I would get a sinus infection every year but then at around age 17 I stopped getting them (which is about how old I was when I started getting my MS like symptoms). Now I only get a cold maybe once a year if that. This past winter, at work, there was a really bad flu going around and every single person I work with got it but I didn't (yay!) (I get chronic UTI's but like you said, that's different then getting colds. I also seem to get eye infections more than normal people for some reason :()
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness? When I do get a cold it's always usually in the summer, or if I start working out a lot (or the few times I've tried to join sports teams like ruby that involve intense work outs)
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover? When getting a cold after working out or sports team, it usually lasts 2 or 3 weeks but I think it might be because I always kept trying to work out :/
What does illness do to your other sx? The last time I got sick was before I started having all my crazy weird symtpoms for the most part so I just had the usual fatigue and what not.
How often do you get sick? I rarely get sick. Up until I was about 17 I would get a sinus infection every year but then at around age 17 I stopped getting them (which is about how old I was when I started getting my MS like symptoms). Now I only get a cold maybe once a year if that. This past winter, at work, there was a really bad flu going around and every single person I work with got it but I didn't (yay!) (I get chronic UTI's but like you said, that's different then getting colds. I also seem to get eye infections more than normal people for some reason :()
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness? When I do get a cold it's always usually in the summer, or if I start working out a lot (or the few times I've tried to join sports teams like ruby that involve intense work outs)
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover? When getting a cold after working out or sports team, it usually lasts 2 or 3 weeks but I think it might be because I always kept trying to work out :/
What does illness do to your other sx? The last time I got sick was before I started having all my crazy weird symtpoms for the most part so I just had the usual fatigue and what not.
hi my name is teala was dx in sept 2010 and i work as a cerer in an age care facility i seam to get everything that is going around from a cold to the vomits like i caught last night does any one eles suffer from this
do you think we may not get sick as often because we take good care at what we eat, and get the flu shot in the winter months?
Was just wondering.......
candy
Was just wondering.......
candy
I was diagnosed in 2008. I was sick a lot when I was a kid but as an adult it has been rare for me to get sick as long as you do not count the side effects from my injections.
LA
LA
had always wondered why hubby would go to the dr. with the flue- or whatever and i was never really sick..
I am also dx'd, Very rarely do I get sick - the last serious illness was 10 years ago - and of course I got ill heading out on vacation with a serious bronchial infection.
I work on a college campus in a hotbed of germs, and I practice almost obsessive hand and rarely touch the door handles barehanded during cold and flu season.
My MS probably helps my immune system and I figure I can aid it along by doing the little extra things to stay healthy.
-Lu
I work on a college campus in a hotbed of germs, and I practice almost obsessive hand and rarely touch the door handles barehanded during cold and flu season.
My MS probably helps my immune system and I figure I can aid it along by doing the little extra things to stay healthy.
-Lu
I am diagnosed.
Never get sick. Cannot recall the last cold. Had the flu 15 years ago, with no lasting problems but was not diagnosed then. I do get sinus congestion when the cedar pollen comes our way in the winter. But don't need much for medication but a sample bottle of Nasonex to get through the season.
I have no idea what being ill would do to my symptoms. LOL
Never get sick. Cannot recall the last cold. Had the flu 15 years ago, with no lasting problems but was not diagnosed then. I do get sinus congestion when the cedar pollen comes our way in the winter. But don't need much for medication but a sample bottle of Nasonex to get through the season.
I have no idea what being ill would do to my symptoms. LOL
Dx'd or in Limbo Land?
**I am diagnosed. August of this year.
How often do you get sick?
**I seem to get 2-3 head colds a year, but nothing else really. I have 6 kids, 5 of them school-aged, and you know how kids bring in every single germ and virus LOL I have been lucky to not have really caught anything other than a head cold, probably in about 3 or 4 years.
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness?
**I would say just a regular head cold.
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover?
**I can expect to have about 3 weeks or so of symptoms when I do get the cold. Maybe only a week to 10 days of being utterly miserable, but then at least another week+ of having the cough.
What does illness do to your other sx?
**It makes my other symptoms flare up, or at least seem to flare up. Dizziness, muscle weakness, and muscle twitches mostly.
~Jess
**I am diagnosed. August of this year.
How often do you get sick?
**I seem to get 2-3 head colds a year, but nothing else really. I have 6 kids, 5 of them school-aged, and you know how kids bring in every single germ and virus LOL I have been lucky to not have really caught anything other than a head cold, probably in about 3 or 4 years.
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness?
**I would say just a regular head cold.
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover?
**I can expect to have about 3 weeks or so of symptoms when I do get the cold. Maybe only a week to 10 days of being utterly miserable, but then at least another week+ of having the cough.
What does illness do to your other sx?
**It makes my other symptoms flare up, or at least seem to flare up. Dizziness, muscle weakness, and muscle twitches mostly.
~Jess
Rarely get sick. I usually get a common cold once a year from someone in my household who had it first.
I use to get everything ( cold, flu, etc) all of the time. This changed starting a few years before I developed symptoms. In the 22 years since then I have not been ill except 2 sinus infections which I have had problems with for years with due to my allergies.
In fact since I have been on Azathioprine ( immuno-suppressant) my allergies have not been bothering me as bad.
Dennis
In fact since I have been on Azathioprine ( immuno-suppressant) my allergies have not been bothering me as bad.
Dennis
This is an interesting topic.
I am diagnosed with MS. Get sick rarely compared with others, and have been this way all my life. Two anecdotes---When I was 6 I went to the beach with a friend and her family for a week. Immediately after that, she got polio and I didn't. When I was about 8, 3 members of my family and 2 next-door neighbors came down with severe hepatitis. My brother nearly died. I was fine.
I rarely catch colds, and once went 9 years without one. But respiratory stuff is what I do get, if I'm ill. It usually settles in my chest and turns into bronchitis with coughing for several weeks. Still, it's all pretty rare, every 2 or 3 years maybe.
I don't know, but doubt, these instances have affected MS. With one exception. About 18 months ago I had a severe flu-like bug (not the flu going around, as I'd had the vaccine), and within a week I had a relapse.
ess
I am diagnosed with MS. Get sick rarely compared with others, and have been this way all my life. Two anecdotes---When I was 6 I went to the beach with a friend and her family for a week. Immediately after that, she got polio and I didn't. When I was about 8, 3 members of my family and 2 next-door neighbors came down with severe hepatitis. My brother nearly died. I was fine.
I rarely catch colds, and once went 9 years without one. But respiratory stuff is what I do get, if I'm ill. It usually settles in my chest and turns into bronchitis with coughing for several weeks. Still, it's all pretty rare, every 2 or 3 years maybe.
I don't know, but doubt, these instances have affected MS. With one exception. About 18 months ago I had a severe flu-like bug (not the flu going around, as I'd had the vaccine), and within a week I had a relapse.
ess
Audrey,
I have RRMS dx 6 years ago - had it many years sooner.
I always joke with my family about this. I may be "sick" with MS every day but they get colds and flu cough and yucky stuff all the time. They pass it back and forth to each other and 99% of the time I don't catch it. Maybe they don't wash their hands enough, lol.
Maybe people without MS are not used to feeling less than great so they consider themselves sick when they get the sniffles and don't know how to function while feeling cr@ppy - not to generalize but that's sure how it works in my house. DH has missed 2 days of work already this week because he has a cold!
Erin :)
I have RRMS dx 6 years ago - had it many years sooner.
I always joke with my family about this. I may be "sick" with MS every day but they get colds and flu cough and yucky stuff all the time. They pass it back and forth to each other and 99% of the time I don't catch it. Maybe they don't wash their hands enough, lol.
Maybe people without MS are not used to feeling less than great so they consider themselves sick when they get the sniffles and don't know how to function while feeling cr@ppy - not to generalize but that's sure how it works in my house. DH has missed 2 days of work already this week because he has a cold!
Erin :)
I have MS and in the last 10 years have had no colds and one short bout of influenza. I get yearly flu shots. As a pediatrician I had my share of colds, but I had daily intimate contact with lots of sick kids. I did not wear a mask or gloves with children.
Statistically, people with MS have fewer colds and bouts of the flu - basically fewer viral illnesses. This has been noted for the last several decades. Of course there will be exceptions to this, but we have discussed it before and most of the MS members that answered agreed that they got few viral infections. People with MS do not have weakened immune systems. They have an overactive immune response in a few key areas.
Quix
Statistically, people with MS have fewer colds and bouts of the flu - basically fewer viral illnesses. This has been noted for the last several decades. Of course there will be exceptions to this, but we have discussed it before and most of the MS members that answered agreed that they got few viral infections. People with MS do not have weakened immune systems. They have an overactive immune response in a few key areas.
Quix
I get Flu shots and do not remember my last flu. I have gotten a bad case of Mono which took a year to get over in 2007. I get few colds and stomach bugs.
Alex
Alex
Oh I didn't answer your questions properly, sorry.
Dx'd or in Limbo Land?
Sort of diagnosed. He told me MS. Then he wrote "possible MS" to my GP.
How often do you get sick?
See above
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness?
Chest infections
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover?
5 days?
What does illness do to your other sx?
Nothing until I recover, then whammo, have a relapse. Though seeing as I've only been sick once since my sx started, I guess I can't really say.
Dx'd or in Limbo Land?
Sort of diagnosed. He told me MS. Then he wrote "possible MS" to my GP.
How often do you get sick?
See above
What do you seem to be most prone to in terms of sickness?
Chest infections
If you do fall ill, how long does it take you to recover?
5 days?
What does illness do to your other sx?
Nothing until I recover, then whammo, have a relapse. Though seeing as I've only been sick once since my sx started, I guess I can't really say.
I get sick about once every 3 to five years. That INCLUDES colds. This last winter I had bit of a cough and cold for about 5 days. Before that I had a spot of bronchitis in 2005. Before that I cannot remember - I think bronchitis in 2000. That's about it.
Touch wood. I'll probably walk out the door and catch swine flu now :P
And here's one to throw into the mix:
If you are on DMDs do you get more illnesses that when you are not?
Touch wood. I'll probably walk out the door and catch swine flu now :P
And here's one to throw into the mix:
If you are on DMDs do you get more illnesses that when you are not?
I am dx'd I get sick mainly in the winter, last winter I think I caught everything that came around. Being sick makes me more tired and if I run a fever makes all my symptoms worse.
This is a good question, cause I was wondering if your immune system working to destroy the mylin then will it really fight off illness.
Paula
This is a good question, cause I was wondering if your immune system working to destroy the mylin then will it really fight off illness.
Paula
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