Immune System

[alwaysconfused]

When I get sick with a cold, or any virus that invades my body, my immune system attacks it and I get better.  Because I have had HepC for so long, and my immune system has constantly been trying to battle it, doesn't that mean that it has not had the same strength to battle other illnesses at the same time?  When I look back, before I knew I hade HepC, everytime I even got a cold, it took me about 2 to 3 weeks to get rid of it and everyone else in my family was over it in 4 to 5 days.  It makes sense, now that I know I have HepC that my immune system was too busy fighting that off to efficiently get rid of the cold I had.  Do you think this is true?

[IMstacie]

I believe you are treating right now.  The tx lowers many of your blood counts and causes you to be immunosuppressed.  i.e., your WBC.  When you have a low white blood cell count there is an increased risk of infection.  

[pjhep80]

well i have hep c also and i rarely ever get sick, maybe once or twice a year a cold and it goes away in 2-3 days, havent had the flu in like 10 years...

everyones immune system is different wheter you have hep c or not some are weak some are strong i dont think having hep c has anything to do with how your body beats other infections

[Isobella]

TFunny, that's the exact opposite of the theory I came up with for myself.  I never got sick.  I used to always joke that my immune system was working in overdrive.  Well, guess the joke was on me...it was in overdrive....fighting this bug pretty hard for most of my life.  No wonder the little germs didn't stand a chance.

So I guess it comes down to what pjhep says...everyone's immune system is different.

[GreatBird]

I hardly ever get sick either. No colds. No flu. (No flu shots either.)

[Kristina538]

I look at my blood tests from 14 years ago, and there was a huge difference.   I believe the state of your liver has more to do with how your immune system is performing, more than whether or not your have HVC.  

My WBC etc, while still above normal, were the lower end of normal prior to tx last year.  Fourteen years ago they were well in the mid to high range.   Neuts painted a similar picture also.   I know I've had to be more careful with catching colds etc over the last 5 years because they knock me over for a longer period and break into a chest infection or bronchitis quickly.

I refuse to think I'm getting old;   but my body is refusing to agree with me!!!