ginger Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 Tried to search for this, but too many results came back.... so I'll try it this way. Do POTS patients have reduced immune response? Since Nov I've had strep, intestinal virus, and now my 2nd upper respiratory virus. Doesn't seem to quit. And, like I've read some of you experience, no or very low fevers. I know it's that time of year for viruses to run rampant and I have two kids in school. Here mom, let me kiss you with my snotty nose! But I don't usually get so much back to back.Just wondering if this is part of dysautonomias.Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merrill Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 I haven't heard this, Ginger. I've been doing fairly well in that regard, staving off viruses with early and frequent use of Zicam when the symptoms first start, taking anti-oxidant formula vitamins, and rubbing alcohol gel into my hands all day. I think it's the luck of the draw ... and it helps (significantly!!!) that I haven't had close contact with kids or others who've been sick!One wing of my family swears that adding the daily supplement coenzyme Q-10 has helped keep everyone extremely healthy, with no colds etc in a year! I'm going to ask a new cardiologist about that in a couple weeks.Hope you feel better soon ... I do know that with pots--and the typical breathlessness and tachycardia that goes along with it--respiratory ailments tend to hit us even harder than regular folks. Very big drag ... so take care as best you can.m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 Wow Merrill, my body is so different!Now Ginger, I am not a scientist or a doctor and you really should go to the specialists for the most accurate information...but that being said, I do consider my immune system more challenged than an average person. Meaning that once I get some kind of cold, virus or illness, I not only take longer than the average bloke to recover but I then am more susceptible to other germs. My pcp in fact, insists I get the flu shot every fall because as he said I have a "compromised immune system". Now, I do have some other non dysautonomia issues that may be making me weak too, but I guess it is just one of those things I just once again, "live with". I don't put myself where I'll be next to a feverishly ill person but then again, I raised two children and was around their prolific germs constantly.In case your doctor can't even answer the question accurately I ask this... will knowing the "answer" help us? Maybe you and we could try to look into ways to avoid getting ill as Merrill suggests...what could Co Q10 do for us? Anyway, good question I'll keep thinking, also, keep lots of oj, chicken soup and tylenol around for the winter!stay well, tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violahen Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 Hi:My immune system seems to be struggling as well. In the past month I have had pneumonia and two other viral infections! I also have two young kids, and they certainly bring germs home, but I seem to be having a tough time fighting anything these days.Dr. Grubb has told me as well that I should have a flu shot every year....not only because of being more suseptible, but also because a viral infection can really escalate POTS symptoms. I really feel that my body is so weakened by fighting all my syptoms every day, that it doesn't have the strength to fight off other viral illnesses.I really feel for you!(By the way, my temp. is also normally low...97.4 or so. )Good luck!Kristen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Sawicki Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 And for the other side of the coin....When I first got sick with POTS I stopped getting sick from everything else. It was like my immune system was on overdrive. I didn't even get a cold for years. But as I slowly recovered over the years I started to get just a touch of sickness here and there...I might get the sniffles for a couple of days or something. Now that I am doing so much better I actually get colds again. I even had a touch of the flu this year! I know this will sound crazy....but I was a bit excited by it. It showed me that my body is calming down and returning to normal. Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyce68 Posted January 5, 2005 Report Share Posted January 5, 2005 I have mild asthma on top of POTS and I've noticed if there is a virus anywhere with in a mile of me it seems like I get it. I've been battlling upper respiratory infections since halloween. Of course the longer I'm sick the worse the POTS symptoms get. Good Luck to all of us Joyce68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthMother Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 I am also a big fan of Zicam. If I have a meeting and anyone coughs I go home and use Zicam to try and combat the virus right off the bat. That plus hand sanitizer etc. all because I do think my immune system seems a bit challenged.Not as bad as the first year I "went down" with this though. Back then it seemed like I had a constant infection that just kept moving around ... strep throat, to nasal infection even to eye infections and then back around again.Good luck getting the brass ring so you can get off the merry-go-round.EM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus88 Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 I'm the opposite. I NEVER get a cold or flu anymore - it's been years. I've learned that my flu-like symptoms (like I'm starting to get the flu, but not a full-blown case) are likely dysautonomic symptoms. Since I never actually come down with a bug, it must be the dys stuff going on.I do often take probiotics and I eat almost no processed foods. Much of my meat is organic (no hormones, no antibiotics, grass-fed) as is most of our veggies. I don't eat junk food or anything with sugar or sweetener, and only drink water. I know that all of this has made a huge difference in my body's ability to fend for itself against germs, viruses, etc.I had begun using the Clenzology System (until the hurricane knocked me out of my routine) and it seemed to be slowly helping in small ways. Perhaps an even bigger/faster improvement from this system would be noticed by someone who is challenged with continual immune attacks. I will start back on that soon.Especially if you have been on antibiotics, the probiotics are very important to replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotics kill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsampa Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 I saw an immunologiste because I also have all the time infection. indestinal urinary infection.the immunologiste take blood and do a lot of exam.but my my immune system is ok so he recomane me to see an infectiologue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypso Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 Since having POTS, I had mastitis (breast infection) twice ... and this is an illness that usually affects breastfeeding mothers whose immune system is compromised or who don't rest enough ... and strep throat once. I would say that my immune system seems down more than usual.When I had these illnesses, I had fevers of 102-104. I haven't had a fever this high since I was 7 or 8.Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porque Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 I've had this for about a year and that only infection I had was a sinus infection that I got before I even had my sudden onset and 1 yeast infection. So no I dont get sick but then again I never really have ever been sick before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steph37822 Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 oops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merrill Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 Steph, Zicam does not increase my tachycardia. Give it a whirl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinp29 Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Do POTS patients have reduced immune response? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>YES!!! I had the hardest time shaking off viruses. I caught eVeRyThInG. I've been on a nutritional program (supplements suggested by my nutritionist) and I believe that it's the combination of nutrients that I've been taking that have prepared my immune system for the germy sespool that is college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porque Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 I guess I'm the other way around. I never get sick and never had. My fiance just had like 3 horrible colds...yesterday he had to come home from work early it was so bad...we kiss, share the same cups and he breathes on me all night, yet nothing for me. Last year he had the flu really bad (before I got POTS) nothing for me! I have an awesome immune system. I'm not good about taking my vitamins either, other than a B complex. Must be from all the OJ I drink! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginger Posted January 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 Thanks for the resopnses. Sound like it could be possible to have reduced immune system, but may be many causes to that. Just found something interesting. I was looking up my drugs more in depth to make sure I'm taking at right time and not reducing effectiveness by taking with something else. And the I came across this on Florinef (fludrocortisone) on WebMD: "What should I avoid while taking fludrocortisone?Avoid sources of infection. Wash your hands frequently and keep them away from your mouth and eyes. Your immune system may be weakened while you are taking fludrocortisone. Notify your doctor if you are exposed to an infection such as chicken pox or measles.Avoid immunizations during treatment with fludrocortisone unless your doctor approves."Interesting, huh! And I've been on Florinef since September. Maybe that's a contributing factor to the several viruses I've picked up the last couple months.Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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