Pots Related Or Immune?

[dizzygirl]

I was just wondering.. since october november.. I seem to be catching one bug after another.. I was wondering is this common for potsy folks to get sick so w/ normal illnesses.. on top of pots?

or is it maybe more of an auto immune problem maybe?

since october november.. Ive had multiple things..streph throat x'2 bronchitusx like 3,, ear infections.. too many.. along with a few colds- sinus infection..the flu.. and now a UTI..

Is this normal? I just dont seem to be catching much of break in between things..

thanks

[flop]

I seem to pick up every bug going arround too. I have recently had a chest infection that started in December and took 2 months to clear (turned out to be pseudomonas pneumonia - healthy people don't get pseudomonas).

A friend with POTS has trouble with recurrent ear infections.

Does anyone else have this problem too?

[dizzygirl]

flop i have had reoccuring ear infection since i was an infant.. they said i would out grown bad ear infection.. and i havent!.. i still get them about 5 times a year maybe more depending on things..

I had bronchitus/strph in november and it took me 2 months to get rid of it! it was crazy.. and several different antibiotics.. nuts nuts nuts..

[MNsue]

Have you been worked up for an immune deficiency? If you can find an immunologist in your area, you will probably get the most comprehensive work up. I know it helped me. I don't have an immune deficiency, but I do have an immune dysfunction and get lots of sinus infections.

I find sucking on a cold ease table once a day helps. It only has 13mg of zinc, and does not make my stomach turn like zinc tablets do.

I hope this helps.

Rhonda

[cardiactec]

I was just talking to a cardiologist i work with yesterday - he was saying how he'd been sick for a week with a cold and i was telling him, when i thought about it, that i hadnt had a cold or flu bug in YEARS - like 10 years!! seriously. he replied "well, you may have pots, eds, and gastroparesis, but you're lucky to have one heck of an immune system". i think he's right......other than autonomic crap, i am pretty healthy..

sorry you're going through so many colds/flu's/UTI's.....no fun.......take care of yourself and hope you start feeling better soon....

[JaneEyre9]

hey dizzy,

that's a lot of infections! you must feel miserable. sounds like your immune system isn't doing its job too well. I know that i have some immune issues separate from POTS, but i don't get that many infections over such a short period. i just seem to be more likely to catch "what's going around" and have trouble getting rid of it as fast as others. You might want to make an appointment to get some specific blood studies done by an immune specialist. hope you start feeling better-- you must be sick of antibiotics too.

Kristen

[Guest tearose]

I think once I get sick it opens up a spell of weakness and often a few more viruses or infections until things turn around.

I don't have a predictable pattern otherwise.

It must be so uncomfortable to have constant issues with ear infections. I wonder if you have a structural defect? Do you have fluid stuck behind your ear drum?

There is a new article out on POTS being part autoimmune...have you read it?

It is on the forum about two days old. Let me know if you need me to put it here.

tearose

[dizzygirl]

oh yes i am sick of antibitoic that is for sure! tho the one i am now is pretty gosh darn strong.. and wouldnt you know.. i got that familiar feeling of bronchitus brewing in my chest..once i woke up yesterdya morning! im like youve got to be kidding me ;/

tea..yes i often have fluid behind my eardrums.. when i go into the docs office im always like check my ears they are hurting again... and low and behold.. they have fluids in there.. i had tubes twice as a child...tho not as an adult..anestesia is not something i look forward too.. ugh when ive had it in the past i have bp problems and it makes me sick.. yuck..

there seem to be certain points in the year when iget more sick the other times in the year.. and it started early this.. year.. I was thinking this morning.. the change in seasons always always knocks me thru a loop.. espeically winter into spring...

i have always always had problems with lots of infection and things.. but i'd say since 2005 i have had a harder time then usual.. just stuff pretty much all the time...in spring of 2005 i got really bad bronchitus which turned into pneumonia.. while on antibiotics.. and that is when things started getting worse for me ...pots wise too

so i guess that is why i was wondeing if poor fighting immune system was a normal things for us..

[deucykub]

Hi, Dizzygirl:

I'll usually get sick about once or twice a year, and once I get something it hangs on forever. But it's nothing compared to what you are describing. This may not be "just POTS." My grandmother was recurrently sick for about 2 years - infection after infection after infection. She and my grandfather recently moved in with my uncle, who is a doctor. I think he thought my grandmother was a hypochondriac until he saw her every day. He finally brought her in to have a lung lavage (I think that's what it was called), and they discovered three very nasty strains of bacteria; one was related to TB and the other two they never figured out. They hospitalized her on the spot, and she was put on these really powerful IV antibiotics for months. They weren't even available in pill form, and thank God the doctors helped her get a reduced price; they were supposed to be about $2000 a week!

She is finally recovered from that, but it was a real fight.

Have you had any testing like this where they tried to identify the strain of the infection?

I really hope you kick these infections soon and can return to your normal health.

Big hugs!!!!!!!!!

Deucykub