HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Never getting sick - a bad thing?

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 11/26/2018 1:45 PM (GMT 0)
I rarely ever sick and don't think I've had the flu. I recently asked my LLMD about this and she said never getting sick does not indicate a strong immune system and is actually a bad thing. I really like my LLMD and think she is very knowledgeable but I’m completely lost on this one. How can never getting sick not indicate a strong immune system??
I couldn't follow the explanation. Thoughts?
Posted 11/26/2018 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
The symptoms of being sick, like a fever, runny nose, cough or sneezing are our bodies way of fighting an infection.

Most of us with Lyme have a compromised immune system, so our bodies cannot fight an infection and do not exhibit common symptoms.

Does that make any sense?
Posted 11/26/2018 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, yes that makes sense a little. But does that suggest I'm getting sick but my body doesn't know it?
Posted 11/26/2018 3:04 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not convinced that if your immune system is low then you don't get sick.


What about the elderly? They supposedly have lower immune function...but they get really sick...and the flu can kill them.
Posted 11/26/2018 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
"Most of us with Lyme have a compromised immune system, so our bodies cannot fight an infection and do not exhibit common symptoms"

- No disrespect, as this has been said over and over, but its a false myth repeated in the lyme community, let me explain:

Any Immunologist has seen that the opposite is true. Example: Kids born with low immune cells are sick all the time with upper respiratory issues. These are also kids with measurable low immune systems most likely lower than the average "lymie", they were born with immune dysfunction and are always sick unless they get IVIG.

I have low immune cells (test results), some under the actual range, but I still get sick with colds ect.

Technically, how do people know how compromised their immune systems are unless their lymphocytes and immunoglobulins are tested? No way to know then.
Posted 11/26/2018 11:49 PM (GMT 0)

cppoly said...
I rarely ever sick and don't think I've had the flu. I recently asked my LLMD about this and she said never getting sick does not indicate a strong immune system and is actually a bad thing. I really like my LLMD and think she is very knowledgeable but I’m completely lost on this one. How can never getting sick not indicate a strong immune system??
I couldn't follow the explanation. Thoughts?

This isnt true at all, people with lowered immune defenses generally get sick more and have more trouble fighting things. Even a simple cold can kill them if they are very compromised.
Posted 11/27/2018 5:42 AM (GMT 0)
From what i understand is that our body produce inflammation in order to kill the pathogen, inflammation is good when there is a banalnce. People with chronic lyme have already high inflammatory responses so cold or flu have not any chance. When you start treatment and getting better you have lowered the inflammation, so it is easier to have the classic symptoms of cold and flu but there is a chance to exhibit old symptoms cause of this inflammatory imbalance and a cold set you back, like it happened to me a week ago

Post Edited (Alexandros96) : 11/26/2018 10:45:39 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/27/2018 1:14 PM (GMT 0)
Kinda makes sense on both sides but honestly I don't see a clear answer =]
Posted 11/27/2018 2:09 PM (GMT 0)

Alexandros96 said...
From what i understand is that our body produce inflammation in order to kill the pathogen, inflammation is good when there is a banalnce. People with chronic lyme have already high inflammatory responses so cold or flu have not any chance. When you start treatment and getting better you have lowered the inflammation, so it is easier to have the classic symptoms of cold and flu but there is a chance to exhibit old symptoms cause of this inflammatory imbalance and a cold set you back, like it happened to me a week ago

That explanation makes intuitive sense and mirrors my experience. The high level inflammation caused by the chronic infections/immune response may mask cold/flu to some degree. The way these infections affect peoples' immune systems seems highly variable based on the anecdotal stories and some of the research I've seen (especially in regards to borrelia). For some it is downregulated, others upregulated, and there are different components to the immune system so one part may be out of whack while another functions more normally.
Posted 11/27/2018 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
I rarely get a cold or flu but I think this is primarily due to the fact that I am not being continuously exposed to large groups of people, ie office, school etc, but also taking all these antimicrobial tinctures, oregano ess.oil, GSE, inhaling essential oils, colloidal silver etc etc, probably the virus doesn't get to replicate before something gets it. Perhaps I'm wrong.
Posted 11/27/2018 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
I think it’s hyperimmunity. Our body is on high alert and wipes out the small stuff. Not ideal bc I think we want balance in our immune system.
Posted 11/27/2018 3:48 PM (GMT 0)

Alexandros96 said...
From what i understand is that our body produce inflammation in order to kill the pathogen, inflammation is good when there is a banalnce. People with chronic lyme have already high inflammatory responses so cold or flu have not any chance. When you start treatment and getting better you have lowered the inflammation, so it is easier to have the classic symptoms of cold and flu but there is a chance to exhibit old symptoms cause of this inflammatory imbalance and a cold set you back, like it happened to me a week ago

This makes the most sense to me. My understanding is we either have out of control Th1 or Th2 immune response. I don’t think it’s really all one or the other, though. I think it’s a mix of the two.
Posted 11/27/2018 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know the science behind this issue but before I acquired Lyme I would average 1-2 cold sores per year like clockwork. Since Lyme I have had zero cold sores. That's over a three year period.

There might be another explanation but it sure is interesting.
Posted 11/28/2018 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
I stopped getting fever after I got Lyme (47 years ago). If sick, it is only one day, body temperature below 100 F. My LLND says that not getting fever is not a good sign, fever helps fight infections.

Just a thought, maybe Borrelia does something to our immune system that it doesn't react with fever? High-grade fever could be dangerous for Borrelia?
Posted 11/29/2018 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
If the typical symptoms of getting sick are masked so that we don't know we have a cold, what exactly is the cold doing to our bodies other than producing those typical symptoms? In other words, if I never get a sore throat, running nose, etc. what else would the cold be doing that I don't know about?
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply