Over-active immune system = not getting sick?

[Shashi]

I haven't been diagnosed with MS, though all of my doctors think that the symptoms I've had for over four years do indicate MS, so until something else is ruled out, I just assume that MS is what is going on.

One thing I have noticed over the years is that I don't get sick like I used to. I used to catch every cold, stomach virus, or flu bug going around. If anyone got within 25 feet of me with a germ or virus, I caught it. But not now. I can't remember the last head cold, stomach virus, or flu that I had. I don't even get infections in cuts anymore.

My husband caught the H1N1 flu last year, and though i was in the same house with him and took care of him, I never caught it. (Of course, I also almost washed the skin off my hands and never touched my mouth, nose, or eyes or kissed him that whole month he was sick either.)

There have been times when I might have a few little symptoms that I think might be a cold coming on, but they never get full-blown and are usually gone in a day.

Could an over-active immune system such as is common in MS and other auto-immune diseases keep you from getting sick with other communicable diseases? I'm definitely not complaining about it, just curious though.

[jamilea]

Hi Lisa,

I could be wrong but I don't think so. Maybe you are just practicing better protection habits?

I say that because my husband has Grave's disease, it's autoimmune and he catches sickness easily.

I used to catch everything like you said too, horrible! For some reason, in the last I'd say 5 or 6 years, I only get sick maybe MAYBE once a year but it never turns into anything because I use EmergenC or things like that right away or I'll slam Vitamin C, safe levels of course to knock out any forthcoming infection.

I will say that I still feel sick almost every day since getting a possible then probable MS diagnosis but those are just wide arrays of symptoms.

I'm glad you don't get sick anymore. YAYA!!

[Shandi]

I 100% have an autoimmune disorder.

My lymphocyte counts are usually on the low side; on average in the 15 range, but have been as low as 6. Normal is 20 - 50ish.

I am on DMD, prednisone, and NSAIDS.

I have no gotten anything more than a headache in over five years. In the course of my RA, since 1995, I have not gotten sick but twice. Once I got the flu in 1997, and lost my voice for a week in 2005.

I have dodged my son's school cooties, my husband's colds. I start my teaching internship this coming week so my immune system will be put to the test.

The flawed theory in overactive immune systems is that we should be healthier. Our body has this autoimmunity that attacks us; in MS's case, the myelin. Our body can become so focused on this autoimmunity that there are not enough resources when the invaders come in. Usually people get sick and take longer to recover because of this. just as people who get a cold and then another illness take longer to recover.

Maybe we are a few of the lucky ones who have extra resources.

[DancingPhalanges]

It would be interesting to know though how many of us don't seem to get sick often. I really couldn't tell you the last time I was sick, in fact almost 7 years at my job and the only time I have ever called in sick was when I had a spinal headache from my LP. I just haven't (touch wood) been sick with anything at all.

[Jerrys_mom]

I am on of those folks who rarely gets sick. I have been ths way since mt 20s.

I took care of a friend and family who were sick with the flu and did not catch it.

Once every couple of years I will catch something, but it is over wihin a few days.

I would love to know if this is because of MS.

Joanne
Happy in downtown Chicago

[kebsa]

i have noticed that i do not get colds and other viral infections such as flu like i used to in the past but i certainly do get infections such as urinary tract infections, and when i have had surgery, wound healing is slow - slow would healing is related to immune status - I know the theory about advising those of us with auto immune disorders to get flu shots, is because we are more at risk of serious complications from flu. I think my improved history regarding colds and flu is parly because i get the flu shot and also because i am more careful when it comes to cold season- i always care hand santiser with me, at work it is on every workstation and each worker has to clean down there computer keyboard, phone etc with santisier wipers to limit the chance of the spread of colds etc at work- so i think the general community attitude to infection control has improved

[Tawanda]

just sick or sick with a sickness?

I often see this question here at MSW. I don't think anyone really knows. I think the predominant theory is that those of us with M.S. have a "confused" immune system as opposed to an overactive one.

Who really knows for sure with this crazy disease? As for myself, I feel lousy every single day, but to varying degrees, so if I am sick in the traditional way (cold, flu, etc., as in what I used to mean when I said I was "sick), I can barely tell the difference. It might be a cold, but to me, I just feel like it's M.S. as usual=maybe just a slightly crappier day.

My mother also had M.S. and she never knew when she was sick, on top of being sick, until she wound up in the hospital with pneumonia. It took her labored breathing for my family to finally realise there was more going on there than M.S. as usual!

It's sad...I miss the days when I got sick, bummed out, but always knowing that in a couple days I'd be myself again. Now I am always myself and wish that I wasn't!

[MrsBones]

It's not so much a overactive immune system, it's more of a misguided immune system, where it attacks various parts of your own body (depending on which you have) as well as the disease, viruses, foreign tissue,etc. it's meant to.

I wish mine was a bit more active...I get sick if someone in the next county sneezes.

[Shashi]

It seems like many of you share my ability to avoid colds and other illnesses. Though, like many of you said, I feel so crummy every day from whatever it is I do have that it's not much of a trade off.

I teach in a technical college, and have had students actually walk right up to me at my desk and tell me that they were absent because they were throwing up all night. I've actually told them that if they give me the flu, I'll give them an F! I used to make all the sick students sit in the back row, far away from where I was lecturing. Thank goodness for hand sanitizer!

[Frecklebrat]

Hi Shashi and Everyone,

You know I am for the first time in many years sick, flu-sick.

I did often feel the beginning, scratchy throat, achy etc. but then nothing...I think at least 6 years long.

am on my 6th month of copaxone and was wondering if that was a sign that the effects are changing my immune system.
?!

Good Luck
ww

[twisterred]

I used to rarely get sick.
Now I'm on Copaxone, which has lowered my immune system enough that I do get sick more often.

The thinking in regards to the overly active immune system is that it is soooo overly active, it decides that Myelin is bad and begins attacking it.

Look at the MayoClinic's website and read how it is explained.

Good question and the thinking does seem backwards in regards to the immune system until you remember, ours is in overdrive.

[MrsBones]

I used to rarely get sick.
Now I'm on Copaxone, which has lowered my immune system enough that I do get sick more often.

The thinking in regards to the overly active immune system is that it is soooo overly active, it decides that Myelin is bad and begins attacking it.

Look at the MayoClinic's website and read how it is explained.

Good question and the thinking does seem backwards in regards to the immune system until you remember, ours is in overdrive.

Could you provide the link,please? Everything I spot on the Mayo site only says the immune system attacks the myelin . I'm not seeing anything that says it's overactive. I'm quite interested in a solid answer since I've always been told our immune systems are just attacking the wrong things.

AARDA just says autoimmune diseases occur when our immune system mistakenly attacks the body.
http://www.aarda.org/q_and_a.php

It makes me wonder if some having better than average or less than average immune systems are just co-incidence and are unrelated to our disease or part of the process, since it's not entirely known what triggers the autoimmune response.


Thanks!

[epona]

Me too

I used to get sick with anything and everything that passed within a mile of me, then suddenly, the last 2 years, not a single cold, flu, or sinus infection (which I would get constantly). I did get a stomach bug though that sent me to the emergency room for 3 bags of IV fluids.

My boyfriend had the real flu (very badly, but not H1N1 thankfully) last winter and I took care of him and never caught it. I was worried, as I have pretty bad asthma and used to get any kind of cough from people. No flu and I refused to take the flu shot the army gave me.

I guess I am lucky on that count, but I do have a lot of other things that make me not feel quite right enough to say I am purely healthy.

Some of those things showed up a bit yesterday while I was trying to help with some home projects. I tripped up a lot and had bad vertigo (especially when painting and tilting my head up and down a lot). I nearly ruined the new linoleum we were putting down due to clumsiness. My hands were shaky so I got red paint on edges of things past the masking and on the ceiling...

I am so fatigued today due to everything we did yesterday (which should have been a rest day for me) that I am drinking coffee (fully caff.) and still yawning. I hope I make it through the work day without making too many mistakes as my head is so foggy.

My body also feels like a tractor trailer ran me over. Everything aches and I have terribly knotted muscles in my upper body. I feel a headache coming on... So much for home improvement.

[SNOOPY]

Keep in mind everything about MS is a theory including MS being auto-immune. To this day no one really knows very much about MS.

As far as getting sick: I am no different than the rest of the non-MS population - some years I get everything that is going around and some years I don't.

[BigA]

I like the term "Misguided". It's kind of like asking if the bank is safer with a guard so trigger happy he shoots himself in the foot.

But it is interesting. I'm also one of those who never gets sick. I wonder if it's connected all the same.