Tysabri causing more incidents of food poisoning?

[Remy9111]

Has anyone had more food poisoning incidents since being on Tysabri? I wonder if it's related to having a compromised immune system? One time was particularly bad -- I ended up in the ER with a WBC of 25,000 and could barely walk from pain. I was severely dehydrated. They did a CT scan and simply decided that my gut looked massively irritated and it had to be food poisoning. I had eaten chicken that day at a Pho place that was not the cleanest. It's the only thing I can think of that caused it.

Another time I ate steak at someone's house and they had left it out at room temperature for a few hours. Usually I can identify something that likely causes food poisoning before the incident (chicken, beef, items from a salad bar at Whole Foods). I get severe diarrhea and occasionally vomit. But once it's gone through my system I'm fine.

I eat all kinds of other things like dairy, wheat on a regular basis with no problem so I don't think it's that. I wonder if the suppressed immune system makes me more susceptible to bacteria on food? It happens every 2-3 months. When I stopped eating out for several months to save money it never happened!

It's starting to get annoying. But I won't go off Tysabri since I love it. I'm trying to be more choosey about what I eat when I go out (which is a lot).

Has anyone else had this?

[Chowda]

Oh noes! I've never had food poisoning in my life!
I am being slightly more cautious but I guess it makes since that it increases risk :\

[DexterMorgan]

I have once... Usually when I have food poisoning I'll throw up once and I'll be done with it and feel better.

But when I was in my second year of the Tysabri and had food poisoning I kept feeling really bad for a whole day and then all of the sudden without a warning I threw up outside when I was with my friends. I thought yay, it's out I'm going to feel better now! Nope.

I stayed at a friends place that night and decided to go home as I got that sick feeling again and then the horror began. The smallest thing I ate I'd threw up even water. I basically spend my whole night throwing up everything I drank or tried to eat. Took me about 3 days to fully recover.

Maybe Tysabri did have an influence on it, it's just hard to really know for sure.

[22cyclist]

Tysabri causes more susseptability to GI viruses

So viruses like the norovirus, which can last for days, is spread by touch, and can remain on surfaces for a couple of days, is not killed by hand sanitizers or standard sprays, is very easy to catch for us on Ty. It is also hard to trace because it sheds two days before the actual virus effects emerge, they can go on for 1 to 5 days, and the virus then sheds for another two days after you are no longer sick, so it is a horribly contagious GI bug. I get it like twice a winter, end up in the ER needing fluids because I can't drink or eat anything.

Regular GI viruses begin and shed the same amount of time, so If you knew someone who has been sick, give them a couple of more days before you see them again so you don't get sick.

Same thing goes for colds, except colds can be killed by hand sanitizer, and is spread mostly through the air. Stomach viruses are spread by touch, or eating food cooked by someone who has or has had the virus in the past couple of days.

Take care
Lisa

[DexterMorgan]

What I personally just had to think about is probiotics...

I don't know if you have Yakult in America, but I bought it a few months ago and I was sick for a week because of it. I started throwing up etc.

Same thing happened when my doctor prescribed me some priobiotics for my bowel movement. The stomach ache

Too bad, because I really like the taste of Yakult

[Remy9111]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the info on the norovirus. Yeah, I know those can be badly contagious (think cruise ship) but are there that many noroviruses floating around all year round? I usually thought they lasted longer than 24 hours? Most of my incidents are like a 24 hour thing except maybe twice it was longer.

The weird thing is that I never get colds (knock on wood!!). I haven't had a cold in probably 15 years. Now that is amazing. I do use hand sanitizer pretty regularly but even before my hand sanitizer phase I didn't get colds. A Rebif nurse once told me that he saw many many people who told him that before they got MS they never got sick -- no colds, flu respiratory infections. He said it was because people with autoimmune disorders have an immune system in overdrive. I don't know if that's true.

I guess because I always get sick after eating out in restaurants or doing take out (except for the one time someone left steaks out) I assumed it had to do with somewhat spoiled food and therefore bacteria. It never happens with food I cook at home because I cook all meat well done.

It's hard to know I guess. I suppose food handlers in restaurants could be passing on the norovirus to me.

It's a giant pain because digestive illnesses are no fun!