Last time you had a cold? | Arthritis Information

Here is a question I had for my rheumy during my last appt and of course,
forgot. I have not had a cold or even so much as the sniffles for 2 years.
Everyone around me has been sick multiple times but not me. So, my
question. Is this good or bad? I realize this disease sends your immune
system into overdrive but do the meds slow it down to a normal speed? And
how do we tell that our immune systems are functioning at normal speed? I
know it is good to get a cold or flu once in a while to keep our immune
systems busy but I worry when I never get a cold. Is this a crazy question? I
had three really bad cases of pneumonia in an 18 month period, then
nothing. Does anyone else seldom get sick? and if so, is this normal?

I can't help answer this but I wanted to say...

I feel so much better after reading this...

makes me realize you can live with RA and not get sick all the time :)

I was afraid I would be in and out of the hospital alot

good questions lorster...to add to that...

does RA increase chances of pneumonia?

Hi Zeekman

It can increase your chances of manflu

I've had one sinus infection in the last couple of years. Sometimes I'll get a bit of a sore throat and think, 'I'm getting sick' then.. nothing. I have been wondering about this very same thing. Glad I'm not alone.I always have something. Actually, just went to the dr. yesterday for an
ear infection and sinus infection.

De. says it is the immunosupressents combined with the middle schoolers
I am trapped with in my windowless room. I love the kids...not their
germs!What a coincidence! Everyone in my house has gotten sick this winter except me! I usually am sick w/strep or a sinus infection every single Christmas except this past one. I've been on meds for about a year now I think and not sick once - uh oh, now i'll jinx myself. I think that it's because I know that if i get sick i have to stop my meds so i've been vigilant about hand washing and using things like purell hand sanitizer.Very strange! My wife, who works retail, gets the flu 1-2 each winter, along with my 11 year old petri dish. Knock on wood, but I have not had a flu or cold for over two years. Lorster, I'm like you I never get sick. No colds, no flues, no nothing. My dr describes my immune system as super. It does make me worry less about taking immunosuppressents cause I don't get sick even on thoseMy immune system is pretty much shot so it is a must for me to avoid sick people. Hard to do with 6 yr. old and 6 month old grandkids that I love dearly. I really just take the usual precautions around people with colds or some other illnesses. I probably should be a germaphob, but I'm not. The last cold I had, which was about this time last year, took me 8 weeks to get over.

I haven't been sick this season either. (Knock on wood). Everyone in my house (Total of 6 including me) has been sick. Three of them have had the flu. I did get this flu shot this year though.(for the first time ever)

Before starting Humira two years ago I NEVER got sick. I didn't even have a regular GP. Once I started Humira I went ahead and got a GP just in case because I'd heard of the increased risk of infection. Two summers ago I was sick for almost a month with sinus infection & bronchitis which they thought might be phenmonia but wasn't once they did a chest x-ray. It just took me forever to get over it.

I've been off Humira now for 10 weeks now and haven't been sick yet. My husband who sleeps in the bed next to me has been real sick twice in that amount of time......and I've yet to get anything I consider anything more than allergies.

I think all the fear about infections is a little over dramitized. I have definately found myself to be less likely to get sick than many around me.

I address flu, cough and other respiratory infections, headache with Wild Lingzhi and natural foods.

There are many methods like wild lingzhi, fruit & ginger juices with honey as drink, fruit juice porridge etc.

Never like meds always made me sick, sleepy and weak in the past.

I've never had a cold or flu in my entire life. Small pox vaccines won't even take. I had never know illness until now. I was state champion in my weight division as a power lifter.

Who knew that someday it would turn against me. I think it started about 10 years ago when started allergy medication.

Could someone tell me some good news?

I catch anything that comes my way. i am hoping that once i start meds this will get better. How i look at is , my immune system is so busy attacking my joints it isnt bothering killing off viral infections. Hoping that the meds will bring my immune system back to normal. finger cross!!!

I catch everything that comes my way, even if someone who is sick just "looks" at me wrong

I was that way before the meds, and I'm still that way. I would love to be one of those on the board who never or rarely gets sick. I'm jealous

Lori

Well, maybe if I caught more colds, I would feel like a normal person, lol. I
just wonder if we can actually burn our immune systems out. I mean, it
cannot run on overdrive forever.That's a scary thought.You're really tempting fate by saying this, or is typing that you never get sick not the same as saying it outloud? So test my nimrod theory, if you said you never get sick and then get sick could you please post back. What is man-flu? My DH came home and said he'd gone to the clinic and he had pneumonia! I freaked, how could he not let me know he was coming down with something so serious, he changed his tune, he was on antibiotics for a sinus infection after I slept in DD room.
DeidreGetting over a cold now. Last one I had was a year ago.I would get one or two colds a year. Sore throat or something. I was DX three years ago with RA and have not even had a sniffle in the past three years.The only down side to that is that I have not called in sick for work in three years.

This disease is man flu. For those unfamiliar with this insidious condition, man flu is a lot like the common cold. So much like it in fact that many believe it is just a common cold. However once it takes hold in its victim — always male as the name suggests — it is completely debilitating and only complete bed rest and mollycoddling by the nearest and dearest female can treat it.

I was wondering about this too! I'd recently commented to DH that I wondered if my overactive immune system might actually have a benefit -- sparing me the colds and flus. DXd with RA last August, but RA symptoms for 2 years (or more - who really knows!) and, if it wasn't for the RA, I'd say I've never been healthier. Wow, how's that for any oxymoron! Nary a cough or sniffle. Wierd, but it's the least we're owed!!

Taking the silver linings where I can find 'em,
- Joy

I don't catch much. I always take a flu shot. I'm good about hand washing.

However if I catch it I really get sick, sometimes it is months before I'm completely over it. I was really sick from Halloween 99 thru Easter 2000. That was the worst ever. I've had 2 or 3 bad upper resp infections since then.

My husband gets sick 2 or 3 times more often than I do. Sometimes I find out I was sick instead of having a few crappy days when he takes to his bed the next week.

I wonder with all the aching, fatigue, and drug side effects if we just take all this cold and flu crap in stride - we do get sick but call it a flare.

Be more careful and develope a sense of awareness!

I don't understand this post kokakoko88. most of these posts are speaking about getting common illnesses less often than the average. What are you talking about?I used to get a cold 5 - 6 times a year, minimum, and bronchitis twice a year like clockwork. Since I've had RA, I've never even had a sniffle.

I wondered if it was just luck or just me.

Wow, I'm so glad someone posted this question. When I was diagnosed last year I thought I'd be sick all the time, but I haven't had anything other than a UTI since I've had RA.

I am a lot more careful about washing my hands, staying away from sickies and sanitizing my office, though.

lou m, you have to experience to understand. All these common illnesses surface because of low level/weak body system. I can be side effects of drugs/"bad" sensitive foods taken.

...and what are you talking about?