Weak immune system...
#5396 - 04/07/03 09:49 PM
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steather
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 345
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Hi everyone...
I was just wondering if anyone else suffers from an incredibly weak immune system. Before the IBS became full-fledged, I'd get sick (typical cold, flu) maybe twice a year. Now, I seem to catch anything that comes my way -- and being in a college atmosphere doesn't help. Right now I have a flu (fever, chills, throbbing headache, stiff neck), and last month I had some weird variation of the cold. Then my boyfriend caught it, mutated it, and gave it back to me! I'm just extremely frustrated... My mom tells me that I need to take more vitamins...her answer to everything! Once she gave me this "female vitamin" -- I don't recall really what it was, just something jam-packed with stuff, and it made me literally vomit both times I took it... I'm pretty sure it was on an empty stomach, but still, anthing that gives me that sort of reaction, I tend to stay away from.
Any recommendations? Similar experiences?
-chemegurrl
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Heather
"Quod me Nutrit me Destruit"
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well, i have to agree with your mom that vitamins WILL help, but don't take them on an empty stomach! and i don't know what kind you have, but they mght be the GNC Women's Ultra Mega? they're HUGE, and really have tooo many vitamins, over 100% of many of them.
the tried and true anti-cold vitamins, minerals and herbs that i always take are: Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinicea. they're all preventative, so you need to take them before you get sick, or right when you start feeling the first "icky-ness" of a cold coming on.
there are other things, too, i'm sure. but those are the top 3. always take vitamins right after you eat an IBS-safe meal, so you can digest them better.
if you don't like pills, there are teas you can get that have vitamin C and echinicea in them... there's one by Celestial Seasonings called something like "Complete Cold Care"
and make sure you're sleeping enough. college is completely loaded with things to makes you sick because of the environment... lots of people, lots of junk food, lots of stress, and NO SLEEP! oi!
hope this helps some.
beth
p.s. i've always had a weak immune system, so i can't tell you if IBS has made it worse or not...
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I second that! All of it! This year I'm a first time teacher--I teach kindergarten--and I haven't gotten sick like this since I lived in a college dorm! This year I got strep throat 5 times (my husband never caught it)! I've also had seevral colds, and I even got the stomach flu from the kids at school! My mom also told me to take my vitamins! LOL I finally listened to her. I take magnesium/calcium citrate, echinacea, and a multivitamin (plus probiotics) every day. I've been feeling a cold coming on--but so far it's being kept at bay. I don't know if it's the vitamins or not--but I think I'll stick with em'!  I ALWAYS take my vitamins with a meal--when I haven't I got VERY naseous! Maybe that will do the trick for you--I dunno? Anyway--you're def. not alone--college is the worst btw because you live in such close quarters. I hope you're feeling better soon--take care! Let us know how you'e feeling! 
*hugs*
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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Beth,
Those were GREAT suggestions! There's also a tea by Celestial Seasonings called Echinacea Complete Care--it has Vitamin C and Zinc (and it's good for your tummy--it has peppermint, licorice root, and star anise--and stevia leaves which are sweet and have fiber in em' too). It has a Eucalyptus mint flavor--yum! (Now I'm thristy)  (I also like their Tummy Mint Tea--have you ever tried that one)?
Chemegurrl, if you try tea, let us know how you make out. Good luck--enjoy!
Ruchie -<3-
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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It dosen't have any vitamins in it, but I want to chime in and say I love the Tummy Mint! 
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-h2
"Soluble fiber not included."
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I am there with all of you. If one person in the entire plant that I work in gets sick I get it. And there are 170 people that work here. My boss jokes that I am genetically weak. The perfect example for me is a doctor's appointment that I had a month ago. I went to get my cholesterol checked because I went on Lipitor in November. When I left the appointment I was on medication for tonsilltis and a hernia. And I have to schedule a colonoscopy for the summer. Isn't that just great? All I wanted to get checked was my cholesterol. Two weeks after that I came down with strep. So I am there.
I have the same problems with vitamins. I was on prenatal vitamins in 2001 because we were trying to have a baby and I was sick the whole year. And have no baby to show for it. I have not been able to take any since.
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lovejoy_22
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Thanks for everyone's great suggestions....I will definitely have to try some of the Celestial Seasonings teas! Sound good! And it's always nice to hear that others share my situation. As of now, the fever's gone away....Just the headache and closed throat to deal with Maybe if I start taking my vitamins on a regular basis (Ugh! For some reason I detest those suckers...I have huge vats of Echinacea and Calcium that I SHOULD be taking) I can stave off another sickness until the end of the semester? Thanks again!
-chemegurrl
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Heather
"Quod me Nutrit me Destruit"
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Wow, I was surprised at the response I got! I can really relate to you lovejoy -- I have gone into the doctor a few times thinking I had one thing when it opened up a can of worms. One time I thought I had a typical cold that I couldnt get rid of (I had it for two months or so) and then I got a full body neon red rash, and thought "Uh-oh"...so I went into the health clinic at school, and apparently I had had a cold, but had caught some sort of virus that I can't even pronounce...at first they told me I had Mono...ya, I'm there with you! It's frustrating to have to miss/perform poorly at work or school because of typical illnesses, because people do think you're a weakling....one of my teachers won't let me step foot in his office because he thinks I'll give him something if I do (jokingly)!
Sorry to hear about the prenatal vitamins...that's one thing you really hope will do its job, for the baby's sake. Are you working on ways to get pregnant without them? I am not at that position in life yet where I have to worry about getting pregnant, but I know when it comes time, it will be an uphill battle.
-chemegurrl
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Heather
"Quod me Nutrit me Destruit"
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Me too! I love Tummy Mint!
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I definitely understand how you feel about the teacher who won't let you in his office. My boss follows me around with a lysol bottle when I am not feeling well. Even if it is just my IBS acting up.
My husband and I actually did get pregnant that year, but I had two miscarriages. After the second I decided to give myself some time. It was the same year I had my appendix removed, a biopsy of my cervix and was finally diagnosed with IBS. I decided that mentally I needed to step back from the situation. I think we might try again next year, but I am not sure. I am just not ready to go through it again. I do know for certain that I will only go through one more miscarriage before I adopt. There are so many babies that need a home. It could be mine.
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lovejoy_22
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Wow! You certainly have a strong will, to keep at it after all that. I wish you good luck in the future....though I know if it comes to adoption, you will definitely make wonderful parents to a child who truly needs them! I have told myself that if I turn out unable to concieve, that I will definitely adopt (though I would love to have a child of my own too!)...Right now I trying to stabilize my monthly (try twice yearly!) cycle with my OB/GYN, and thats not working too well. Some of my friends growing up always got mad because I seemed to "miss out" on their monthly pains....but boy, let me tell you, the pains I did get, they couldn't even begin to imagine!
I saw that you are from NC -- I stayed in Raleigh last summer, and boy, was it beautiful over there! So green and luscious...especially to a desert rat like me. And the summer was very similar to an AZ summer, just a bit humid...but I loved it, felt right at home.
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Heather
"Quod me Nutrit me Destruit"
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Tummy Mint--SO YUMMY!!!!  I've never met anyone else who'd ever heard of it...I should've know ya'll on the board are up on their teas
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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You know it! I had never heard of anyone else drinking Tummy Mint either (besides my boyfriend, which I got him drinking!).
My other Celestial Seasonings favs are Honey Peach Ginger (OMG!!!!!--that's got to be the best!!!), Sleepytime, Bengal Spice, Tension Tamer, and that's all I can think of right now.
My other fav is called Gastraflor. I got it free from Yves Rocher (the place that sells all the bath/body stuff, makeup, etc.). It said it was an after meal herbal tea. It works great! I used to drink this when in emergency state (bad IBS attack at work) before I knew of Heather's diet. It has verbena, mint, orange, linden, & chamomile. This is the only tea I've ever heard of with verbena. There's 60 bags in the box, so it lasts me forever. I only use it when I'm feeling really bad!!
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I love the Tension Tamer too, can't wait to try the ginger peach spice, they are two of my favorite flavors (ginger and peach)! I will look into Gastraflor, we don't have a Yves Rocher store around here that I know of, but I will look online.
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-h2
"Soluble fiber not included."
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Just check the box for the Honey Peach Ginger. It's one of their Wellness teas, so it has warnings about allergies, pregnacy, gallbladder, etc., because of the herbal supplements.
Yves Rocher is mail order. They don't have any stores that I know of. Here's their site: Yves Rocher
But, don't buy it full price. It's expensive. But, once you buy one little thing from there, they CONSTANTLY send you deals--2 for 1, choose 1 product free, etc. Get it through a "deal".
They are kind of neat tea bags though. They're actual cotten satchets. I kind of feel exotic or old fashioned when I use them. LOL But, since they are cotton, I always cut the string off before using--othewise it sucks the water up & it leaks on the outside of the cup--big mess!
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Quote:
There are so many babies that need a home. It could be mine.
That's awesome.
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