Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.
Hope you're feeling better, Tex. I've been wondering the same thing myself since I haven't had a cold in several years. I try not to think about it since it seems when I do, then I'm proven wrong. I've been taking Vit D with the hopes that it would help since I ALWAYS got the flu once a year and several colds throughout the seasons. My husband is in the middle of a chest cold right now and I'm wondering if I'll luck out. I used to get flu shots but haven't in at least 4 years. I gave them up the year my son and I had our shots and both got the nastiest flu ever at the same time. It was awful! I ended up repainting the bathroom because he did a power-puke from doorway that hit the far wall. I will never forget cleaning the bathroom while having the flu myself- didn't get any worse than that. I can laugh now, but I don't need to say anymore about the subject.
However, for the past three days I have an incredibly stiff neck that runs down to my shoulder blade. I thought I was coming down with a cold but the next morning the symptoms passed but I was left a very sore neck. I wasn't sure if I slept wrong but decided it was better than getting a cold. Mine always took forever to pass and always included uncontrollable coughing. It was so bad once that I ended up having a hairline crack in my rib because of the strain. My husband has started taking vitamin D, too!
Hi again Tex, I learned more form Doc Zajac than anyone else about health. He was an old timer that came to your house a lot of the time if warranted. The town was the small backwoods town of Woodland Park, Colorado (10,000 feet above sea level) in those days (mid 1980's) the whole county had a population of 2,000. He was smart and always seemed to summarize things just about right....certainly from the old school of simple common sense (a rare breed). As it was described to me everyone's immune system was different and depending on the strength and time in cycle would go through a period of illness to strengthen itself again....makes sense to me.
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
DebE wrote:I ended up repainting the bathroom because he did a power-puke from doorway that hit the far wall. I will never forget cleaning the bathroom while having the flu myself- didn't get any worse than that.
Wow! That has to be some rough memories. I had to clean various parts of the bathroom a few times, because of MC, but nothing that extensive.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Tex...I hope you feel better! This whole thread has been very interesting.
I didn't get a flu shot this year for the first time in like 8 years. I was so paranoid that with my LC, my body was going to have fits over it and I would get sick or possible WD again.
My son just got a flu shot in October and since that very day he has had a cough pretty much. Some days it goes away but then it comes back....very mild though.
I hope I'm doing the right thing in regards to not getting the flu shot. Tex...you say it's bad in Texas right now and I'm in Houston. I think I'll just hibernate which should be easy for me as I did it most of the summer anyway due to MC. I'm just so afraid that if I get the flu then the WD will start again and I won't be able to get through it. But I really don't want to risk having the shot and then having some kind of reaction to it.
@DebE...that sounds just awful!! I've never had to clean up a bathroom and I hope I never have to!
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Tex.......interesting on the backache and cold. I can actually go back probably 12 to 15 yrs when this first started.....I suddenly came down with lower back pain that was so severe they had to take me to the hospital for muscle relaxers and pain meds. I couldn't walk, get up to go to the bathroom or get down to the toilet. NEVER in my life had I ever hurt my back so I didn't know what the heck happened. As soon as my back pains cleared up (3 or 4 days) boom......I would get the worst cold I'd ever had in my life. Head full, chest full plain miserable. Then couple years later........boom the entire same routine...hospital and all then nasty cold. 2 or 3 years later.........repeat......repeat......repeat. I've tried over and over to tell the hospital staff and docs.......I know this is the beginning of a severe cold and always antibiotics eventually but again.............No one would listen to me. Now, knock on wood, I haven't had one of those back/cold episodes for prob 3 or 4 years now and hope I never have another one. I've never heard anyone else talk about getting backaches that relate to cold symptoms. After a couple 2 or 3 of them........I knew what to expect even though the docs all said noway!!!!!
Hope you get to feeling better Tex!!!
I was just going by the local TV reports. It's probably not a major problem statewide in Texas (so far), so maybe it's not a problem in Houston. Here's the CDC influenza page if you're interested. If you scroll down the page, you can see a map that shows the states that have a problem, and whether they have low, medium, or high rates of illness. Below that, there's a map that shows whether the problem is regional, sporadic, or whatever, in the respective individual states. So far the problem seems to be concentrated in the South (plus Missouri), except that Florida appears to have only a minimal number of cases. Alabama and Mississippi are shown to have the highest concentration of cases. As you can see, the CDC map shows the problem to be regional in Texas (last week).
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
That's a very interesting (and convincing) pattern of symptoms. I'm sure though, if it were to happen 100 times in a row, your doctors would still deny that's it's possible.
Unfortunately, in my case, the back and neck pain seems to show up at the same time as the cold symptoms, not several days earlier, as in your case.
I'm feeling better, though — the Betty Crocker GF cake mix that I ordered last week arrived today, so I've got something to look forward to, when I get past the cold.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
PERFECT plan Tex!!!! I hope you got them on Amazon....lot of 6 boxes is wwwwaaayyy cheaper than my grocery stores. But they do have scam deals on there as well for like $10 a mix so be careful. That's all my grandkids get for treats now and they love them.
Interesting thread. I have been wondering about all of this recently, too.
I am in the midst of my first cold in almost 4 years (since I have been supplementing with vitamin D). Tex, I saw that article about vitamin D not preventing colds, and I believe it referred to those who already had adequate D levels, not those who were deficient. There are other studies that show that D does lessen the chance of flu/URIs.
I do believe there is a natural cycle of immunity. Also, that one needs to have consistent exposure to bugs to be able to keep immunity up. (And most of the time, our antibody response is subclinical - we never even know that we have been exposed or that our body is reacting appropriately). And there very well may be more virulent strains of URI bugs this year......or at least ones that have been absent for some years.
If you sent a group of researchers to be isolated in the Antarctic, for example, they would pass around to each other (anyone who is susceptible), for some months, any/all of the bugs that they brought with them. Eventually, all of the bugs would be killed off, and the group would remain completely germ-free until either a new person joined them or they went back into society. And once exposed to viruses again, the person would have a worse infection (more symptomatic) than he would have if he had been consistently exposed to society. This has been proven.
It appears to me that the viruses are indeed "worse" this year. I am going to head to the pharmacy later today and pick up some codeine cough medicine. I have coughed and hacked for the past 3 nights and couldn't get much sleep. I am exhausted and my chest hurts from so much hacking. From past experience I know that at this point the only cough suppressant that really works for me is codeine. If I can stop the cough for a night or two, the mucosa will heal and I'll be on my way. Otherwise I'll hack endlessly.
Also, regarding the flu vaccine, I am actually thinking of getting it this year. I haven't for years, but I don't like the emails I am receiving from fed/state/local health authorities - saying that the flu this year appears to be particularly virulent. The good news is that they believe the vaccine is hitting the right flu virsues (at least 90% of the time).
Hope everyone feels better!
Hugs,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Cathy wrote: PERFECT plan Tex!!!! I hope you got them on Amazon....lot of 6 boxes is wwwwaaayyy cheaper than my grocery stores. But they do have scam deals on there as well for like $10 a mix so be careful. That's all my grandkids get for treats now and they love them.
Yes, I located the 6 box deal on Amazon, in order to get a good price plus free shipping.
Polly,
Thanks for pointing that out. If everyone in the study had an adequate vitamin D level to begin with, then it's no wonder that additional vitamin D didn't make any significant difference. That's a prime example of a study designed with an agenda in mind.
Polly wrote:Also, regarding the flu vaccine, I am actually thinking of getting it this year. I haven't for years, but I don't like the emails I am receiving from fed/state/local health authorities - saying that the flu this year appears to be particularly virulent. The good news is that they believe the vaccine is hitting the right flu virsues (at least 90% of the time).
There's no question that your work puts you in the super-high-risk category, so I can certainly see your point. Besides, the ultimate frustration is to be as sick as a dog, and then someone comes along and says, "I told you so". LOL.
I hope it works as described.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Interesting concept Tex. I haven't had a cold for quite some time, but, like you and Polly, am in the midst of one right now. Last night was my worst night, as the coughing was just unbearable. Last time I took cough medicine is probably close to 20 years ago, as I had a strong reaction to it by breaking out in hives all over my body. Ricola cough drops seem to help me, at least marginally.
I wonder if it is the same strain of cold that is going across the country. I believe it was my grandson who gave it to me, since he had the same symptoms. Interestingly, although my 3 grandchildren seem to have colds every year, I have been very resilient and this is the first time I've caught it from them. Perhaps my cycle is due???
Tex - hope you get back to normal soon.
Polly - hope the cough medicine works for you so you can get some rest.
Love,
Kari
P.S. After writing this, something just occurred to me. I have been taking a Claritin every day lately - could it be possible that it has somehow lowered my resistance to catching colds .
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
Kari wrote:After writing this, something just occurred to me. I have been taking a Claritin every day lately - could it be possible that it has somehow lowered my resistance to catching colds .
Hmmmmmmm. I was taking Allegra up until about 3 weeks before I caught the first cold, but I haven't taken any antihistamine since (IOW, I haven't taken any antihistamines in about 7 or 8 weeks.)
So far I've been lucky, because I haven't had more than a minor coughing problem with either one. IOW, they've been more of a head cold than a chest cold, and I almost never seem to have significant sinus problems, so my symptoms have been pretty mild. This one seems to have more body aches and pains, and less congestion.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I have to jump in here. I too have a cold, the first in a couple of years. My vitamin D levels are very high and I had the pneumonia vaccine last Spring, so I don't think that has anything to do with it. Usually when I get a cold it lasts about 5 days and is gone. I am on day 11. I feel much better, but still blowing and blowing my nose. This is the first time I have not taken a bunch of natural remedies so I really think they must help. I was concerned as to how I would react to them. Fresh ginger tea with honey and lemon, Elderberry, Echinachea, etc. I guess this is going to be a two-weeker.
So far, except for a one day vomiting thing (which nearly everyone in the family has experienced) I have been unusually cold-free for this time of the year. I've had good vitamin D levels for a couple of years now. Hopefully it's the start of my cycle of immunity. Speaking of natural remedies, I stumbled upon this recipe for elderberry syrup that I'm planning to make. http://wellnessmama.com/1888/how-to-mak ... revention/
Deb
PERFECT plan Tex!!!! I hope you got them on Amazon....lot of 6 boxes is wwwwaaayyy cheaper than my grocery stores. But they do have scam deals on there as well for like $10 a mix so be careful. That's all my grandkids get for treats now and they love them.
