Has anyone had a year or so where they were just constantly sick?? I have been in the Dr.'s office at least once a month for over a year, including 1 weeklong hospitalization and 2 ER trips. I've had several people say it's probably because i'm in college and stressed/exposed to lots of people etc. I could understand that if it was maybe <5 illnesses over a year, but this is just ridiculous. Right? Has anyone else gone through this in college? I have the # for an immunologist...should I have a study done or am I overreacting. (btw, my medical bills for the past year are in excess of $20,000)

8/24/2006 9:19:51 AM

memo? more like mono

but really, have you checked for mono?

8/24/2006 9:21:14 AM

I had it when i was 8. Regardless, i've been tested for it 7 times since last may

8/24/2006 9:22:14 AM

The same thing happened to me when I was in first grade. I did end up going to see an immunologist at Duke and after testing they found out something was messed up with my immune system. They gave me some super-booster shot and I didn't get sick after that.

Make sure you don't take prednizone when you get sick, it kills your immune system.

I reccommend taking Sambucol Immune Formula for an herbal immune supplement. It's truely the only one that works and I've tried them all (via my parent's obsession with herbal remedies at one point). Sambucol is the brand name for the only effective extract of black elderberry root. The immune system formula has some other good stuff. It's worth the $15 per bottle, trust me. You'll end up spending about $20 a month on it if you take it daily, but it's worth it...so worth it not to get sick all the time.

8/24/2006 9:29:21 AM

hypochondriac?

8/24/2006 9:29:23 AM

Quote :

"I've had several people say it's probably because i'm in college and stressed/exposed to lots of people etc."

i don't know about that.....i was sick only sick for 1 day (that wasn't alcohol related) in my 4.5 years of college. Sounds pretty bad....sorry

8/24/2006 9:32:19 AM

I'm not a hypochondriac, the past 2 times i've been sick, i made it worse because i waited to go to the Dr. because i was hoping it'd just go away. Instead the infection just spread further....In fact, I have shingles right now. Telltale sign of low immunity....

Yeah, the immunoglobulin booster has been mentioned as a possibility

8/24/2006 9:32:42 AM

i have a low immune system due to a disorder I have. I am prescribed a prolific penicillin to help fight and prevent bacterial infections while I'm in college and exposed to different environments and peoples. I know a lot of people are allergic to penicillin, and if you are, maybe there is another profilic antibiotic you can take while you are in college.

Other things I have to have as well: flu shot every year, vaccines for meningitis and bacterial pneumonia

If you don't take a multivitamin everyday, look into taking one of those as well.

8/24/2006 9:52:53 AM

At some point last year I was sick off and on for 6 months or so. I had no serious illnesses, but a ton of colds. I never figured out what was causing it, and for the most part I just kind of ignored it. Being sick became the norm. Since I finally got better, though, I have only gotten sick maybe once.

8/24/2006 9:56:11 AM

are you physically active?

8/24/2006 10:48:32 AM

any change of environment that might be triggering this?

maybe the house/apt you're staying in has mold in the walls or something?

maybe you've got aids?

8/24/2006 10:55:40 AM

I take a multivitamin, run when i feel well enough (not far but a couple of miles at least), have switched apartments somewhere in the middle of this, and have been tested for major things (HIV, organ function). All seems normal. Normal weight, diet, and above average hygiene. I think i'm going to have a consultation with the immunologist. Seems irresponsible not to

8/24/2006 11:09:31 AM

Also, have you checked your dwellings for mold, mildew, etc.?

I always used to be sniffly at "home" (parents' house), but when I was in dorms, my head was as clear (my detractors would say empty) as deep space.

Or something.

But really, mono aside, ask one of your more healthy friends to come over and sniff your place. If it smells funny, start thinking about cleaning options.

8/24/2006 11:46:31 AM

aids

8/24/2006 11:51:15 AM

These aren't fungal infections...its every bug that i come across. E. coli, erysipelas, strep C, viruses, etc. All with 103 fevers, which just make for loads of fun. And i do NOT have aids. thanks for the suggestion though.

8/24/2006 3:16:04 PM

just sounds like a weak immune system.

8/24/2006 3:45:19 PM

Contact an immunologist immediately.

8/24/2006 3:52:16 PM

look on the bright side, advances in medicine have allowed you to give darwin the old slip

8/24/2006 3:53:06 PM

From reading what you've said, I would definitely take the time to see an immunologist.

It also would not hurt to have an allergy pannel done, if you have not already done so. If you have severe allergies, they inevitably lead to all kinds of respiratory infections that beat down your immune system and leave you vulnerable to all kinds of secondary infections.

8/24/2006 3:55:30 PM

arcgreek....as shitty as i feel, that made me laugh

8/24/2006 3:58:07 PM

Avoid the student hospital for issues like this. I had the same thing as you did as far as being sick. We thought it was allergies but the running nose kept going, the coughing came and went and eventually it turned into walking pneumonia.

I don't want to say they were bad but they never did any bloodwork that would have revealed what it was.

8/24/2006 4:12:55 PM

agreed on the allergy point, but I'd honestly go see the immunologist first.
3/4 members of my family (i dodged this one somehow) have allergies, two of them pretty severely to a HUGE list of things, but a lot of what he listed I dont think i've ever heard of being a secondary to allery caused issues.

That and if his immune system is already being screwey an allergy test might not be the greatest idea ever....

8/24/2006 4:55:52 PM

Quote :

"I had it when i was 8. Regardless, i've been tested for it 7 times since last may"

student health just does the quick test. they may tell you they are sending away for the more accurate mono test but they are not.

8/24/2006 5:05:55 PM

Quote :

"And i do NOT have aids. thanks for the suggestion though."

did you do the hiv pcr test?

get back to me then.

8/24/2006 5:14:15 PM

avoid student health like the plague.

they'll test you for STDs.

8/24/2006 5:22:23 PM

its the hiv

8/24/2006 5:23:25 PM

never once had an std test there

8/24/2006 5:31:31 PM

AIDS

8/24/2006 5:57:03 PM

I've been sick for the past 2 weeks.... It's the first time I've been sick since I was in college.

When I was in college, I was sick all the damn time.
It isn't fun....

8/24/2006 6:05:32 PM

also it could be that youre hooking up w/ random people every week.

8/24/2006 6:07:43 PM

What is your red/white cell blood count? If you can't answer that, you need additional bloodwork done.

8/24/2006 6:37:13 PM

or maybe he just lets his doctor read the tests

8/24/2006 7:14:52 PM

thinking for yourself is overrated huh^

8/24/2006 7:21:46 PM

you memorize all your test results everytime you are sick?

8/24/2006 7:25:40 PM

yeah go get this checked out, MRSA is now a community aquired infection. I am surprised you havent picked it up yet.

8/24/2006 8:44:32 PM

^^ some people (non-idiots) have memories that remember important things



[Edited on August 24, 2006 at 9:00 PM. Reason : ]

8/24/2006 8:56:59 PM

I hate it when i go to the doctor and tell them i'm sick, or this medication is giving me a side effect, live making my chest feel tight when i breath, and she's all like "oh well, just take some motrin". No bitch. My $15 copay warrants me better than take some motrin. But I guess that's what I get for still going to my doctor at Duke pediatrics...she said I can keep going to her until I'm 20, and I've been going to the same woman since I was 6...I don't want a new doctor.

Memo, you might want to go to an endocrinologist and see if you have a thyroid problem. I'm hypothyroid, and have been on Synthroid since I was 10, and if I miss like..1 day of those meds, my horomones get all fucked up and I feel like I got hit by a truck.

8/24/2006 10:14:09 PM

20,000????

damn i dont even make that much money

8/24/2006 11:00:20 PM

^^WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR REASON FOR BEING STUPID?

MEDICINE MAKES YOUR CHEST HURT?

GO TO A REAL DOCTOR AND FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG WITH YOU...

...OR SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT YOUR BULLSHIT HEALTH "PROBLEMS."

[Edited on August 24, 2006 at 11:43 PM. Reason : SERIOUSLY, SHUT IT.]

8/24/2006 11:42:00 PM

why are you so angry all the time?

8/24/2006 11:51:38 PM

I'm not, but I do have a low tolerance for people who are full of shit, whether they know it or not.

8/24/2006 11:55:39 PM

And this whole "Oh, the medicine made my chest hurt, but my doctor ignored me, and I deserve better than that
because I have insurance and pay my $15 copay" thing is annoying BULLSHIT, whether you know it or not.

[Edited on August 24, 2006 at 11:57 PM. Reason : sss]

8/24/2006 11:57:16 PM

Do you exercise? Eat well? Get enough sleep? I had this period of long hours at work and I started to get a cold or something towards the end... I went on vacation and after 2 nights of good 9-10 hours sleep it just dissappeared.

8/25/2006 10:36:15 AM