[hopeful]

Hello Everyone,
I haven't been on in months. However, I do read the site at times. I have
been getting IVIG for 4 months now. I actually think I am getting some good results. Fell better for about 1 week following the Rx. I usually have a pain level of 7-8. It seems to get it down to a 5-6. Which is great for me. It also helps with my muscle weakness. I donn't have as much trouble going up the stairs so awhile after the RX.

I had a Rx 2 weeks ago and last week I got strep throat. It was really bad my primary was talking about putting me in hospital was worried my throat was closing. That's how swollen it was. Of course I refused so keflex at home and steroids. Temp of 103 etc. Haven't been that sick in a long time. I am still struggling to recover but was able to go back to work this week.

As some of you might remember, I have idiopathic SFN. So far everyone says they think its autoimmune. Does anyone know if autoimmune diseases lower our immune systems. I'm thinking if our antibodies are in a fight with our own bodies are they able to fight other infections we get?

My primary says my immune systems if lower then the average Joe's. It seems that if I get anything now it takes much longer to recover and hits harder. That's a problem for me since I am a nurse.

I'd appreciate any info anyone can give.

Feeling down today. Getting sick of being sick Hopeful

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by hopeful

Does anyone know if autoimmune diseases lower our immune systems.

Hi Hopeful,

I don't know if any autoimmune diseases themselves (there are many different ones) lower the immune system per se, but as I understand it...

Autoimmune diseases arise from an inappropriate immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks its own cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmune_disease

Some medications prescribed/given for treatment of autoimmune diseases (immunosuppressive drugs) work by suppressing the immune system, so that it won't attack healthy tissue, and the diseased tissue (or infection, etc.) can heal on its own, albeit more slowly than when aided by the immune system.

A common side-effect of many immunosuppressive drugs is immunodeficiency, because the majority of them act non-selectively, resulting in increased susceptibility to infections and decreased cancer immunosurveillance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunosuppressive_drug

The result of this is that it's the medications that lower/weaken the immune system.

This doesn't rule out the possibility that some autoimmune diseases may suppress or weaken the immune system directly.

HTH,

Doc

[mrsD]

I have two comments:

1) There is nasty strep going around our state. Some people have had it more than once... it returns! The kids are getting it in school and bringing it home to adults.

2) If your Vit D is very low, your immune system will not respond properly to invaders like strep or viruses.

Autoimmune disease MAY mess up normal responses to invaders. If your body is using up its resources to ramp up attacking itself, there may not be much left over for the real job of protecting you from invading organisms.

[hopeful]

Hello Dr. Smith and Mrs. D., I have checked my meds I am not on any immunosuppressants. I was thinking along the lines of what Mrs. D said. If my immune system is so busy attacking me it has nothing left to give to fight over infections. I think that makes sense.
Thanks for both of your answers. I have another IVIG on 6/8. I am in a flare right now I believe due to the strep infection. I was also in a car accident last night so not doing really well. Thanks again, Hopeful

[Dr. Smith]

I have a compromised/suppressed immune system myself, and I've never been on any immunosuppressants either. What I know is that most of the major health issues I've dealt with (except PN) began with two things: extreme stress and viruses (either alone or re-activating earlier viruses) - Mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr), Crohn's/IBS (virus cold), chronic headache complex (virus cold reactivated Epstein-Barr). Some viruses can stick around for your lifetime, rearing their ugly heads and raising cuss in times of stress (and others) and weakening the immune system.

I have to eat nutritiously, get sufficient rest/sleep, keep a lid on stress, and otherwise keep an eye on my immune system and try to keep it as healthy as I can.

I'm not suggesting viruses are your cause - that would take some significant detective work.

Doc

[Joano]

Dr. Blaylock's latest newsletter was devoted entirely to the Immune System and how it interacts with the brain and gut. He said new research shows that a number of antibiotics actually suppress immunity, including cellular immunity, and this is especially true for the tetracycline group of antibiotics, such as doxycycline. He went on to say suppressing the cellular immunity is so efficient by these antibiotics that they are now used to treat conditions where there is excessive cellular immune activity, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus and MS.

This was so enlightening to me. Our grandson had a bad case of acne when he was in high school and my son finally took him to the derm in his senior year. He prescribed doxycycline and his face cleared up quickly. However, he came down with mono later in the year and now in college, contracted acanthamoeba, a rare and very serious eye problem, which is difficult to diagnose and must be treated quickly to save the patient's sight. I now believe his immunity was jeopardized by the doxycycline, resulting in mono--his two brothers didn't get it--and the next year this acanthamoeba--no one else in his dorm has it--but he's the one with the compromised immune system.

[hopeful]

Thanks to both of you. Joano I find that a little frightening. I am a nurse is a high school and many of our students that doycycline for acne. It seems to be the drug of choice for acne since the docs have backed away from accutane (too many side effects). Who is Dr. Blalylock?
Dr. Smith how did you find out for certain that you have a compromised immune system? My blood work all comes back normal but every doctor tells me this is autoimmune. I really don't understand how they can say that without proof. I do agree with you that an infection can make it worse. This strep throat has really put me into a flare up. I'm sure the car accident only made it worse. Generally, I keep my stress level really low but this past week has not been good.
I do eat healthy but I do like my sweets. Thanks again, hopeful

[ginnie]

I believe the immune system is off kilter, thereby when we get sick it is hard to beat off infections. I was told at Mayo clinic I have a t @ b lymphosite imbalance. My host of auto immune diseases started with alopecia universalis when I was 29. My immune system has never been right. I am like you, once I get sick, very difficult to get over. I was told at Mayo, all the toops are called out to fight, but they get confused and forget who they are fighting for. You are considered the enemy instead of the friend. That was part of the explaination I received. Did a trial study with an autoimmunosupressant called DNCB for 10 years in columbia MO. During the trial, I got my hair back and remained healthy. Mayo clinic got me in the trials. Antigens don't work correct, maybe it is just one antigen that doesn't work correctly. Many of the auto immune problems that happen are from this kind of thing, based on what I found out during those 10 years. I kept up with research for a long long time, but quit once I moved down here to Florida. The American Journal of Medicine, has alot of information about auto immune problems. You can do more research on line too. I used a medical research facility associated with the medical center I was at. I do wish you all the best. I sure do know how hard living with immune problems can be. I will be thinking about you and praying for you too. Take care of yourself, and be good to yourself. ginnie

[Joano]

Hopeful, Dr. Blaylock is a retired neuro surgeon who now writes a monthly newsletter about many issues. He wrote a book many years ago about excitotoxins in relation to ADD and ADHD which my daughter still refers to occasionally. A child psychologist referred my son to the book because he goes into quite a bit of detail about the optimum diet for ADD kids, and one of his boys wasn't eating right at the time. Just Google Dr. Russell Blaylock and you'll find a lot of info about him. Joan

[ginnie]

Someday we are going to have to talk about the immune response stuff. I did take an immunosupressant in a trial study for 10 years. Mayo clinic got me into the trial. I have four immune disorders, did have Mono, and a host of illness before all these presented that I currently have. During the trial, I stayed healthy, got my hair back. The Med I took, stopped my immune system from attacking myself, but didn't weaken me enough that I could not fight infection. I still have alot of questions, since I seem to be going down hill. Glad to hear these dicussions about the immune response. ginnie