Do you get colds/flus more often than other people?

[UncleChuckSucks]

I try to stay healthy--eat right, exercise, take loads of vitamins, sleep (although I'm not a great sleeper). I also wash my hands a lot and am a clean person overall (woohoo for me!). But dad gummit if I don't seem to get sick a lot anyway with random common colds or flus. I always feel like it's because of my UC, like my immune system isn't as solid at batting away illness germs like other people's.

Basically, I get sick or almost get sick a few times a year. Do you guys go through this, feeling like you're always nervous about fighting off another common cold or flu bug?

I resent it, since I feel like if anything, living with UC should exempt me from dealing with colds, much less dealing with them often. I mean, is there some kind of cosmic suggestion box where I can leave a note about this issue? :ytongue:

 

[Beach]

I'm the opposite. Despite being the sickest in the family with the IBD, I tend to develop fewer colds than everyone else. I've had one cold over the last 6 years and it was short lived. I suspect this is due to taking vitamin D3 along with eating healthy. I've seen a number of people report they all but stopped developing colds once taking D3, reaching a testing level of around 50ng/ml and higher. I take melatonin also to help with sleep. I've read it helps too with strengthening the immune system.

 

[UncleChuckSucks]

Beach--you lucky duck! I have to confess I don't know much about D3. Do you take it as a shot, or is it just a pill you can buy at the store? Is this the same thing I get from being in the sun? I am super pale and tend to stay indoors most of the time...

Thank you for your response!

 

[Jer]

I'm in the same camp as Beach. For all the imuno-supressive drugs I'm on and my doc always telling me to be carefull, blah, blah, blah. I tend to not get sick as much as people around me, including my wife.

I like to look at it as the ONE positive side effect of Crohns. It kills everything, good and bad. lol

 

[Beach]

Beach--you lucky duck! I have to confess I don't know much about D3. Do you take it as a shot, or is it just a pill you can buy at the store? Is this the same thing I get from being in the sun? I am super pale and tend to stay indoors most of the time...

Thank you for your response!

Made me chuckle with the duck mention. For the record, I'm not a duck! My parents are though, having grown up in southern Oregon. I made many, many wonderful visits to family over the years there though. I really miss the mountains!

Vitamin D3 can be found in most stores. That's where I buy mine. Noon time exposure, avoiding being burnt works great too.

Lots of good information on how to take, and how vitamin D can help with IBD conditions, can be seen here:

http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Vitamin-and-Mineral-Deficiencies

 

[UncleChuckSucks]

I picked up my D3 today, it's these drops you eat with food and it only cost $5. I'll try to get my superpale self in the sun soon, too. Hopefully this will work! Thanks again.

 

[Beach]

Wonderful! I hope the vitamin D3 helps improve your IBD condition along with preventing the flu bug as well as I believe it has helped me. Thought to mention, next time seeing your doctor be sure to ask for a vitamin D3 test. With our IBD condition absorption can always be an issue. Additionally there are unfortunately a number of vitamin D3 products on that market that are poorly manufactured and possibly lower in D3 quantity than advertised, from what I've read of others experience. You might have gotten a great product, might have not. The only way to find out is with testing.

 

[KWalker]

I didn't answer the poll because I thought I would say "no" but I got the flu pretty bad a few weeks back and now that I'm over that I think I'm catching a cold again! WTH!?

I usually don't catch the cold/flu but when I do watch out because I'm pretty much useless during those days

 

[teeny5]

I usually do not ever get colds or the flu. My husband gets sick, but I luckily have not gotten sick in years at this point...knocking on wood! The last cold I remember getting was a really bad sore throat a few years ago. But...I have allergies almost year round.