I'm sick all the time! 10 courses of antibiotics in the last 15 months. Please help!

I still lean towards a type of anemia (you really looked pale during the wind tunnel episode)

Get well soon and stay on the toes of your doctors!

and as before

Hi Nate! I’m a pharmacist at an infusion center. Mostly we do chemo, but also a fair amount of IVIG infusions for patients under the care of immunologists. Once your doctor has tagged you with a diagnosis of hypogammaglobulinemia, your insurance should pick up at least part of the cost- it’s just a matter of how much. Either your immunologist’s practice or the infusion center they send IVIG patients to should have staff that can contact your insurance and get you an fairly close estimate of how much each infusion will cost. I’d definitely inquire about that at your next appointment. Hope that helps!

Edit: you might also want to ask about subcutaneous IG, which you can do at home after some teaching. Not entirely sure how that works with regards to insurance as I don’t see those patients, but it may be an option and won’t require a trip and an IV.

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Simple answer, go plant-based and you’ll notice a significant improvement in overall health.

Blood tests show no anemia. But I am super pale, especially when I’m sick (like I was in that blood test). I don’t know why.

Thanks for this! If I can get insurance to pay I believe I’ll hit my out of pocket maximum which is bad, but not as bad as it could be!

The Fast Talk podcast episode 31 hosted Dr. Jason Glowney of CU Sports Mediucine who had some very interesting perspectives on illness in highly trained athletes. Immune responses, gut health, upper respiratory illnesses were all things talked about. Much of the conversation seemed to offer analogies to your described situation. May be worth a listen…

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Nate. There are a lot of well meaning people with theories and anecdotes. Most of them have no medical training but lots of good intentions. I have to be a little careful because I have not evaluated you as my patient, and furthermore my specialty is not specifically Allergy and Immunology.
However my training as a physician and experience over the years has taught me that everyone is going to get something and you usually don’t get to pick (unless you make poor lifestyle choices). We just don’t figure out why things happen all the time. There can certainly be genetic factors at play, but I sincerely doubt that starving yourself or taking supplements is likely to be a fix. You certainly should be diagnosed and treated appropriately if you have an infection. You also can be smart about practicing good hygiene and not overtraining as well.
Interestingly, the group that wrote the paper that I posted is from the University of California Irvine, which is not that far from you. You could probably check to see if any of the authors are still there if you so desire, but there are probably many physicians not too far from you that are capable of directing your care. With what you have been through, if you are immune deficient, you certainly would be approved for treatment by your insurance company.

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My immunologist recommended IVIG treatment to me before, but said insurance wouldn’t cover it. I couldn’t afford it at the time.

I’ve got another appointment to try to see how we can get insurance to cover it, if not I will just find a way to get a bunch for sign ups and cover it! :slight_smile:

Nate, IMHO too many drugs and antibiotics over the years have wiped out your bodies natural immune system.

You are now putting band-aids on top of band-aids.

I think you need to do a full reset.

Find a highly reputable diet detox centre and cut down tremendously on the sugars (carbs) for a few weeks and see how that works.

Too much stuff to write here. See my earlier suggestion.

Good luck.

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You could take a test during a jaundice phase, but one test is just one sample. You should pull the pdfs btw, they contain your adresse and telephone number.

Just to rule things out (for blood building), I would test for all three deficiencies B12, folate and iron, this is low hanging fruit.

I really hope you find a solution!

Nate: Here is another reference worth perusing. Given the fact that you have been through many illnesses and even surgery, it may be time for another approach.

Sure it is a costly therapy, but after the easy things have failed, it may be time to become more aggressive, that is, if all the risks and benefits are explained and the benefits outweigh the risks. This is a therapy that is used for many other illnesses and would be covered by insurance for many of those processes. In this instance you have something that is not an everyday occurrence and as a result it may take an appeal if rejected by insurance the first time around. If your immunologist feels that this therapy is in your best interest, he should go to bat for you.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324501/

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Thanks for this. I’m persuing IVIG therapy now, and can hopefully get the sublingual type as that will be more convient.

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So sorry to hear about your situation Nate. I’m a bigger guy too at 6’-4" and 205, and I used to get sick like clockwork based on training load. Especially during my IM blocks, I would do a couple big workouts and the next morning I’d start feeling achy which would almost certainly lead to full blown out of commission sickness. So frustration for both me and my coach who needed to constantly adjust my training calendar. What I didn’t see on your supplement list, or see any responses about is Vitamin C. I’m no doctor, and this may be placebo, but since I started taking 2000mg Vitamin C the night of a hard workout or as soon as I feel that “achy” feeling, I (knock on wood) haven’t been sick since! Here is where people can reply about maximal uptake of 200mg being suggested, and excess Vitamin C “may” lead to kidney stones, but I now swear by my regimen while drinking a ton of water. I feel your pain, so just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. Be healthy!

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Hi Nate,

The answer to #1 is, in 90% of the cases, no one knows for sure! Some are diagnosed in childhood, but I was diagnosed 15 years ago when I was 40. Prevelancy is 1 in 25,000 to 1 in 50,000.

This is from the NIH website…

The cause in CVID is unknown in approximately 90 percent of cases. It is likely that this condition is caused by both environmental and genetic factors. While the specific environmental factors are unclear, the genetic influences in CVID are believed to be mutations in genes that are involved in the development and function of immune system cells called B cells. B cells are specialized white blood cells that help protect the body against infection. When B cells mature, they produce special proteins called antibodies (also known as immunoglobulins). These proteins attach to foreign particles, marking them for destruction. Mutations in the genes associated with CVID result in dysfunctional B cells that cannot make sufficient amounts of antibodies.

In about 10 percent of cases, a genetic cause for CVID is known. Mutations in at least 13 genes have been associated with CVID. The most frequent mutations occur in the TNFRSF13B gene. The protein produced from this gene plays a role in the survival and maturation of B cells and in the production of antibodies. TNFRSF13B gene mutations disrupt B cell function and antibody production, leading to immune dysfunction. Other genes associated with CVID are also involved in the function and maturation of immune system cells, particularly of B cells; mutations in these genes account for only a small percentage of cases.

All individuals with CVID have a shortage (deficiency) of two or three specific antibodies. Some have a deficiency of the antibodies called immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA), while others, in addition to lacking IgG and IgA, are also deficient in immunoglobulin M (IgM). A shortage of these antibodies makes it difficult for people with this disorder to fight off infections. Abnormal and deficient immune responses over time likely contribute to the increased cancer risk. In addition, vaccines for diseases such as measles and influenza do not provide protection for people with CVID because they cannot produce an antibody response.

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If you clean your sinuses with a neti pot… Beware the brain eating amoeba!

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Sounds like snot rockets are the way to go then. :grinning:

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https://www.proto-col.com/green-magic.html

https://www.proto-col.com/naturally-advanced-nutrition/the-power-of-green-magic.html

This super food based supplement was recommended to me recently by my physiotherapist, (who was the Team Sky head physiotherapist a few years ago until he left and started his own business), after I went to see him for treatment while in the middle of a really bad cold and mentioned how rundown I was feeling. He said he’s been taking this for years and hasn’t had a cold or been ill in as long as he can remember. I can’t offer any evidence as to whether it’s doing me any good as have only been taking it for a few months but I do feel like I’ve got more energy generally. Prevention being better than cure it might be worth considering?

I’m also taking these upon his recommendation.

Is the Tart cherry your Vit C intake?
I take Liposomal Vit C. Maybe worth a shot.

How much water do you drink? For sedentary individuals the recommended water intake is 1 gallon per day. It is more for active but not to the level of hyponatremia. I’ve been seeing a massage therapist (though a bit homeopathic) and she focuses on getting the body into homeostasis. I’ve seen her for sports injuries and a lot of what she does is restore blood flow to the muscle groups of your body through massage therapy. Her greatest recommendation is proper hydration. Since it wasn’t mentioned in the OP I figured I would mention that as a goal in addition to your other efforts.

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