I am struggling with my 4th cold in 4 months. Since I had a baby last April, back surgery in early August, and returned to work a month after that, I have been sick with these thankfully minor viral infections at least 6 or 7 times. Contrast this to getting sick once or twice in three years with much milder symptoms before that (teaching grubby little 6th graders will give one an immune system of iron).
I know my body has had a lot of stress in the last 12 months. But these drippy noses, headaches, sore throats, and swollen glands are getting old. How long until my immune system reboots? When one’s immune system has been compromised in the ways mine has, how long does it need to recover?
It actually sounds to me like you have one cold that you simply can not shake. I would go to the Dr and see if you can’t get a prescription for an antiviral.
The reason I say this is for a couple of reasons: No one else seems to be getting sick, and once you are immune to a viral strain you can’t “Catch” that strain again. In other words, it is highly unlikely that you have been exposed to four different viral strains in four months.
So what may be happening is that you aren’t fully clearing the virus, and it is simply lying dormant for a couple of weeks until you are stressed, or aren’t getting enough sleep, or lowering your immune system in some other way, at which point the virus is allowed to be active again. Thus you get another active infection.
Good call. I just thought I was dealing with a rebooting immune system, but I called my doc and he said it probably is a respiratory infection that’s never completely gone away. Add stress–like, oh, working, taking care of my infant son, and finishing my Masters–and the infection keeps coming back. So, I’m starting antibiotics today.
Thanks for the guidance!
Glad I could help! I hope you’re feeling better soon.
Sorry to kill the party, but an antibiotic won’t do anything for a cold. But if the placebo effect works, run with it.
Absolutely correct ParentalAdvisory, which is why I haven’t gone to the doctor for the previous 4-5 bouts. I assumed it was a viral cold.
My doctor thought otherwise, and it made sense…especially considering my history. Something similar to this happened 13 years ago, and it led to pneumonia then ultimately pretty involved sinus surgery. As I haven’t had problems with my sinuses or lungs in a decade, it just didn’t occur to me, even though I’ve had blinding sinus headaches for weeks.
Since you don’t know my history and haven’t examined me, I’d say my doctor’s opinion trumps yours. Or stomps yours, really. With big heavy steel-toed military boots.
But I appreciate your concern.
Well ok, but it’s not an opinion. If your doc found something that the antibiotic will work for, then certainly go with his recommendation. But the fact remains, an antibiotic won’t do anything for a virus.