Anyone else notice being more susceptible to colds, viruses?

[JaniceB]

Has anyone else noticed being more susceptible to colds, viruses, flus - that type of thing - since you developed IC? I was talking this over with a research nurse today and we found that interesting.

My first IC symptoms ever, started one week after I had a terrible, nasty flu (my whole family had it, but of course no one else developed IC symptoms). That was 5 months ago, since then I have had 2 or 3 more flu-type viruses that they have not had. And I've never been one to catch things that easily before.

It could be just my bad luck, or maybe since my body is fighting the IC that I am run down? (I have had numerous tests to rule out other causes - and I'm not currently on any IC drug treatments yet - working on that though!!) So, what do you think? Have any of you noticed the same things?

Janice

[ICNDonna]

I think I have less colds and less general "bugs" --- I thought maybe it was because I'm more conscious of what I eat and drink.

Donna

[Kathi]

Me too. But I do get more allergy type things. Asthmatic bronchitis, pluresy.
Hugs, Kathi

[Katrina]

Like Kathi I do get a lot more allergy like things....actual viruses I think are down since my diagnosis...when I was younger I did feel like I got everything....got sick all the time...but since these days I don't get as much interaction with people and take many vitamins to help my immune system I am doing better in that area. I give the vitamins a lot of that credit!!!!

[~*~Christine~*~]

I've had IC all my life as well as a bad immune system which, led to phenomena, twice, meningitis, several cases of the flue, frequent minor illness such as colds and nausea, appendix and tonsil removal, etc
Basically, my immune system is bad, especially for a person my age (21), so it wouldn’t surprise me if my IC coincides with it

[janelle77362]

:hi:
The way my uro explained it to me was that IC is an auto-immune disease; meaning that for reasons unknown the body's natural immunities begin to attack itself (in this case the bladder). So you immunities are busy eating away at your bladder lining instead of protecting you aganist viruses and illnesses. I have noticed that after being diagnosed I began to get sicker much more often. And when I do get sick it hits me hard. :headbang: If I get a stomach virus I usually end up in the ER because of severe dehydration. That used to never happen to me. I think this is only one theory about IC though. I am curious about what people think about what my uro told me. Anyhow I am sure taking vitamins would help but my stomach just can't handle it.