How is your immune system?

DX'd - Other
1

I read that second generation aka atypical antipsychotics are powerful antiviral agents. Well I haven’t had a viral infection except for cold sores once since I got on them. The common cold is a virus, I haven’t had it in years.

I recently had a severe sinus infection- bacterial, so I was put on antibiotics, which I finished last night, which made me have diarrhea. :poop:

I couldn’t workout last week except for leg day which I forced myself to do. My body is unusually sore from going back to my six day a week routine. I had trouble with push-ups yesterday, and the muscles I worked out are unusually sore. However, my cardio improved. My run was easier the other night and my kickboxing today was easier too. Strange. Cardio improved, strength deteriorated.

Anyways, I never hear about people being physically sick on here, so it seems. Are you all on atypical antipsychotics as well? If not, do you get colds?

2 Likes
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I was on them for a while. I haven’t been even remotely sick in years. I’ve been around some very sick people where everyone else was getting sick too. I’m starting to wonder if it’s even possible anymore

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I haven’t had a single cold whilst on atypicals. Is funny cos I had assumed the stress of the illness would predispose me to opportunistic infections. But no: no colds.

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I had a 3 year period where I lifted weights and jogged at least 5 days a week and had perfect health during that period of my life. After I quit exercising, I started to get colds again.

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My doctor asked me today if I wanted a free flue shot and I quickly answered “No”, because I want to get the flue so that my immune system will get stronger on it’s own and since I can’t even remember getting the flue more then a few times, if even, in my pre-schizophrenic years.

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The flu shot improves your immune systems response to the flu without you having to go through the miserable symptoms that come with getting the flu. If you get the offer again, I suggest you get the shot.

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The doctor didn’t even say that much to me about it.

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Here’s an article that gives a basic explanation on how the flu vaccine works.

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I’m immune to this question. But seriously, I never got colds. I’m rarely sick with anything actually.

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Cold sores are actually a form of the herpes virus. There are many subtypes of herpes, including the chicken pox virus. Virtually everybody has herpes in some form or fashion, but cold sores are specific.

My immune system is crap, thanks to my rather advanced case of asthma. Common bronchitis usually leads to pneumonia, and sometimes I get admitted to the hospital. Pneumonia has put me in the hospital 3 times since 2006. When I get bronchitis, it’s off to the pulmonologist for intense treatments of steroids, both oral and IV, antibiotics at the maximum dose tolerable, cough syrup, and I hit my inhaler a lot more. This asthma is a right pain in the ass.

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That actually explains a lot. I used to get sick all the time when I was a kid.

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betacarotene+lysine+zinc works best for me in the prevention of cold sores without even taking the combination for a long time.

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I am more immune to physical illness probably because of my lifestyle(healthier diet and exercise).I remember reading that schizophrenic,on antipsychotic had lesser chance of getting cancer tumor,I wonder if it’s true,lol

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@mortimermouse Interesting question. I have had very few,if any,colds/flu in the last 6 years since being on a regular atypical through depot medication. However I also had very few colds/flu during the 4 years previous to that when I was taking meds irregularly .
What is consistent over the last 10 years has been minimal contact with others whilst not healthy in a lot of respects it does reduce the odds of catching something like a cold/flu of someone else.
Having said that when acutely stressed I am prone to 12-24 hour flu like symptoms (feverish, achy joints ) and/or depersonalisation/derealisation.
Since being on the depot acute emotional/stress reactions triggering a psychosomatic? immune response have lessened though and it’s been a while since I had a 12-24 hour flu like reaction.

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I am on atypical antipsychotics but I still caught a flu every now and then. My white blood cells are low due to the meds I take.

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I can’t remember last time I got a cold probably from somebody at the gym but I take typical Haldol not atypical and have been relatively cold free for years. In fact my last flu was induced by pain killer opiates loritab my dentist rxd caused it it felt horrible

17

got the flu once this year…

other then that… pretty healthy for as much time as I spend outside.

allergies all the time… but colds… flu and stuff like that… pretty free.

I hope you feel better soon.

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Thanks for the info Bipolar_Bear on the flue shots, it was very interesting to finally know how they work. I might get one in the future at some point in time when I think that my own immune system won’t be able to handle it.

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My immune systems says he’s fine and asks how you’re doing mouse :smile:

In all seriousness, I haven’t been sick for a year now. I had a bit of a cold but it passed in a day or so, so that doesn’t count

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My immune system is premo, but it is not the Atypicals that are the reason.

I have not been on Atypicals much in my life. The Typicals work for me! Specifically, I have been on Perphenazine greater than 45 years.

I never miss a day’s tasks because of being physically sick, but I take a lot of mental health days.

J.