Sick Every Week!

Hi I was sick last year for 3 months straight after catching the flu. What finally got and kept me healthy was Echinacha from Dr Schultz 2x a day. Now I continue to take it on and off as I feel anything coming on and it never does. Herbdoc.com

BTW, I have a self professed germaphob friend who was always washing her hands, using sanitizers, etc and her kids were sick NONSTOP. She started giving them strong probiotics b/c their bodies had never built up a resistance on their own.

I'm sorry it's hitting you so hard.

H.

stop washing your hands so much! All that washing and cleaning and sanitizing and everything is SO bad for you and it's the reason you are sick all the time. Your body NEEDS germs to build up your immune system. You are becoming resistant to all that antibacterial junk. Seriously, I don't make my kids wash their hands at home unless they are covered in mud and it's dinner time. I work at a preschool and I have only had a sore throat once and my kids have not been sick at all this school year. Go ahead and let your 4 year old get dirty and stop washing! Feel better soon

I would try some elderberry extract and add it to a drink at least once a day. You can also try Echinacea or Airborne to help give your immune system a boost.

After many years of always getting "colds" in the fall I have finally decided that I just have allergies! Something about the change from warm to cold, I don't know what, but there's been a pattern there for me. Has it been that way for you?
Also, take it easy on the germ fighting stuff, too much of that can actually weaken your immune system.
Eat well, drink a lot of fluids and (try to) sleep as much as you can.
Do you have ANY breaks from your kids during the week? A few hours of preschool or just having someone come and take your kids for a bit makes a world of difference. Every mom needs some down time.

I have a few suggestions here because aside from something being wrong that is causing or allowing all this illness, I am going to assume that you are worn down...a lot!

1. Start taking a multi-vitamin every day and also buy Calcium Citrate and take one of those with the multi-vitamin each day as well. It was once thought that taking vitamin C would ward off colds but that is actually false. Vitamin D is the key and Calcium Citrate with D3 will do it.

2. Teething or not, let baby cry it out and stop getting up. There will be a lot more teeth coming and the habit of waking and crying has to cease and desist. Give a dose of Infant Advil before bedtime and rub some baby Orajel on the gums right when you put the baby down. This will help any inflammation and pain from teething. Other than this....put baby in for the night and stop going to in there until morning. A few days of this and all of you will be sleeping all the way through the night. I swear!

3. Get a flu shot right now. You might be shocked what happens after you get a flu shot. In my house, we finally all decided to start getting them each year after some doozies hit us over the winter and Lo and behold, this is our 4th year of no illness....none! And my two high school girls have had perfect attendance for the 2nd year in a row as well.

These quick suggestions will prove to be lifesavers. I know that #2 sounds heartless and mean but it's not meant like that. I have four children and at some point, I needed to sleep and they needed to soothe themselves and sleep through the night. It makes a huge difference in our we'll-being and also the baby's as well. Please give these suggestions some thought and try it. I am sure things will get better very soon if you can do these three things. Good luck.....I know it is awful to keep getting sick each week.

I haven't slept more than an hour or two in a row, without being woken, for three years, I frequently forget to wash my hands, and honestly, I don't eat that healthfully. I'm completely unphased by dirt. I pick up my baby's paci anytime it drops and just lick it all off. I DO exercise. I virtually never get sick. My husband and sister are both germaphobes who recoil in horror at my lifestyle and break out their hand sanitizer. They are both sick all the time. Like they catch every cold, and it lingers. I always tell them I'm building up immunity to germs. Maybe that's true, or maybe I'm just lucky. My sister has some allergies that make her more prone to colds and sinus issues. Maybe you have something similar, like your nasal passages are more irritated and thus can't fend off invaders. Or maybe you should try my way and throw out the sanitizer. ;)

It sounds like you're blaming you child for your cold because he isn't washing his hands when he uses the bathroom. Pee and poo do not cause colds, that has nothing to do with you and your health....

Did you know that MS might be associated with being too clean? The body never grows the immune system so it becomes vulnerable and starts fighting itself.

Kids that go out and play in the dirt, don't wash all the time, maybe even go to bed dirty because they were out having fun and didn't have time, those kids are hardly ever sick. Their immune system is super strong because they didn't wash off all the stuff their system needed to build up.

Your body "heals" itself while you're sleeping. While you are awake your brain is managing your movements, eyes, hand coordination issues, what you hear, your senses, it regulates your heart beat, processes the foods you are eating, your brain works very hard while you are awake.

When you go to sleep you are paralyzed. You dream, your brain is working through issues and figuring out the solutions you need. It is also running at it's highest strength. ALL the brains processes are working on things. Like fixing wounds, dividing cells, repairing damage done by disease, building your immune system, and fighting off illnesses.

So if you're not getting enough rest your body is vulnerable. It's a high risk for you to not be taking care of yourself.

I suggest you find a Mother's Day Out and take little one for at least one day per week. Go home, take a nap, set the alarm so you don't oversleep when it's time to go pick her up.

Colds often start out from allergies. Don't take an antihistamine. Take something like Sudafed to wash your sinuses out. The runnier the better. The dried up mucus that an antihistamine gives you is a breading ground for infection and drainage that can even cause pneumonia.

Yikes. Moms often pass colds back and forth with their kids.
A lot of your immunities are in your gut. Try a probiotic every day.

See a doctor and then go from there (sorry, but if they can identify something you may be able to figure out additional help-such as iron pills, or more vitamin c, etc.) Sounds like you take good care of yourself so might just be something additional you need until everything else passes.

All that antibacterial stuff isn't good for you.
It kills *bacteria* not *viruses*. Colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria. It kills both bad and good bacteria. You need good bacteria to keep you healthy.
Are you sure you're sick and it's not allergies? I know I feel junky when the weather changes. Running the heater dries everything out and I feel icky. Is anyone else getting sick in the house or just you?

I have to say that though I agree with the idea of not using bacterial soap to wash so often with, J., I disagree with the advice to not wash your hands so much. The CDC tauts handwashing as first line of defense for preventing sickness.

Another thing to do is to keep your hands away from your face. It's amazing how often we touch our faces.

I hope you can get more sleep, J.. It would help.

I agree with others that you shouldn't be washing your hands so much. We are honestly not that clean and we don't get sick that much.

It sounds like your immune system is not working properly. I would get out in the sun more. If you can't do that take a vitamin D supplement or have your vitamin D levels tested and then supplement. I take 5,000 IU almost everyday. I am hardly ever sick. I would get some vitamin C and take 2,000 mg or more a day. You can't overdose on it. Take garlic in supplements or raw in tea. Take a good multivitamin or drink herbal teas.

Cut back on sugar and try hard to improve your sleep.

I think you need some rest.
Get a baby sitter and then take a nice long nap.
When we're over tired our immune system doesn't work as well as when we're rested.

Have you tried elderberry syrup? You can purchase it (I've used a brand called Sambucol) or you can make your own using dried elderberries and honey. Here's a recipe!

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/10/november/e...

I hope you are able to get well and stay well! Sleep is such a huge part of a healthy immunity, isn't it?

get a probiotic called Healthy Trinity.