I've had AA since September, and it recently turned to AU. I am now more sick than I have been in about 10 years! I remember the last time I was this sick, and it was 10 years ago.

I have a runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches, and earache. Usually when I start to feel sick I do my home remedies (Vemma juice, healing CD, Airborne, echinacea tea) and I'm as good as new within 12 hours. But this is the first time it hasn't worked!!! Is it because I have a compromised immune system? Is it because I lost the hairs in my nose which filter out allergans?

I'm just wondering if anybody else has gotten super sick since having alopecia. I am so miserable I could just cry. I'm going to the doctor later. Thanks!

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hiya aimee, i have been very tired and felt weak and like i have no energy and no life in me to do things, i have been like that since my alopecia started in april, i was told that because u have a weak immune system ur more prone to catchin alot more bugs or just generally feel weaker, which is exactly wat im like,
i have tried to get fit but never have any energy to even do any exercise which is so bloody annoyin,
I'm the same way!!!! I hate being sick. I've been like this for 11 years. The doctors told me it's the alopecia. I'm allergic to a lot of food. But I eat them cuz I gotta live someway. Junk food bothers me badly. I mostly eat healthy food it don't bother me as much. But I'm so tired all the time n sick on and off many times. It just seems like I can never be normal. I get better n get lots of energy n that's only once in a blue moon. There are times I want to do some exercise but I'm so weak, mostly cuz I work alot n on my feet. But sometimes I push myself to do it. Now for last 3 years Ive been just livin the life, gotta do what I gotta do. There are times that it's so hard but I know I can do it, n if I want to go out n have fun I do when I'm sick ( enough to go out) or not. I don't care. I want to enjoy my life and have some laugh. It's who I am:) anybody like me can do this. Nothing stops me. There is this pills called cold-fx it helps to keep u immune system strong. It did work for me but I don't like pills at all. N I don't want to get used to it. But u take it for 3 weeks I think n u stop for a week n keep doing it, so that way ur body doesn't get use to it n it'll keep working. Ask your doctor to be sure.
Cold FX is just Echinacea.
Hi Ladies

I'm not so sure about this. I notice when Libby has AU she is very well, her eczema clears up 100% and she doesn't get colds or flu at that time. But when she has regrowth she gets eczema, flu, colds etc again.

When you have alopecia your immune system is actually in overdrive rather than being 'weak' it is overreacting.

Rosy
Hi I was told by my doctors that your body builds up immunities to keep you from catching things when you have alopecia.
We are suppose to have a stronger immune system.
Thats what they told me.
i havent had so much as the flu in years. even when i cut or hurt myself (im accident prone) it usually heals in hours. seriously i had a gash in my thumb from cleaning glass up too fast, it needed stitches, but i was away from home, by the time i got to the hospital, about 4 hours later, the doctor was like - yeah its completely closed up - nothing i can do.

the only thing that stinks is my allergies - since allergies is basically your immune system attacking things it deems foreign, it makes sense that im allergic to EVERYTHING. ugh. seriously im allergic to air.
Me too! It seems that my allergies started about the time my alopecia did.
I think I am sick a little less actually. Hope u feel better!
Yah alopecians do get sick more often coz the nose hair isnt there & most of the germs could enter from nose easily. Same goes with eyes also, since there r no eyelashes. Also, the immune sys. is weak so resistance to diseases is lesser.
The word "sick" implies two possibities: Infectious AND non-infectious. Alopecia areata is a non-infectious condition due to an auto-immune situation. Normally, alopecians have a normal-high to slightly elevated lymphocytes count which played an important role in the development of Alopecia areata.

I must agree that I tend to be highlly allergic to dusty & hot environment. Especially with my profession that requires to visit farms, stables, catteries...etc. If i'm sneezing all over, it must be the dusty and hot environment, no doubt about that!...It will go on a further step, if there is persian cats or boer goats around which tend I would pop in an anti-histamine pills. In terms of my work/studies/profession, I find alopecia universalis does has some disadvantages, the nose hair (yes, inhaled allergens like dust), eyebrows (I sweat alot from my head) and eyelashes (the dust again). I was at a pig farm today taking blood samples and boy the sweat and also my runny nose dripping onto the pigs...I agree with you that we may tend to be more allergic to inhaled dust...etc.

As for infectious diseases. I dont think alopecia predispose us to further infectious diseases, unless we're taking steroidal to treat our alopecia ten which is also immunosuppresive if taken in prolonged period..
thats all for now.
By the way...google "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" and read about it, many of us might have it...
jt
i have no nose hair, so i don't have any filters to filter out the things im allergic too, that's why i am always sneezing and with a runny nose. so i think that anyone like me might get a little sicker.
i'm not sure if this makes sence but look in the mirror to see if you have nose hair even if you feel better
Hi Aimee,
Your not alone, were in the same boat. I too seem to get much sicker then I used to. Having AU our immune systems can be compromised, without nasal or ear hair as you said we have nothing to filter out bacteria, foreign & allergen particles. I noticed I tend to come down with allot more upper respiratory infections then ever & of all things my eczema has returned (I haven't had that since childhood). I do as you, when I feel punky I take Airborne, increase my vitamins & green tea. I try to stay down, easier said then done.
I see not only my primary physician but also obviously my Dermatologist, along with a Rheumatologist (due to the auto immune component here) & a Neurologist (that's for something different, my neck) I have a gambit of blood test that are run every 6 months, next month I go in for them, ( oh fun, oh joy,) I try to keep a sense of humor, it's hard sometimes.
I too have been so miserable, I have cried. It's so hard when you have been so healthy, then suddenly you find yourself, bald with an auto immune problem. You just get angry.
You feel like screaming, GIVE ME MY LIFE & HAIR BACK, you know what I mean.
I hope all goes well at the doctors.
I think I'm going to take stock out in tissue, aloe, I'm going through enough of it, may as well make something off of it.
See humor, better to laugh then cry.
I hope someone has a answer because it will help both of us out. Take Care Aimee & again I hope all goes well at the doctor.

Pam

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