Getting Sick a Lot

Regenerative Subsistence Flora Food & Medicine
#1

All –

Within the past 2 years I moved to the MidWest from the NorthEast, and I’ve noticed that I keep getting sick! It seems about every 1.5-2 months, I catch something else, and I’m out of commission for like a week. Beyond my not seeming to be able to remain healthy, this is impacting people’s perceptions of me at work as well – most of them are pretty understanding, but a couple (who also happen to be part of HR and will be giving my my 6 month review shortly) don’t seem particularly impressed.

I haven’t been sick this often in my life EVER, and it’s frankly driving me up a wall!!! Any thoughts/suggestions? What am I doing wrong here? About the only lifestyle change I’ve made is that I’ve been able to do my rewilding thing MORE out here than back east… Frustrating!!!

~ SW

#2

Every Sept when my daughter starts going back to school, both she & I get sick. Then we kind of cycle a little bit between healthy and sick until we’re both up to speed on the particular mix of “bugs” getting passed around. So, knowing that, I guess I’m wondering if it’s not so much a lifestyle change on your part as maybe you’re getting exposed to a new batch of “bugs”…?

#3

Try eating several cloves of garlic in your food a day.

#4

Garlic is great especially RAW

#5

It sounds like it also might be a chronic virus in your system. I had a sinus infection for over a year a few years ago, and I would get sick every 3-4 days for 3-4 days. It was really fucked up. Though, I mostly kept suppressing it with whiskey. :wink: Eventually I went to the emergency room and got on some hardcore anti-biotics that got rid of it… though it came at the price of fucking up my intestines. I’d find a doctor who actually gives a shit and have them come up with a plan for you. My naturopath has begun to turn my life around.

(though right now I have a terrible stomach flu! haha)

#6

Hi Starving Wolf,

I’d go with the garlic, but also add a cup of yarrow (infusion or tea) daily.

Fresh if you can get it.

It’s a great immune system booster.

Love,
Terri in Joburg

#7

could be lots of different factors. i would suggest seeing someone in person as diagnostic via computer is pretty crappy.

generally if someone is getting sick repeatedly (with out knowing what kind of sick, or what kind of constitution you have, etc) i would first think to strengthen immune system. i would use astragalus primarily. reishi if there are deep immune problems… and a variety of other things depending on diagnostics.

anyways, if you have $/access i’d go see a herbalist.

#8

You may have Lyme. It can go chronic just like Scout suggested, although its actually bacterial. Get yourself testing ASAP, if it comes back negative try again in a couple weeks when it flares up again. The tests they have are horribly inaccurate.

This is coming from someone who has seen Lyme both chronic and not chronic many times.

  • Ben
#9

My gut tells me that I’m getting used to the “local fauna”, which is why I’m getting sick (I moved out to the MidWest, here only a little over a year ago). It started in the spring, and I’ve been sick probably 3-4 times since then. I don’t think it’s Lyme because I never have any fever associated with it, and the symptoms keep changing, but it’d probably be a good idea to get checked out for it anyway.

For now, the garlic seems to have really knocked it on its ass, though! I stuck a whole clove through the garlic press the night I made my first post, stirred it up in a teaspoon of honey and swallowed the concoction whole – It was like swallowing a bugger! So nasty-feeling!!! All I tasted was the honey, though, so once I got over the texture issues, it was golden. Anyway, after that I immediately went to bed dressed up in my sweats (which earned that name overnight), and woke up the next morning feeling pretty damned good. Not 100%, but it definitely stopped that bugs progress dead in its tracks. I took another dose that morning before popping off to work – felt fine most of the day. One last dose that night (again, right before bed) killed it outright. I had some residual sniffles for about 3 days afterwards, but didn’t feel at all groggy or wiped out – I FELT healthy.

So I’m going to see how long this lasts – about 50% of the people at my work have something or other sickness-wise right now, so I’m doing one dose a week, and eating more, and trying to get a bit more exercise, so we’ll see how that works. (I am going to do the Lyme check, though… that shit creeps me the F out.)

So thank you all for your suggestions! I really really appreciate them! And thank you, Dan for making a garlic believer outta me! Halleluja!

~ SW

#10

Hey, I just want to say as someone who does have lyme (late stage), the symptoms change regularly.

I just wanted to throw that out there so no one would automatically dismiss it as a possibility because of changing symptoms.

Also never got the rash or fever or flu like symptoms…there is no “normal” for this kind of thing.

shrug

Hope you figure out what is wrong, but yeah, get tested for that, a western blot test if you find a doctor willing to use it. It’s the most accurate!

#11

how does one rid oneself of a viral infection with antibiotics? ???

#12

I spent a few months in Nevada over the summer (not sure if that’s the midwest you mean), after being used to PA, and I found myself sniffling and sneezing, and I would wake up tired despite an otherwise healthy living arrangement. It came in waves. The ticks didn’t carry Lyme out there, although my buddy who pulled three or four off his happy-trail in single day suffered flu-like symptoms the next day. I attributed any maladies to getting used to the flora, like you figured, and as long as I stayed away from allergy medicine I was convinced I’d get used to it. That and a netty pot made everything fine, eventually.

I second UrbanScout’s whiskey cure-all strategy. I generally prepare it with two parts boiling water to one part whiskey, and I dissolve honey and lemon juice in it to taste (i.e., a hot toddy). Some people think it tastes too medicinal, but I think it tastes excellent, and there’s nothing short of HIV that it can’t cure (claims not FDA approved). Of course, getting drunk all by itself can knock a bug on its ass. It’s a battle of willpower between you and the bacteria, that’s what I tell myself.

#13
It's a battle of willpower between you and the bacteria, that's what I tell myself
This conjured up some funny images. Someone sitting in a chair, glass in hand, talking broken, slurred trash to an invisible drinking opponent.

I remember leaving for a bush party, and I had that feeling in the back of my throat, like I was gonna get sick. By the time I got to the party, after walking through the woods for an hour, I was feeling like crap.
I usually didn’t drink, but I ran into someone who insisted I have some whisky with them. I ended up drinking some beer, too.
I kept thinking about how stupid I was, and how awful I was going to feel, etc. I mean, drinking is bad right?
Next day…nothing. Felt as good as ever. Completely knocked out whatever was sneaking up on me.

#14

Moving from one region to another–hell, even migrating to a different area within the same region–sure leads to interesting things. At the job I just quit, two new guys both moved here from Texas and Florida, respectively, and the second cold weather hit, not even COLD cold by Plains standards, both of 'em were fending off nasty infections, one bronchial, the other more sinus related. The seasoned Midwesterners amongst us have been doing okay so far.

I moved to Kansas from Nebraska, which isn’t exactly a huge move, but I definatly acquired some new allergies–or at least became aware of new ones–when I made the move.

Different bugs are common to different areas. When I went back home for a visit, I’d heard both Whooping Cough (2nd year in a row) and the Flu were going around pretty bad. Here, where I am now, it’s just the Flu and mostly bronchial infections. When I mention Whooping Cough, most people look at me like I have 5 heads, but yes, Whooping Cough is alive and strong in that part of the country :smiley:

These are some herbs native/can be found to the Plains that make good remedies, though it’s a bit too late for foraging them now, you can probably find some at a local herb dealer (or your local witch doctor!):

Elderberries, good for keeping the Flu away and treating existing ailments. Make a tonic by pouring boiling water over some in a jar, screwing on the lid and letting set for 8 hours or overnight. I usually fill the jar 1/5th of the way with the berries and fill with water.

Echinacea root in tincture form, take at first sight of sickness, but for no more than 2 weeks straight since your body can develop an immunity to it. It boosts the immune system. I take lots of garlic along with it, as many have mentioned on here.

There are tons and I do mean tons of herbs good for bronchial issues. A few to consider are Coltsfoot, Slippery Elm, Mullein and Licorice. If you aren’t repulsed to smoking, try smoking coltsfoot and mullein, if you are having a hard time with unproductive coughs. Otherwise, make an infusion or tonic.

And of course, eat tons of veggies!

edited to add: this isn’t native to the midwest by any means, but a Japanese remedy to ward off the Flu has been to gargle with back tea. I drink black tea almost obsessively, and I haven’t gotten the flu since I was a child, but if you like tea, it’s an added benefit!

#15

It is impossible to know what herbal treatment you need until you figure out what the problems are. It is really important to consider that that there could be many causes for you repeatedly getting sick. The one thing that is clear is that your immune system is not functioning properly. This doesn’t mean that you should stimulate your immune system with something like echinacea, because there is a possibility that your immune system is already overworked due to allergies.
Your immune System is probably compromised because of one or many of the following: Allergies, emotional/ spiritual stress, viruses, parasites, malnutrition, environmental toxins/ conditions or physiological disorder. It is really hard to narrow it down, but these quick things will surely help:
First, do the obvious- quit smoking/ other addictions, get rid of abusive friends, lovers, civilization, address stressful patterns, quit shitty jobs, etc… Next, find out allergies- Do an elimination diet! allergy tests work sometimes, be a scientist, narrow it down. Next, eat healthier food, you’ll probably already realize this one after doing an elimination diet. Drink nettle tea daily! Don’t eat thos gas station corn dogs! Next, clear your home environment of as many stressors as you can, especially your bedroom (mold, dust, allergens, chemicals, tvs, unwanted guests, etc. but please don’t get rid of your kids!) Next, try to witness all of your emotions and the way you deal with them. No general advice here! If all that doesn’t work, go see a naturopath or a doc.