anybody else get sick a lot?

[plume_mtb]

Sick and tired of being sick and tired? I know I am. 2nd time this month I've fallen victim to a head cold. This time it was more likely my fault. Did my first big group road ride in the cold (60 miles), went to work for half the day, went to a bon fire that night. Got up and decided to SS with the girl friend for 4+ hours, again in the cold the next day. Not so surprised it nailed me this time, need to learn to listen to my body. Trouble is that I'm trying to increase base miles and not get sick - seems tricky.

Maybe it's time to rethink owning a trainer? Anyone else get sick a lot? Yes I eat very well, I take vitamins and pop some zicam whenever I feel the critters taking hold. That seems to work a lot but I get worried about over using that stuff too. I know I'm due for a physical. Just seeing who else might have a not so good immune system. Seems like I get sick at least 6 times a year.

I'm the guy at the shop who always gets sick and when the guy who never gets sick came down with a cold I have to admit I felt a little better about myself; then he gave it to me!

[RepublicanSS]

I used to get nagging colds, nothing serious, just nagging when I competed in triathlons during the late eighties and early nineties. I know it was from just being worn down physically. Probably fatigue related.

Now I only run four days a week and ride three to four days. Plus, if I'm tired I take the day off and walk the dog for a few miles.

[Jay13]

Sick and tired of being sick and tired? I know I am. 2nd time this month I've fallen victim to a head cold. This time it was more likely my fault. Did my first big group road ride in the cold (60 miles), went to work for half the day, went to a bon fire that night. Got up and decided to SS with the girl friend for 4+ hours, again in the cold the next day. Not so surprised it nailed me this time, need to learn to listen to my body. Trouble is that I'm trying to increase base miles and not get sick - seems tricky.

Maybe it's time to rethink owning a trainer? Anyone else get sick a lot? Yes I eat very well, I take vitamins and pop some zicam whenever I feel the critters taking hold. That seems to work a lot but I get worried about over using that stuff too. I know I'm due for a physical. Just seeing who else might have a not so good immune system. Seems like I get sick at least 6 times a year.

I'm the guy at the shop who always gets sick and when the guy who never gets sick came down with a cold I have to admit I felt a little better about myself; then he gave it to me!

Do you suffer from alergies? You might, even if you are unaware of it. My daughter used to catch a "cold" every 3-4 weeks when she started school. This went on for a couple years. Now she takes a once a day Zyrtec for Allergies and seems to get sick much less often... For her it was allergies that irritated her sinuses which would then get infected. Then she would get full blown sick. She did not seem to be a typical cantidate for allergies and did not show the obvious symptoms such as swollen eyes, lots of sneezing etc. We did not actually figure out what was causing it until we got her tested. It may be worth looking into.

[althegud1srtakn]

i'd guess that you just need more rest. you seem to get a lot of exercise, which is good for your immune system, but very little sleep. when i first started rowing i was only getting about 3 hours of sleep per day, and they weren't usually conscutive, and i got very sick several times. then i started sleeping more and i havn't really gotten that sick since.

another thing you may want to consider, tho i doubt this is what's going on with you, is that you're being overly hygenic. my mom is a clean freak and nothing was ever clean enough. when i lived with my parent's i'd get terribly sick all the time, now that i live with roomates that are messy as hell and never seem to wash anything (myself included) i rarely get sick at all, i think it's actually been a few years. i really think that being too clean weakens your immune system.

ps when i first moved oout of my parents house i got really sick, probably mostly because of poor hygeene, but now my immune system seems to have gotten a whole lot better

[bdee]

Ever since my team at work was moved into a smaller, much more confined, space we have all been getting sick a lot. I used to only get sick once a year in the spring... now it's like every quarter. I missed 5 days between Sept - mid January between the flu (lost 6lbs) and a really bad bronchitis thing (still have a nagging cough). I was also sick a couple of times over last spring/summer.

Once we get our retention bonuses near the end of this year (part of our "outsourcing" agreement) I'm splitting. I don't care if it means selling/wrenching on bikes again for a while. I'm about done with this cube lifestyle, never mind the driving 50 miles a day... 10 years of the same routine, routine, routine ya know? When the only "benefit" that still really matters is the fact that we have showers at work (great for riding in) it might be time to move on, you know what I mean?

[tryandgetme]

I used to never get sick...like 6-8 years without getting a flu, 2 years between head colds, etc...now that I get less sleep due to hobbies, I get sick more often. Damn time machines...

[RepublicanSS]

be wary of doctors throwing antibiotics down your throat. I don't take meds, the doc would have to make a really good case for it, especially with my kids, luckily they don't get sick often. I look for signs like I said earlier, if I'm tired or fatigued I'll just take the day off.

[plume_mtb]

thanks for the quick input guys. I've thought about the allergy thing Jay - my dad never had an issue w/ allergies but he was recently diagnosed with a mild case of it. Went on meds and has been fine since.

I know that I need to learn to rest in between hard efforts more so than I do now, I just wish I didn't have to. Believe me being over sanitary is NOT the issue, lol. far from it.

The problem I have now is that I'm living the cycling lifestyle and starting up djing at night again - yeah lighting the candle at both ends I suppose. But I love what I do and it pays the bills. I'm working at a great shop but like most small stores I'm not offered health insurance. Sure I can afford the catastrophic med insurance but the day to day stuff is outrageous. Honestly I don't know what's worse working a job that you hate and getting paid and benefits or enjoying a job immensely but not getting paid and/or benefits?

but again... it's time for me to just look into going to the doctor and getting a complete physical. I'm way over due for that. I also want to start going back to my acupuncturist, but that's $$$ as well.

[cMc]

I rarely get sick, but I am home sick today. Which sucks, because it is freakin' beautiful out... gotta be near 70 and not a cloud in the crystal blue sky.

[mimbresman]

As a school teacher, I usually get sick at least once a year. I got really sick two years ago during an local outbreak of a horrible pneumonia strain. It was vicious and nasty. I looked up the antibiotic prescribed, and they were the same type given to AIDS patients. Powerful! I never want to experience that again.

[RacerK]

It seems like working retail, and specifically, handling money, is a cause of recurring sickness. As soon as I quit the job before this (health food store, which involved some cashiering) I got sick a LOT less, and have been getting sick less and less each year since. (No colds yet this winter, knock on wood!)

If you do handle money, you could try using some hand sanitizer often while at work, and try to be conscious of touching your face after counting out cash, etc.

I too have allergies, and they definitely contribute to sinus congestion and sickness. As long as I stay on top of getting my shots it's not a problem.

[longhaultruker2]

for years,i'd get one good headcold per year,and then it jumped to 2 4-5 years ago (1 summer,1 winter),but i got several last year.since i've had a cdl (13 years this year,but wuz local all but a coupla months since 2-07),i'm used to very little or virtually no sleep (really hard to sleep as a teamate bounces down the interstate-'specially after you had 1 dang near kill ya!:p),and this past year wuz the 1st in years that i've done physical labor,and been exposed to the outdoors on the job in all weather.i don't particularly eat rite,but stay reasonably fit due to cycling and hiking (and not-regular-enuff-weight-training:o).
so far this year,been sittin up almost all nite,gettin up @ 0645 to get the kidz off to school,sleepin a coupla hours and doin it again+ridin in the cold...gettin ready for a probable 3rd shift sux when ya don't have any help w/ the kidz (ok...sorry...enuff rantin on the marital stuff:o).
i'm actually surprized i haven't gotten sick in the last few months...but gimme time:rolleyes:

[hairygrump]

When I start getting sick regularly it's almost always because of one of three things:

1) I've visited my parents' house, which is full of mold and guarantees me weeks of coughing and feeling like there's a running weedeater in my lungs. Solution: Thanksgiving at the little lady's folks'.

2) I'm not drinking enough water. Solution: Maté in the morning and 2 nalgenes emptied by the time I leave work.

3) I'm not eating well enough. Solution: If nutrients are a pain in the ass to get, or if I'm going through a big Jucy Lucy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucy_lucy) period, I'll take spirulina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_%28dietary_supplement%29)... not because it's a miracleworker, but because it's a good single-tablet source of vitamin D, antioxidants and a bunch of fatty acids.

YMMV. Blah blah.

[RepublicanSS]

On the insurance side, you should explore an HSA. I have on and it's the best. Tax deductible too. Everyone should go this route. My family plan is $135 per month. My deductible is high, but that's what insurance is for.....catastrophic care. Anymore some farts and they want to call their insurance. The other cool thing is that I pay the negotiated insurance prices when someone in my family uses money out of my deductible. It was a lot cheaper when my son broke his wrist in mx and we got to use our own doctors and orthoped. Yes, we choose our own doctors.:)



thanks for the quick input guys. I've thought about the allergy thing Jay - my dad never had an issue w/ allergies but he was recently diagnosed with a mild case of it. Went on meds and has been fine since.

I know that I need to learn to rest in between hard efforts more so than I do now, I just wish I didn't have to. Believe me being over sanitary is NOT the issue, lol. far from it.

The problem I have now is that I'm living the cycling lifestyle and starting up djing at night again - yeah lighting the candle at both ends I suppose. But I love what I do and it pays the bills. I'm working at a great shop but like most small stores I'm not offered health insurance. Sure I can afford the catastrophic med insurance but the day to day stuff is outrageous. Honestly I don't know what's worse working a job that you hate and getting paid and benefits or enjoying a job immensely but not getting paid and/or benefits?

but again... it's time for me to just look into going to the doctor and getting a complete physical. I'm way over due for that. I also want to start going back to my acupuncturist, but that's $$$ as well.

[RickB]

Sick and tired of being sick and tired? I know I am. 2nd time this month I've fallen victim to a head cold. This time it was more likely my fault. Did my first big group road ride in the cold (60 miles), went to work for half the day, went to a bon fire that night. Got up and decided to SS with the girl friend for 4+ hours, again in the cold the next day. Not so surprised it nailed me this time, need to learn to listen to my body. Trouble is that I'm trying to increase base miles and not get sick - seems tricky.

Maybe it's time to rethink owning a trainer? Anyone else get sick a lot? Yes I eat very well, I take vitamins and pop some zicam whenever I feel the critters taking hold. That seems to work a lot but I get worried about over using that stuff too. I know I'm due for a physical. Just seeing who else might have a not so good immune system. Seems like I get sick at least 6 times a year.

I'm the guy at the shop who always gets sick and when the guy who never gets sick came down with a cold I have to admit I felt a little better about myself; then he gave it to me!

I swear by Emergen-C (and Airborne): whether it is placebo effect or not, I travel 100K+ miles/year by airplane and shake a lot of nasty hands in even nastier places, and I've had good luck staying healthy.

[50 Mission Cap]

I used to get nagging colds, nothing serious, just nagging when I competed in triathlons during the late eighties and early nineties. I know it was from just being worn down physically. Probably fatigue related.

Now I only run four days a week and ride three to four days. Plus, if I'm tired I take the day off and walk the dog for a few miles.

I agree. Seems like if I get up every day at 5, ride the rollers, ride w/ the crew some nights during the week / weekend, and bust ass at work all day, I get sick a lot. I've scaled back a bit to waking up 2-3 times a week to roll and like SS, just walking the dog alot to stay active. I'd say to cut down a bit on the activity and get some rest. Your body is probably telling you something.