Hi
I need to boost my immune system as my blood tests showed low readings and I need higher to get me on a trial.
Does anyone know how I might do this?
Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve, I’m not sure quite what you mean, when you say “low immune system readings”. Do you mean white blood cell count? I’m afraid I don’t know of any surefire way to boost this, and even if I did, I’d hesitate to recommend it to anyone with MS, given that our illness is supposedly caused by an OVER-active immune system. If it’s true that it’s the immune system causing the damage, you wouldn’t want to do anything that gives it a boost. Some existing and prototype MS treatments work by trying to dampen down the immune system. I’m guessing the trial you were being considered for is one of these, but that you need an OK immune system to start with, if you’re going on treatment that might reduce it. I’m sorry, but I think you might have to accept this particular trial is not for you, if it might suppress an already weak immune system. Even if you did manage to boost it up temporarily, the likelihood is that the trial drug would knock it back down again, which is presumably what they’re worried about. So you could find the treatment had to be discontinued anyway. Have they said they will test you again, to see if things have improved? Exercise and good diet are said to improve immune function, but I don’t know by how much, and whether it would be enough to tip the balance. I think there would always be a risk the trial drug would take it below safe levels, which could leave you vulnerable to serious infections. Tina
Thanks Tina.
Theyve told me my IgM readings need to be higher
.“IgM normal range is: 0.40-2.30g/L.The inclusion criteria for this trial that the levels of this serum have to be no less then 0.55g/L.Yours result is: 0.34g/L below even normal range.”
They,ve advised taking more vitamins to get the levels up before another blood test.
Morning Steve,
Gosh - obviously quite low, then. Are you catching things all the time?
I can understand why they wouldn’t want to give the trial drug to someone whose immune system is already weaker than the norm, in case it suppressed it further.
I don’t know whether vitamins will do very much. Most people with MS would do well to be on Vitamin D3 anyway, so no harm in taking that, if you’re not already. Vitamin C is the traditional one that’s claimed to be immune-boosting (I can remember my mum ramming them down me in Winter), but I don’t know if it makes much real difference - particularly if you’re already getting enough fruit and vegetables.
Tina
Hi
No, Im never ill thats why I cant understand this.
Thanks Tina