Flue

[ignis]

Appear to be going round and round getting nowhere....

I'm diabetic, so have my flue injection every year April, so far this year I have flue now and this is the 4th time since April..

It takes at least 3-4 weeks to get over the flue..... I have alleges one being penicillin, so have a antibiotic without penicillin...

Problem with antibiotic is I get male thrush yeast build up due to antibiotics so have a wash and cream to apply everyday..

I takes at least 4 weeks before the thrush has gone and then a few days later get flue again and so it all starts again.

The Dr at the local clinic states the best would be to get circumcised [not sure about this aged 60 in a few weeks]

Also went to the Private Hospital, useless stated I had flue + had Thrush = more antibiotic + more cream and wash for the thrush...

Thought just maybe someone maybe able to help, advise, as keeping getting this is running me down.......

Do not use air con, the only time in air con is about 1hr per week in the Supermarket.

[Sheryl]

There is a medication called fluconazole that can be taken orally to prevent or cure thrush. You could take it when having to take antibiotics and thus head it off. 100 mg daily until off the antibiotics. Do not take if you have any kidney disease or are taking coumadin (warfarin). It does have other side effects as well so read upo on it. Alternatively, and a better idea IMO, just start using the topical medication (clotrimazole or nystatin, in powder form better if you can find it) as soon as you go on antibiotics.

But much more importantly, need to try to figure out why you are getting sick so often. Is your blood sugar well controlled?

Do you smoke? Are you eating a balanced diet? Do you live in a very polluted environment? (in terms of air?)

If you have not already, you need to have an HIV test. Assuming that is negative, I suggest you see a good pulmonologist for an assessment.

Also suggest taking a good nutritional supplement that includes zinc daily, and at the first sign of a respiratory infection take Redoxan, it is an over the counter brand of Vitamin C + zinc that you dissolve in water and drink.

Some people also find echinacea helpful as a preventive and there is some evidence that it may help, altho for that you will have to visit a GNC.

Something isn't right....

[ignis]

Many thanks Sheryl, will try to get powder clotrimazole or nystatin,... Dr gave me clotrimazole cream ??

Are you eating a balanced diet? .......Yes,+ lots of fruit & Veg + about 50% Thai food, all made at home..

good nutritional supplement...... Take Centrum Silver [for the over 50] everyday

Drink... Never...... Smoke.... yes started again 3 years ago, after being off them for 7 years

HIV test.... see no point as not active for years, was negative in 2003, so could not have changed or?

Is your blood sugar well controlled........ last time checked at a Hospital was mid 2003. [Full medical with HIV test] but keep taking the tablets and watch what I eat, test every 1 - 2 weeks as I have a UK Accu-Chex Active Blood Sugar machine, just tested is 6.2..... In UK could never get it below 10.....

Do you live in a very polluted environment?... No live out in the sticks, 63 houses in the Village, 3 are empty and 4 are used as holiday homes, do spend a lot of time in the garden most days.

The local Dr / Hospital Dr just gives me cream 'Lamisil' or 'clotrimazole' cream

NO relation or is there ???

Have 300 or so Koi.

Had to take out about 80 Koi from the main pond as there sick, and put into my 2 holding ponds, so they are on antibiotics 2x a day at this moment, also 2 of my 4 dogs have a cold, have been giving them injections myself every day, and now there fine just the youngest still has a running nose.

Is it possible to catch a cold from my dogs? yes there house dogs and sleep with me on the bed..

[Sheryl]

The Koi are innocent and so I think are your dogs.

From what you say the only obvious culprit is the smoking. In addition to making you more susceptibe to repiratory infections it puts you at risk of underlying chronic pulmonary diseases which in turn can lead to frequent infections as well as other problems. If you continue to get infections I urge you to see a pulmonary specialist for a thorough evaluation.

Antifungal powders are preferrable to creams because one wants to keep the area as dry as possible, yeast thrives in moisture. And creams, obviously, tend to keep the skin moist, However it can be very difficult to locate the powder forms and if you are out in the sticks may provbe impossible.

Another thing that works very well but is a bit messy is gentian violet, that you can easily get, just paint it on and let it dry but it will of course result in a (temporarily) purple penis, plus some of the color will rub off on your underwear and bedclothes etc, However it does work very well against yeast and won't moisten the area like creams do. One application is sufficeint for anyweher from a few days to a week ; as long as the skin is still purple it's doing its job.

[ignis]

There is a medication called fluconazole that can be taken orally to prevent or cure thrush. You could take it when having to take antibiotics and thus head it off. 100 mg daily until off the antibiotics. Do not take if you have any kidney disease or are taking coumadin (warfarin). It does have other side effects as well so read upo on it. Alternatively, and a better idea IMO, just start using the topical medication (clotrimazole or nystatin, in powder form better if you can find it) as soon as you go on antibiotics.

But much more importantly, need to try to figure out why you are getting sick so often. Is your blood sugar well controlled?

Do you smoke? Are you eating a balanced diet? Do you live in a very polluted environment? (in terms of air?)

If you have not already, you need to have an HIV test. Assuming that is negative, I suggest you see a good pulmonologist for an assessment.

Also suggest taking a good nutritional supplement that includes zinc daily, and at the first sign of a respiratory infection take Redoxan, it is an over the counter brand of Vitamin C + zinc that you dissolve in water and drink.

Some people also find echinacea helpful as a preventive and there is some evidence that it may help, altho for that you will have to visit a GNC.

Something isn't right....

Many Thanks, fluconazole cleared the problem up fast..

Please can you advise on 'Serrapeptase' Friend in the UK 80 last weeks and his wife 78 both take this and say they feel very good and never get a cold even...

Wondered if you know anything about this and what it maybe called here? 9 boxes of tissues and 3 weeks later have just got over this bout of flue

[Sheryl]

Many Thanks, fluconazole cleared the problem up fast..

Please can you advise on 'Serrapeptase' Friend in the UK 80 last weeks and his wife 78 both take this and say they feel very good and never get a cold even...

Wondered if you know anything about this and what it maybe called here? 9 boxes of tissues and 3 weeks later have just got over this bout of flue

Serrapeptase is an enzyme that helps digest protein wastes. It has been advocated for relief of inflammation; there is a lack of evidence on that either way. I can't imagine, however, any basis for thinking it would reduce the incidence of respiratory infections.

The most clearly proven supplement of benefit is, as mentioned before, zinc.

Vitamin C has also long been advocated but evidence on that is conflicting. No harm in it though (unless you are prone to kidney stones) and there is a preparation called "Redoxan" sold in Thailand that contains Vitamin C + zinc that you dissolve in water and drink, available at Boots, Watsons and most pharmacies in packs of ten. Inexpensive.

Echinacea is the other thing widely advocated, studies have given conflicting results but the most recent seem to suggest it does have some effect. Would have to get that at a GNC and would be costly.

Very frequent hand-washing also helps reduce transmission of viruses.

And, of course, you should stop smoking.

If this is your first year in Thailand, may also be due to exposure to a new range of bugs to which you have no immunity, if that is it will get better with time. First 1-2 years in a completely new location invariably means more respiratory infectiosn.

[GarryP]

I know you said you were not "active", but am not clear on whether this means you are celibate or simply monogamous. I had a yeast infection and it would come and go over quite a long period. It was driving me insane, I would medicate as Sheryl has suggested and it would clear up only to come back a few weeks later. After seeing an number of doctors, one specialist just laughed at me and said there was no point in treating me if he didn't also treat my wife. So both of us were medicated using anti-fungals and no problems since. So perhaps, if you are married, when your body is run down from flu maybe you have a higher chance of being infected from doing you know what.

[ignis]

If this is your first year in Thailand, may also be due to exposure to a new range of bugs to which you have no immunity, if that is it will get better with time. First 1-2 years in a completely new location invariably means more respiratory infectiosn.

No I have been here without leaving since 2003, last year had flue twice bad, now 4 times this year..

[ignis]

I know you said you were not "active", but am not clear on whether this means you are celibate or simply monogamous. I had a yeast infection and it would come and go over quite a long period. It was driving me insane, I would medicate as Sheryl has suggested and it would clear up only to come back a few weeks later. After seeing an number of doctors, one specialist just laughed at me and said there was no point in treating me if he didn't also treat my wife. So both of us were medicated using anti-fungals and no problems since. So perhaps, if you are married, when your body is run down from flu maybe you have a higher chance of being infected from doing you know what.

Thanks, but no not married, last time it rose or worked was about 15 years ago, so no choose of mine guess you would call me celibate.

[ignis]

And, of course, you should stop smoking.

Yes. I know

On this subject or is it?

Just made me wonder as one of my Ants died on Monday, but she was 76, 2 weeks ago my Nephew died aged 54..

My Mother died at 42, the other Sister at 54, her 3 Brothers 45, 41 and 39.... 3 of my Nieces died aged 19, 20 and 24..

They ALL died of Throat Cancer and not one of them ever smoked in there life..

So my Mother was one of 8, just one Brother aged 85 and one Ant aged 84 are still alive and up to a point well living at there home with there other half...... also makes me wonder these are the only 2 that years ago build Bungalows out in the sticks I'm talking 1960's all the others lived in Town/Cities.

[GarryP]

Now I wish I didn't smoke but am sure there is a link. Whenever I am on vacation in the provinces, my constant throat irritation clears up. I do not reduce the amount of cigarettes I smoke when on holiday, if anything the number increases. However, within two days of arriving back home in Bangkok the throat starts up again. Read into that what you will.

[Sheryl]

Now I wish I didn't smoke but am sure there is a link. Whenever I am on vacation in the provinces, my constant throat irritation clears up. I do not reduce the amount of cigarettes I smoke when on holiday, if anything the number increases. However, within two days of arriving back home in Bangkok the throat starts up again. Read into that what you will.

There is no question but that Bangkok's poor air quality is irritating to the respiratoiry tract and increases the frequency and severity of respiratory problems in many people. If you do a search on this forum you will find many discussions of this and first hand accounts from people whose problems were solved only by moving to a place with better air quality. I too had constant respiratiry problems years back when due to work had to live in Bangkok, no problems at all now that I live in the countryside. There's a reason why many traffic police wear masks, the hospitals have large number of ENTs and allergy specialists on staff and the dapartment stores sell so many brands of air purifiers!

But the OP already lives in the countryside so in his case that is not the culprit.