Healthy Immune System

Dear All

As I have been doing some reading and trying to get a better understanding of ITP, wondered if anyone had any insight into the following.....

So ITP is a form of an Immune Disorder - which is the immune system being overactive and eventually attacking its 'own system'

So my question is...I used to take Vit C, and some other Vit B etc and have now stopped. Wanted to re-start taking vitamins etc, but thought wouldnt this make your immune system healthy and eventually overactive in the long run? When you take steroids their job is to supress the immune system, you kind of think taking vitamins etc wouldnt supress the immune system but rather make it healthy and more active?
I also read on a health blog that tumeric and the likes of garlic are very good for boosting your immune system, should I then not stay away from those ingredients then?

Just a thought.....??

Fortunately the immune system doesn't quite work that way. It's overall activity level is not, in general terms, what drives ITP. Nor do supplemental vitamins or other substances like garlic or tumeric activate the immune system to an extent that ITP would become more aggressive, though any substance that alters platelet activity significantly (e.g.: fish oil, NSAIDs) can elevate bleeding risk.

As far as I know, the actual cause of immune dysregulation that leads to ITP is not understood at this point. In general though, the immune system somehow determines that platelets are foreign and so should be eliminated, though thrombopoetin-producing cells in the liver seem to be affected as well. Another thread discusses the exact mechanism by which steroids help platelets survive, so I'll omit that there.

My hematologist put me on micronutrient supplements to address specific deficiencies I have, and there has been no change I can notice, though I hope there will be long-term benefits. Meanwhile, I try to get the rest of my nutrients from food. I also enjoy those times when my immune system is too busy to bother with platelets, i.e. when I'm sick. I get my best counts after a flu or cold.

Fiona:

It sounds confusing. The immune system is a very large, complex thing comprised of many systems. I think the key words here are 'healthy' immune system vs 'boosting' the immune system. Vitamins play a large role in having a healthy immune system and should not place the immune system in overdrive. The thing that I have found though is that if a person is not Vitamin deficient, they really don't need to supplement with vitamins. Eating the right foods is much better. Vitamin C never hurts as far as ITP and it can actually help to cut down on bruising and other symptoms.

There are supplements such as Echinacea that can cause exacerbation of autoimmune disorders, so you just need to be careful of what you decide to take. Things like that are considered to be 'boosters' and can do harm.

Most people find that eating garlic and tumeric do not bother platelets. Tumeric is very good for inflammation and can help many autoimmune disorders. You can pretty much eat anything in moderation without having a problem.

When my teen (now healthy adult in remission ) was battling ITP, I had the same concern about "immune boosting" yogurts and such, so we avoided the ones that made those claims. I was thoroughly confused about whether "boosting" immunity would make it healthier, and better regulated, or simply more active, endangering platelets. I still haven't sorted all that out, as I still don't really understand autoimmunity, and the claims on the yogurts and such are so varied. We avoided herbals altogether, for fear they would rev up the immune response or otherwise affect platelets.

My daughter did take a multi-vitamin, however, as she was the usual teen whose diet was imperfect at times. We wanted her to be healthy, to avoid colds and other viruses, as her immune system seemed to go into overdrive and kill platelets any time it was fighting a virus. (ITP is funny that way. Some patients' counts rise during viruses; others plummet.) Vitamins certainly did not hurt her, and may have helped her overall health. Vitamin C helped lessen bruising and the frequency of nosebleeds. We found no foods that made any difference in counts.
Norma

As somebody who has CVID I cant begin to tell you how complicated the human immune system really is.

What you have to remember is that immune system is that.. a system, it has many parts to it and all of them interact with each other and a lot if it is not understood.

The simplest ways to maintain a health immune system is

- Don’t smoke.

- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.

- Exercise regularly.

- Maintain a healthy weight.

- Control your blood pressure.

- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.

- Get adequate sleep.

- Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.

Doing those things are better then any supplement you can ever buy.

People often talk about "boosting the immune system" but boosting what? There are so many different kinds of cells that respond to many different microbes in many different ways.

At the moment scientist know very little about what kind of cells and at what levels is required for the immune system to function at an optimal level.

Fact is most products on the market that claim they boost your immune are rubbish and you can actually do yourself harm by taking too many vitamins.

All I would say is that if you do not have a immune disorder the following the steps above will help more then any product you can buy.

Although I don't have anything like CVID, I found out how complicated the immune system is on day 1 of an introductory immunology course I took. The lectures and textbook very quickly made it clear that it is much more than just T-cell this or B-cell that.

It sure is! People tend to think it's one big thing and that medications and supplements affect the whole thing. Everything works in different ways.

Good luck with your class. That would be interesting!

What are peoples findings regarding platelet counts when you have like a virus or bacteria, do they increase or drop....
I guess it depends on the person and the reason ITP is just so confusing as every patient is different and situations different.

Exactly, Fiona. Some people drop and some people go up. It all depends on the individual and the illness thay have.

The question of viral or bacterial illness and platelet counts is very interesting. My counts seem to rise after I get the flu, at least they did last December, when I made it into the normal range for the first time in three years. Others here report a drop in their counts after such illnesses.

I've heard similar reports about autoimmune disorders varying in intensity after a round of infectious illness. Then too, some such disorders ease up during pregnancy, which also causes a major shift in immune activity. So as Sandi pointed out, it depends on the individual.