Sorry this is long. I found this message thread very interesting because over 3 and a half years ago I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Rheumatoid Arthritis. My doctor said it was 'triggered' by an antibiotic that I was given that I had an allergic reaction to. In one month I went from hiking 8 miles and not breaking a sweat and doing climbing walls to being so disabled with pain and swelling in my feet, hands, my joints ached and sensations in my legs (needed to sleep on my back with legs up on pillows) that I had to get pants with elastic. The doctor told me that I would be disabled and on meds the rest of my life. He could not explain to me sufficiently how this could happen in one month. I refused meds and toughed it out. The first month I felt sorry for myself and was a couch potato. Then I kicked myself and started to read. That was about the only thing I could do. This is what I found out and how I beat my diagnosis. I found that when we reach around the age of 40 our body slowly diminishes it's production of our super antioxidant glutathione. This is a major player in the proper functioning of our immune system and regulates so many body systems that I am not going to list all of them here. The one I am going to mention is that it does regulate the hormones. When this is depleted via the severe immune response that happens when you receive a vaccination the body's cells and gut (80% of our immune system is regulated from there) is no longer protected because of oxidative stress. When the gut is compromised the body absorption of vit. D is diminished. Now another thing to take into consideration is family medical history. Is there allergies or auto-immune disease in the family? If this is true then there is the possibility that there could be any one or more of these factors: 1) defective GSH (glutathione) gene; 2) elevated levels of free floating IgE in the body; 3) increased levels of histamine release from mast cells. These are the most important. Because I found that RA was an auto-immune issue likely caused by my allergic reaction to the anti-biotic I had to deal with the inflammation and find how I could diminish this. First I started with diet. What foods can cause inflammation and eliminate them? I eliminated all processed sugars and went to honey for a start. Then I found what to add to my diet to increase my body production of glutathione (I was 58 at onslaught of RA). I added more fruits and green veggies (increasing my vit C & E). As I researched further I found that whey protein helps intensify the C & E so I started taking a whey suppliment. With the changes in diet initially I saw slow impovement in 1 month. When I added the whey protein I saw improvement in 2 weeks. It took 2 years for my body to heal itself and I was pretty much symptom free and pain free. The only problem I had left was my gut. I believe I had IBS (irritable bowel symdrome). I never went back to the doctor so this is my diagnosis of the symptoms that I had. My gut would feel funny (I called the five minute warning) and I would have to find a bathroom fast. Every store I went to I knew where the restroom was just in case. Further research was done to find out that Autistic children are glutathione deficient and their gut problems diminished after going gluten free. Hummmmm I pondered this for about 1 day and decided to minimize my gluten and test the foods I did eat to see what reactions I would have. I no longer eat standard breads or pastas. I can eat rye bread and one bun with unbleached white bread for my hamburgers. (I love my food, sorry.) I can also eat the pasta that is labeled semolina pasta. Don't understand why but I can but I do not overdo it. I have been reading labels for 2 years now and I am pretty much (money is a little tight) all natural foods, frozen veggies, etc. As of one year ago I am now totally symptom free. Wohoo! My only problem is that I know I will never be 100% ever again. I do have energy level problems so I do everything in moderation. I have to take a power nap every afternoon. I lost 35 - 40 lbs of muscle mass so I can't do some of the strenuous things I used to. But the upside is that my allergic responses to seasonal pollens are next to non-existant. No flu or colds (this was a concern of mine). Over all with my auto-immune issue it is all under control and people are amazed that I ever had RA and was 95% disabled. This is my story. Do your own research. If your doctor will not test for glutathione deficiency (warning: they will not) ask them to test for magnesium deficiency. Glutathione deficiency goes hand in hand with magnesium deficiency. Foot note: Glutathione supplements do not work because the body does not absorb the glutathione. The best way is to get the body to produce more. Here is a link that might be useful: Histamine

I'll be getting the regular flu shot soon and I'm not sure about H1N1. I've gotten the regular shot every year for several years since I have lots of allergy/sinus/asthma trouble and even normal colds hit me hard and last a long time, usually with a sinus infection to follow, etc. (Sorry if TMI!) We spend a lot of time with my 80-year-old mom and my concern is that we'd pass the flu on to her. Since I inherited my upper-respiratory and allergy tendencies from her, she'd be in big trouble if she had the flu. I'm sure she'll get the regular flu shot this year, too, but as always, it's uncertain as to whether the formulation is accurate for this year's strains. One school about an hour away from us is closed as 1/3 of the students are out with the flu, and they haven't determined if it's H1N1. It did seem like they hyped H1N1 a few months ago, but now the news seems to be full of stories on it.

My sister works in a pharmacy and she said they went from giving 1-2 flu shots/day to about 30/day. She's working 11-hour days. But no one in the pharmacy got a flu shot, even though they can have them for free. She's never had a flu shot and never had the flu either so she's afraid to mess with a winning formula. I have a standing appt with my doctor in a couple of weeks, necessary to get a prescription renewed, and I'm already dreading the exposure to germs in my tiny doctor's office where I usually have to wait forever - in the waiting room or in an exam room. I'm going to tell them I'm waiting in the hallway and they'd better not call me back until they're ready! I had a flu shot in October but that doesn't guarantee anything, although they claim it's a pretty good match for the most common strain showing up around here.

terriks, at my hospital the vaccine is not optional for employees. Last year I was caring for an elderly patient in with breathing trouble. His daughter and grandson came to visit, and the grandson was coughing and didn't look well. I asked if he was ill and told them he needed to be wearing a mask -- mom refused, said he was fine. Don't you know that he did have the flu -- so did the patient, and I came down with it a few days later. BUT, I believe thanks to the vaccine, I really was not as sick as typical and it didn't last as long as I recall it usually did. blubird, I am surprised that, if your doctor felt you had the flu, he then put you on an antibiotic. Just the sort of thing that we've been fighting against for a decade -- inappropriate use of antibiotic. (But, perhaps you had developed a secondary infection that the flu left you open to. That can happen) We are seeing a lot of flu right now and have several patients in ICU with it. That GI bug (likely norovirus) tore through the staff in December, along with an upper respiratory thing that made several staff members quite ill.