More of a rant than a question - Continuing cycles of illness

[I_iz_a_fatass]

I can't seem to get my shit together enough to get a long training cycle to work. It's like I'm stuck as a persistent Novice progression, because when I cut over to an intermediate progression I invariably get some illness that knocks me off track and requires a month to catch up, and I'm at a loss to explain it.

Nutrition is fine (roughly a 30/40/30 protein/fat/carb ratio with 1g P/lb LBM), eating my vegetables, take fish oil and D3 for the winter, and still get my ass kicked by persistent energy-draining respiratory infections. Most of March was spent battling them and stalling progress. I sleep reasonably well, spend 12 hours a day out of the house for work and commuting by public transport, and eat well.

The only prescription meds I take is Remicade (an anti-TNF immuno-suppressant by infusion bimonthly), and I'm damned careful when I get that for a week, being scrupulous about avoiding contact with anyone and anything that can make me sick. Remicade is an ass, and any latent bug I have explodes when I get it - once toppling over a double-ear infection for three weeks of antibiotics, another with a blood infection from persistent athlete's foot that's exacerbated by the Remicade on the best of cycles.

The intermediate program doesn't matter - I'm run plain vanilla TM (bad idea), switched to Hanley's HLM with density blocks (which ran well), moved the lifting around to account for a lack of daily time, four-day, five-day, six-day, one-lift-a-day - and they all end with some god-damned sickness that unravels a month's progression. Over the past year I've made within the margin of error increases in strength; 2016 was pretty much a wash from 2015, and I essentially stopped making progress from around May of 2015.

Maybe my immune system is just getting shittier as I age. Neither my doctor nor I have any answers, and it's disheartening to grind along to re-achieve even the minimal gains I've been able to make.

tl;dr: 50-year old trainee stuck along the novice/intermediate border with little idea of how to break through.

[Charlie Davies]

I hear you.

51-year-old weak intermediate here, two colds since November. When school ends, my kids will stop bringing home viruses for a while, that should help.

I notice that sleep is critical for colds. If I get consistent plentiful sleep, my colds are almost un-noticeable. One night of shitty sleep and my cold turns very bad.

Do you snore? Have you checked for sleep apnea?

[chrisd]

I have no solution for you, but you have my heartfelt sympathy.

[Fiddler]

Is there any substitute for remicade? It's pretty nasty stuff, and would seem to be the most likely culprit as a cause for your URIs and such.

Your body changes with time, and especially with training, and your need for a particular medication can change with time, as well. I had pretty severe arthritis in my knees twenty years ago, but I walk and run an hour a day with no pain and no meds nowadays, as well as pretty heavy weight training for my age. You might at least want to take a close look at your meds plan and see whether there are less expensive ways to meet your goals. All these medicines have a price, and there are very few I see where the price in consequences is truly worth the benefit.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

I hear you. Do you snore? Have you checked for sleep apnea?

No sleep apnea; I snore when I get badly congested.

Is there any substitute for remicade? It's pretty nasty stuff, and would seem to be the most likely culprit as a cause for your URIs and such... All these medicines have a price, and there are very few I see where the price in consequences is truly worth the benefit.

I wish. All the other (non anti-TNF) medications for my Crohn's no longer work. I ended up stuck on 40mg prednisone for a year and a half and unable to taper off, which pushed to change to this over a decade ago.

[Fiddler]

Azulfidine is old school, but worked well for my wife for many years. She had to avoid the sun, but it made her life a lot more pleasant.

Don't know whether you've tried that or not. You've no doubt read up and tried all the lifestyle / diet changes?

[I_iz_a_fatass]

Azulfidine is old school, but worked well for my wife for many years. She had to avoid the sun, but it made her life a lot more pleasant.

Don't know whether you've tried that or not. You've no doubt read up and tried all the lifestyle / diet changes?

Yes indeed. Diagnosed in 1989, Azulfadine was my first med, usually mixed with prednisone, and it works for years until it didn't. Then a handful of other less-powerful immuno-suppressants, and onto the powerful stuff as they rapidly failed. I've been on Remicade for about fourteen years now, and if I go much outside the recommended eight-week cycle I get symptoms returning - but no flares, thank fuck. I actually forget what flares were like other than vague misery, a lot of pain, and total exhaustion. For all the poison Remicade is, flares were far more detrimental to my overall health, especially mental health.

Fish oil seems to helps keep things on track, but other dietary changes (lots of veggies, high fiber, low HFCS, FODMAP, low AA, High EPA & ALA) haven't made any significant difference in any direction; other than giving up alcohol as a habitual thing, diet doesn't seem to be a driver for symptoms.

[Enoch Root]

Hey dude. I got the Crohn's too. 45 years old. Diagnosed at age 11. 2 resections. Effing sucks. I've was on Remicade infusion for about 2 years and switched to Humira last August. I feel like I've been 90% recovered from a flareup for about 3 years now. Ugh.

I've seen the same thing twice now, dealing w it currently. I reach what I think is going to be my final phase of Novice. Thinking planning programming change and then. Ugh. Feel like crap, deep fatigue. Can barely keep it together to make it to work and keep homes fires burning. Watching gainzz slip away.

I got no answers for you. But I feel your pain. Hit me up if you want to chat.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

I've been sick as hell for a week now but NOT flu-related at all, and another round of flu is making its way through the IT department. Wish me luck.

[Grunter]

I feel your pain man, was diagnosed with crohn's in my early twenties, had 2-resections (last one being last year) and been on a number of drugs with Humira the latest one this past Feb. I know what you mean about fighting off infections, had a bad sinus one mid-March that lasted two+ weeks. I managed to workout 3 times but only when I felt reasonably well in the morning after a good's night rest. Progress is slow and I'm at measly weights to begin with.

I know there's nothing I can say to help, just keep plugging away and don't worry about how fast or how much you progress, just keep getting back in there and lifting. What I found with me was going to a 1 on 2 off schedule from BBRX. Helped with recovery.

Keep up the fight !!