5 ms·

Maybe it’s time to let go of this comfortable idea that we are a animal doing natural things in nature. We are really like Yuval Noah Harari said Homo dues. We

Maybe it’s time to let go of this comfortable idea that we are a animal doing natural things in nature. We are really like Yuval Noah Harari said Homo dues. We are letting go of this idea of natural a long time a go and we have been interfering with our own immune systems, environment and what not for centuries. Maybe we will get yearly shots to strengthen our immune system from the flu to train it some how and not get sick. oh wait that exists already and is common practice. The flu shot.

disabled 5y ago
> Maybe we will get yearly shots to strengthen our immune system from [all kinds of infectious pathogens] I already do. I have to self-administer subcutaneous immunoglobulin twice per week due to having a rare immune mediated disease affecting my peripheral nervous system. Subcutaneous inmunoglobulin is a blood product, which is administered under the skin, which contains antibodies from tens of thousands of paid donors, as required by law for the each batch. I have not gotten a cold in about 5 years because of it. It also helps me recover from illnesses (for example food poisoning this year) quicker. However, the antibodies being infused does not train my immune system to produce them (applies to everyone) as the memory effect from the administration does not exist.
- bserge 5y ago
  That sounds interesting. Where do you get the immunoglobulin?
  - disabled 5y ago
    Through health insurance. It’s a medicine approved by government agencies (FDA, EU Medicines Agency, SwissMedic, etc.). It’s administered the same way as an insulin pump. The only big difference is that a much larger volume is being infused.
    - bserge 5y ago
      Ah, prescription only. Nevermind then.
- echelon 5y ago
  How do they prevent self-reaction, given that the foreign Ig isn't subject to negative selection in the thymus? Do they intensively monitor you for rashes, inflammation, etc.? Could it ever be life threatening? I suppose the fact that you aren't getting immune cells makes it so any self-reaction wouldn't grow and spread via adaptive immune amplification / proliferation and become a new autoimmune disorder. So at least there's that.
  - disabled 5y ago
    Subcutaneous immunoglobulin greatly reduces reactions compared to intravenous. Either way, you are given prescriptions for acetaminophen/paracetamol and Benedryl. I don’t take them at all, nor am I required to. I also have to keep an Epi-Pen on hand while infusing, but this is a rare side effect and especially so for subcutaneous. At first, I had mild rashes, but now as my body has gotten used to it, it’s meager lumps from the infusions which disperse over a couple of days. But, I really have no side effects from the infusions whatsoever.
pibechorro 5y ago
Ya flue shots are almost a waste of time. A good diet, regular cardiovascular exercise and adequate sleep are 1000x more effective at keeping us healthy.. not to mention all the other positives that cone with that lifestyle. The healthy, natural one. Even looking at Covid, close to 80% of people at ICU's are obese. Spare me the shots, lets go running.
- paulryanrogers 5y ago
  Why not both?
- phdelightful 5y ago
  Since I live in the US I don’t have to wonder how effective flu shots are, I can look it up: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/2019-2020.html https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/2019-2020.html Roughly 25-50% based on the strain. Hardly “waste of time” territory. There seems to be some evidence that regular exercise (5ish days per week) reduces the impact of upper respiratory infections (I.e. the common cold) by about that amount, but much less evidence that influenza is similarly affected or affected at all. So for now, if you are choosing between the flu shot and exercise to reduce influenza, the choice is clear. Of course exercise is awesome for other reasons, just maybe not as awesome as a vaccine for influenza.

disabled 5y ago

> Maybe we will get yearly shots to strengthen our immune system from [all kinds of infectious pathogens] I already do. I have to self-administer subcutaneous immunoglobulin twice per week due to having a rare immune mediated disease affecting my peripheral nervous system. Subcutaneous inmunoglobulin is a blood product, which is administered under the skin, which contains antibodies from tens of thousands of paid donors, as required by law for the each batch. I have not gotten a cold in about 5 years because of it. It also helps me recover from illnesses (for example food poisoning this year) quicker. However, the antibodies being infused does not train my immune system to produce them (applies to everyone) as the memory effect from the administration does not exist.

bserge 5y ago
That sounds interesting. Where do you get the immunoglobulin?
- disabled 5y ago
  Through health insurance. It’s a medicine approved by government agencies (FDA, EU Medicines Agency, SwissMedic, etc.). It’s administered the same way as an insulin pump. The only big difference is that a much larger volume is being infused.
  - bserge 5y ago
    Ah, prescription only. Nevermind then.
echelon 5y ago
How do they prevent self-reaction, given that the foreign Ig isn't subject to negative selection in the thymus? Do they intensively monitor you for rashes, inflammation, etc.? Could it ever be life threatening? I suppose the fact that you aren't getting immune cells makes it so any self-reaction wouldn't grow and spread via adaptive immune amplification / proliferation and become a new autoimmune disorder. So at least there's that.
- disabled 5y ago
  Subcutaneous immunoglobulin greatly reduces reactions compared to intravenous. Either way, you are given prescriptions for acetaminophen/paracetamol and Benedryl. I don’t take them at all, nor am I required to. I also have to keep an Epi-Pen on hand while infusing, but this is a rare side effect and especially so for subcutaneous. At first, I had mild rashes, but now as my body has gotten used to it, it’s meager lumps from the infusions which disperse over a couple of days. But, I really have no side effects from the infusions whatsoever.

pibechorro 5y ago

Ya flue shots are almost a waste of time. A good diet, regular cardiovascular exercise and adequate sleep are 1000x more effective at keeping us healthy.. not to mention all the other positives that cone with that lifestyle. The healthy, natural one. Even looking at Covid, close to 80% of people at ICU's are obese. Spare me the shots, lets go running.

paulryanrogers 5y ago
Why not both?
phdelightful 5y ago
Since I live in the US I don’t have to wonder how effective flu shots are, I can look it up: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/2019-2020.html https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/2019-2020.html Roughly 25-50% based on the strain. Hardly “waste of time” territory. There seems to be some evidence that regular exercise (5ish days per week) reduces the impact of upper respiratory infections (I.e. the common cold) by about that amount, but much less evidence that influenza is similarly affected or affected at all. So for now, if you are choosing between the flu shot and exercise to reduce influenza, the choice is clear. Of course exercise is awesome for other reasons, just maybe not as awesome as a vaccine for influenza.