# Build Immunity to Infection?



## wakuwaku (Oct 30, 2017)

Hola,

I love Mexico but every time I try to live here I get really sick. Either traveler's diarrhea or respiratory infections. I am very careful with hand washing, don't eat street food, 
don't drink tap water, don't drink alcohol except for an occasional beer, don't eat beef or pork. Is there any way to build up my immunity? I always seem to go home sick to recover for another year, then return and get sick again...now recovering from cold that turned into bronchitis then throat infection.....I take probiotics


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Funny, I stay sick in the States but never get sick here. We don't live near others and don't share public transportation where a lot of people are cooped up together sharing germs. 

I quickly developed an immunity to the water borne bacteria, I can't imagine why you would get a respiratory infection unless you use public transportation or wind up with the wrong shopping cart some Sneezy individual just used.


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## wakuwaku (Oct 30, 2017)

Well, I'm in DF now so....I imagine a lot of people get sick in the States, too, to the germs they aren't used to.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

There are over 300 strains of the flu, once you get that particular strain you should be immune but they guess at which one to give as a flu shot.


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## wakuwaku (Oct 30, 2017)

Thanks. I'm wondering in general if anyone has any ideas about how to prevent it to begin with...


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

wakuwaku said:


> Well, I'm in DF now so....


I think that might be your problem right there. I live in Colima but my wife is originally from Mexico City and we have visited there three or four times since moving here. And every time it takes me a week or so after coming back home to be able to breathe normally again. The air in Mexico City definitely takes some getting used to. But, Mexico City is not the whole country.


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## wakuwaku (Oct 30, 2017)

True. But I lived in San Miguel for six months in the past and got the same sickness...


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Most places in Mexico are quite dusty except during rainy season. That dust, which is stirred up every time a car passes, is full of powdered dog poop, spit, possibly sewage, etc. So yes, that could cause respiratory problems if you are sensitive and don't have a strong immune system.

I have lived in Mexico for 16 years. I have never gotten sick eating street food- you can see how they prepare it, and the meat and tortillas for tacos, etc, comes hot off the grill. I have gotten food poisoning several times from supposedly good restaurants. Who knows what goes on in the kitchen that you can't see. 

Many people and places buy those big jugs of drinking water, then just tip them upside down into the water dispenser without wiping down the outside of the jug with a bleach solution. The delivery trucks drive around all day with those in open trucks, so they are covered with that street dust, not to mention the guys grab them by the top of the jug. So all those germs are in your supposedly clean drinking water.

It is a fallacy that Mexicans are immune to parasites here. Many Mexicans regularly take anti-parasite medicine.

If one has a weak immune system, there are many ways to build that up. You need to do your research on that. You won't find some magic bullet on an online forum.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

wakuwaku said:


> traveler's dia


There is a reason hand sanitizer is a gigantic business. It works. And not just on hands, works on any surface. I have it with me at all times. 

The accommodations you stay in, they might not be as clean as they look. I've seen MX maids use the same hand cleaning cloth all day long, for all the rooms. Sure, there is some soap in there (well, I hope), but by the 10th room, there's prolly a lot of other gunk as well. Clorox makes disinfecting wipes. Failing them, shampoo and toilet paper are certainly better than nothing as far cleaning the faucets, toilet flush handle, and toilet seat. 

In the USA, they are in general hip to better hygiene, for fear of being sued as much as anything.

Nothing wrong with when out having a brew, with wiping the top of the bottle before sip one. With cocktails, use a straw. In many areas, you see locals wiping down the cutlery before eating ... with everything that can be in the air (see surabi's post) its certainly not a bad idea.

Final thought, maybe its not MX. That plane you fly on, the shuttle buses, taxis, they can be sources of issues.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Is there a doctor in the house?


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

wakuwaku said:


> Thanks. I'm wondering in general if anyone has any ideas about how to prevent it to begin with...



Ok, here is what I do, the day I enter Mexico for the first 3 days I have something with mojo de ajo , could be fillet de pescado, could be garlic shrimp or even garlic soup....Then I put fresh lime on everything, in my water, on my salads, cold beer, everything.......I take natural probiotics and prebiotics like tepache, tuba, sauerkraut, pickles and fermented carrots or other fermented veggies......In 65 years visiting Mexico I got sick once, 1957, in Mazatlan I munched on a bucket of bad ice and got the tourista, I haven't even had a cold since 1992.
Never get a flu or any other shots.......


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

I am not sure how much anecdotal evidence is worth, but I will contribute anyway. Most people seem to have problems occasionally for the first year or two they are in Mexico. It seems to be just an inevitable consequence of adapting to the different bugs that are present here. It seems like you can minimize the occurrence by being careful about not eating lettuce or unpeeled fruits or other uncooked foods outside the house. And sterilizing those eaten at home with one of the water purifiers available. After a year or so, you can relax a little and not worry about it so much.

However, everyone is different. Some never get sick. I have one friend, who had problems for two years that she lived here, and they recur when she visits.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

No one is immune totally so do not hope one day it will all be over but you do build some resistance to bugs .
I got sick quite a bit the first 5 years we moved here not from respiratory problems but from salmonella, e-coli. typhoid, brucelosis etc.. now it seems to be over..
in Jalisco..
When we started living in Chiapas part-time 10 years ago every year we got sick in April and that went on for 8 years.. Everyone seems to get sick in April and the local blame the warm weather and the wind.. they hate the wind and say it bring sickmess and they seem to have a point. For the last two years we have not gotten sick or at least the way we used to get sick. Now may hve upset stomach but it is light. Two friends of mine came last April and after 2 weeks got very sick.. I did not, then a friend visited, she was on a tour and everyone got sick so there is something to people getting more resistant to the bugs.
Also I notice we usually get sick after eating out in a restaurant... This simmer I hate every day in indigenouus homes and I do eat ther several times a week and never got sick from the food. Yesterday a family was telling me that most visitors refused to eat in their home which is poor but spotless.. I looked at the food and realize there was no raw food except for the manzano chiles that came right from the bush ..we had caldo de pollo , rice and tortilla.. hard to get sick on that unless it is really mishandled..we drank cafe de olla .
I think that our system gets stronger from the local bugs and maybe we learn what to stay away from.. do not know but we do not get sick like we used to,
As for respiratory problems it is a problem in Mexico for some people. The big cities air is not great and you also get lots of smoke in some part of the country...

Here indigenous make aa fire and cook in the middle of the room and there is no chimney, they control the fire by closing and opening the door. All the furniture seems stained but it is from the smoke so you can imagine what people´s lung must look like.. During burning season the air can be pretty bad.. also riding collectivos, subways and plane puts you in contact with lots of germs and it can be the cause of some of your problems.. too many sick people around..


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Is there a doctor in the house?


I think she's in Toronto. 

.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I'm not a medical doctor, but I think you have to address viruses, bacteria and parasites separately, both when discussing immunity and how not to catch them as well as how to get rid of them.

There's stuff in this thread applicable to the flu virus and other stuff applicable to water-borne bacteria and parasites, and some mention of dust-borne diseases, so it's all mixed up.

When you start with just "how not to get sick", it's really already a hopelessly disorganized topic. The actual topic was much more specific, but that didn't stop people from branching off in all directions.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

eastwind said:


> When you start with just "how not to get sick", it's really already a hopelessly disorganized topic. The actual topic was much more specific, but that didn't stop people from branching off in all directions.


Which is what makes this forum so much fun, much like real-life conversations, rather than a dry medical blog!


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Is there a doctor in the house?





TurtleToo said:


> I think she's in Toronto.
> 
> .


OK, OK I get the hint. I have to start with the disclaimer “always follow up with your own health care practitioner to address your specific situation” etc. etc. 

Actually, much of what was said above is spot on. Our immune system generally is more susceptible to illness when dealing with pathogens it has not encountered before, whether viruses, bacteria or parasites. This is true for those NOB going South, and those in the south coming North. After a time your immune system is familiar with the new bugs and is better equipped to fight them off. 

Some people seem to have more innate resistance to getting sick than others. There are many individual factors which can make someone more prone to illness, including smoking and chronic illnesses like diabetes or COPD. Some people are on medications which suppress their immune system. Sleep deprivation, poor nutrition and being under chronic stress can make a person more susceptible. Conversely a healthy diet with lots of greens and other vegetables (full of micronutrients), adequate sleep, and physical activity are immune system boosters. 

For the OP, I suspect it’s a combination of the change of environment (unfamiliar pathogens) when they come to Mexico, as well as the air quality in CD MX. Even the change in altitude might be a contributing factor, if they are used to a lower altitude, as it’s one more adjustment their body has to make. And as others have pointed out, in a metropolis of millions, there is much sharing and intermingling of micro-organisms! Hand sanitizer and washing your hands thoroughly when you get home is a good idea. Also money is a very common fomite (an object which harbours viruses and bacteria, passing them on when someone else touches them), so wash your hands after handling money and before eating (especially if eating hand held foods like tacos!) Whether in Mexico or Toronto, I also consider shopping cart handles and door handles in public places as party central for viruses and bacteria, just waiting to move on to the next unsuspecting human. I’m not paranoid, but when I see someone cough into their hand and then grab a door handle I cringe. So I use my sweater to open the door and let my kids groan and roll their eyes. 

I think probiotics (which the OP is already taking), are in general a good idea, as overuse of antibiotics in the past century has really reduced our microbiome, that population of friendly, symbiotic bacteria we carry around in our guts, which helps keep us healthy. In Canada we also have Cold FX, a purified standardized form of ginseng, which has been shown to help reduce frequency and severity of colds. I start taking it when I feel a cold coming on, others take it regularly during flu/cold season as a preventive. I take this down to a Mexican friend in Tepoztlán who used to get frequent colds. She’s been much more resistant since taking this regularly. Others find oil of oregano helpful. I haven’t tried that myself. 

I also take Dukoral each time before I go to Mexico, an oral vaccine for travellers diarrhea. It’s not available in the US, though. Since we started taking this before our visits, my family has not had nearly as much problems with travellers diarrhea. The benefit only lasts about 3 months, though, so for those living in Mexico I think the strategy of time and letting your body get adjusted to the new environment makes sense. I’ve had typhoid, though, with complications, so now I make sure to update my typhoid vaccine every 3 years. I’m sure many of you don’t bother, but I never want to be that sick again. I got post-typhoid reactive arthritis, and couldn’t even walk normally or carry my baby, so I really don’t want to experience that ever again. I am also vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I might add that sometimes a person worries so much about getting sick they actually end up sick, kind of like a reverse placebo effect.
I am willing to bet you friend in Mexico you give the ginseng to does not smoke.
When a new Dr. found out I worked in the customs / arrival area at SFO he had me stop taking the flu shots.
I would hope nobody would get the tourista but Mexican friends who visit me in the states have been getting Trumps Revenge.....................LOL


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

Isla Verde said:


> Is there a doctor in the house?


I have a friend who is a doctor. He has a sense of humor. He once told me how he would tell people that would ask him "Doctor do I have to take those pills forever" Ed would reply "No, only till you die".

So doctor Ed would say "you will only get sick till the day you die, then you'll stop getting sick" 



Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

I spent around 2 years in Philippines when i first tried expat life in 2010 after having been nowhere but at home in Hawaii for 10 years in a row.. Philippines was the easiest ticket from Hawaii to a cheap destination where i knew someone there. 
Once there, i was weak, lethargic and always in respiratory distress. Always coughing during the rain like many people do there.
People told me to stay a year and adjust. So i did and never got better. I moved to high altitude with cooler less humid weather and was told to stay another year to adjust.
I never adjusted and one day it dawned on me that if i stayed there constantly sick like that, i would probably die when a stray sickness or out of the blue infection came. Once i got the flu for 2 weeks there and thought i was going to die. I dragged myself to the hospital and got better waiting to be seen, so i went home.
I left Philippines and will never go back. Every time i went there, i got sick and stayed sick. Every time i left there, i got better and stayed better -except after two years of that ,i seem to have permanent residual issues now.
Now i am always sensitive to weather changes, allergic to animals and what i eat affects how my body feels -more noticeably now. I think my body has gone into some allergy mode in protest of my having kept my body in an environment that was no good for it, trying for too long to force my body to adapt to what it could not adapt to.
All the advice in Philippines was geared towards keeping me there and now, F#*!forget them all. Never looking back to that deadly place. Deadly in my personal expereince. All People are not built the same. Since then, a lady i knew in philippines who always looked as lethargic as i felt there, she is dead from a stray infection. Another was written off by doctors to die of very serious lung infection, but hos partner sought out every unconventional option around the world and paid to prolong the respirator. He recovered and has since gained back the weight he lost, leaving the hospital looking like a skeleton. 

Since then, i stayed a year in Nicaragua and fared better but got tired of always going through torpor after every meal. Like russian roulette everytime i went to eat. And fewer food options there.
I tried Peru and was always sick and it got worse. 
I decided to stay in USA and get better. Stopped running around in a gamble to find the right place but ending up deeper in the health status hole.

Stayed in USA a whole year and learning to live with my problems. Tried Florida and then Arizona desert. Varied Climate zones, desert, or humid, and such. Then i took a venture to Africa for 3 months and had a good health experience but i was on Doxycyline for Malaria preventions, and that stuff is good anitbiotics for all kinds of stuff. I took it twice a week in Africa.
After Africa, another year in USA and working exercise and more effort to help get energy plus well being back. Then i went to Mexico for winter, around Puerto Vallarta and Tepic area. Mexico was a wonderful 6 months with better health than i expereinced even in USA with winter cold ups and downs.
I then went to try Ecuador, from where i just got back last night after 4 months. I also tried 45 days in Peru again while i was in Ecuador. Peru was easier on me this time but not without catching me off guard when i tried some honey from an open container at the dirty market. I caught a monster sore throat with fever and all. 10 days of misery. Luckily it stayed out of my lungs and i think because i used Black seed oil capsules(black cumin seed oil), and also 100% cocoa like they do in Ecuador. 
Black seed oil is excellent for respiratory issues and 100% cacao/chocolate(the natural pure unporcessed stuff) is good stuff for respiratory ease. Black seed oil is all around good stuff for more than just one or two issues. It helps my allergies, energy, mental and keeps my lungs feeling easy.

Once and twice tortured is enough to be reason to stay back and recover for a year or if it requires more than a year. 

I recommend Black seed oil capsules. Black cumin seed. It is natural and is like the stuff used for "chili flavor". taste like chili. Natural and hardly a thing in the way of side effects. Also Pure chocolate for occasional use. 
I used virgin coconut oil and or cold pressed virgin Red palm oil in my food. They are good anti viral and anti other microbes as well as goog for healing skin and internal organs. Also watch my diet drinking only natural juices and only cane sugar or sweet from fruits. I eat veggie soups and no matter to me if meat is in it, as long as more veggies than meat.

Combined approach with diet and a few natural supllements. I keep them to a minimum and dread taking anything pharmaceutical. No need to use pharmaceuticals unless you are at mortal risk by something hard to manage otherwise.


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## ElPocho (Aug 25, 2017)

Orfin said:


> I spent around 2 years in Philippines when i first tried expat life in 2010 after having been nowhere but at home in Hawaii for 10 years in a row.. Philippines was the easiest ticket from Hawaii to a cheap destination where i knew someone there.
> Once there, i was weak, lethargic and always in respiratory distress. Always coughing during the rain like many people do there.
> People told me to stay a year and adjust. So i did and never got better. I moved to high altitude with cooler less humid weather and was told to stay another year to adjust.
> I never adjusted and one day it dawned on me that if i stayed there constantly sick like that, i would probably die when a stray sickness or out of the blue infection came. Once i got the flu for 2 weeks there and thought i was going to die. I dragged myself to the hospital and got better waiting to be seen, so i went home.
> ...


Great post!

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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I stay away from all these oils and natural remedies and I am fine in Mexico so everyone is different. I cook everything from scratch and we drink a lot of lemonade made with fresh limes we eat no food from cans or boxes and no premade food. and eat less and less in restaurants and our health is fine after we got over the salmonella e.coli and parasites of the first few years here.. We live at 2100 m and had no breathing problems in Peru but got salmonella there...let s face it , eating in restaurants is not the best idea...


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