Hi Larken,

Are you sure these are illnesses?  The symptoms you mentioned... hoarseness, sniffling, coughing... could all be the result of mast cell activation.  In my own experience, until I figured out what was going on I had many episodes of what I thought was the "stomach flu."  One particularly bad time I went to urgent care for help.  Guess what they prescribed?  Antihistamines.  That's when a light bulb went on for me  Other "flu-like" symptoms I get from time to time include swollen lymph nodes, an all-over achy feeling (especially in my joints), runny and/or stuffy nose, and headaches.  Rarely do I have real colds.  In November I finally had one that required antibiotics.  I felt rotten and my voice was so bad that I had to cancel a couple of classes (I'm a professor).  One clue that it was a real cold and not a mast cell thing was my body temperature.  Normally mine is around 97 degrees.

Have your co-workers been getting sick at the same rate?  Do you have any other risk factors like small children in your house?  If not, again... I think this is a clue that your mast cells are to blame.

Good luck,
Heather

I am pretty sure it is not mast cell symptoms. My last cold was something my husband and I had at the same time (isn't it nice when you share everything?!) and my current cold started with a fever and chills and has turned into a nasty cough.  Plus, I have not been sick in the warmer months like my wintertime streak.  

Deb, I think you're right about the fact that if it were due to Gastrocrom I would be sick the other three seasons.  

It does take me a loooong time to heal from bruises, scratches, etc, so who knows -- maybe some how my specific brand of MCAS/degranulation involves something that compromises my immunity and winter is when my defenses are lowest most due to dryness, etc.  (but then again, I would expect at least a slight increase in other seasons, as well).  

I find this very interesting b/c my son never got sick until starting Gastrocom.  We started him on gastrocom this past June.  From June-September he had 3 bouts of Tinnea (fungal infections) and numerous illnesses.  My first thought was the gastrocom.  I contacted Dr. C and she agreed to lower his dose from 800- 400mg.  My son began doing better from October- December while we decreased the med however since the new year he's had 3 major viruses with serious high fevers and sore throats.  I'm about to contact Dr. C again b/c I really feel the gastrocom is somehow playing a role and I'm contemplating lowering his dose again.  Maybe there's a happy medium somewhere?  This is my thought...  Perhaps the gastrocom is doing what its supposed to do and  normalizing his mast cells and now he's getting sick like every other kid, IDK?  What I do know is that this isn't normal for my kid and it takes him a long time to recover.  

I hope you feel better soon.