Symptoms brought on or intensified by a cold/infection?

[ARWR]

Just wondering if this is something that any of you guys have experienced?

It seems I picked up a mild cold on the weekend and since then a few symptoms that had been gradually improving (deep fatigue, brain fog and back pain/stiffness) have kicked up quite intensely. Much more intensely than the level of the cold symptoms, which are barely noticeable. I’ve been sleeping for 12 plus hours and in much more pain than usual.

Just wondered if this is something that others have also run into, and if so, what helped you manage?

Thanks!

 

[Ellen]

I have experienced this and I think it is due to conditioning. Your mind has associated the symptoms of a cold and TMS, though there is no logic to that association. Use your rational mind to overcome the irrational association by repeatedly telling yourself either out loud or silently that a cold doesn't cause the other symptoms.

Of course if you actually have the flu and not a cold, then the association may be accurate.

 

[Duggit]

David Butler and Lorimer Moseley in their book Explain Pain (second edition) describe how the immune system modulates the nervous system (which includes the brain) through messenger molecules called cytokines. These cytokines float throughout your body and perform various functions that help you survive, one of which is to provide a mobile protective system that fights infection. Butler and Moseley say:

"Some cytokines promote inflammation and some try to stop it. It is good to have them in balance. When you have the flu [or another viral, bacterial or other infection], there will be more of the pro-inflammatory cytokines around. If you remember your last flu attack, you may recall that as well as fever and lethargy, loss of appetite, etc, your movements were more sensitive and occasionally old pains may have come back to visit. This is due in part to an increase in the pro-inflammatory cytokines.”
​

It seems to me, ARWR, that your current symptom situation is a result of your immune system automatically ramping up your pro-inflammatory cytokines to fight your cold virus (or whatever the infection is). Don’t worry about it. Once you beat the cold, your mix of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines will go back to your normal set point.

 

[TG957]

@Duggit explained it all perfectly. In addition, serious viral infections are known to have a lasting impact on nervous system in some cases, long covid being the latest and the best known. Common cold is not likely to hit you that bad, as our immune systems are well adjusted to common cold virus.