Latent Viruses
Latent viruses are different than retroviruses.
Latent viruses are ones that are in their non-lytic dormant stage.
They can also be DNA based viruses such as herpes class viruses (epstein-Barr, hhv6, hsv1/2, etc) or RNA like influenza, polio, HIV, mers, sars, possibly SARS cov2, but the research isn't there yet if sars-cov2 is “latent”.
RNA viruses are highly mutagenic.
That is why they're able to transfer from zootonic (derived from animals) to human much more often than DNA viruses.
Being highly mutagenic, they are linked to all sorts of chronic diseases, beta amyloid/tau tangles, and cancers as creating misfolded proteins (proteopathies) creates a lot of oxidative stress and problems with DNA transcription.
Latent DNA and RNA viruses generally only come out during immunosuppression.
This is why you feel run down the day after drinking, not getting enough sleep, going through a stressful breakup, etc.
These latent viruses are able to re-express themselves has the immune system is suppressed and thus you get a cold sore, or you get the flu out of nowhere.
Immune Suppression
Neutrophil Exhaustion and Endotoxin Tolerance
It is very common to be immunosuppressed after sepsis.
This post-septic immunosuppression consists of the following which creates a highly reactive (ROS-heavy) environment:
Neutrophil Exhaustion - Neutrophils create pro-inflammatory cytokines and ROS
Endotoxin Tolerance - Macrophages create anti-inflammatory cytokines and ROS
More information about immunosuppression (from what I see in CIRS) is described in the Micro Sepsis post and Why The Immune System Gets Stuck.
Toxin-Induced Immunosuppression
There are so many things that suppress the immune system (immunosuppression).
Many manmade environmental products and byproducts are very taxing and/or toxic to the immune system.
A lot of drugs can use up cofactors the immune system needs to stay active.
Toxins require many different cofactors such as methyl groups, sulfur groups, acetyl groups, glucoronidation, etc.
Those same nutrients and cofactors are needed for the immune system to run well.
That is why some people who are immunosuppressed need extra nutrients to feel better.
It's another reason why people get Myers cocktail IVs when they're going through an acute illness.
Toxins can also be mutagenic if they produce a lot of oxidative stress and create proteopathies like we discussed before with latent viruses.
Environmental Toxins
There are so many environmental toxins, I recommend you see my post on bioaccumulation to know more about what they are.
You can also run a total toxicology to see what is currently in your body, which I require all my clients on my monthly program to do when we start.
Some of these toxins can be produced by living things which include fungal byproducts and bacterial byproducts, both of which can live inside of us, on us, and outside of us.
Water damage buildings is one example, they can grow indoor species of molds and bacteria which produce microbial VOCs (mvocs) lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which give you endotoxemia from breathing them in which gives you junction dysfunction.
I mean even the building materials and furniture and and textiles we use are produced in a way that increases volatile organic compounds in your living space.
If you have ever had chemical sensitivities, you would understand how VOCs from essential oils, perfumes, laminate flooring, new couches, etc trigger your symptoms.
Halogens are used everywhere has a cheap flame retardant and displacing iodine which is essential for your thyroid to function optimal to produce hormones like t3 and neurotransmitters like dopamine.
Conventional medicine uses mycotoxins like Mycophenolic Acid (MPA) as a prescription drug to suppress the immune system.
Shameless Plug - Bechamp
This is a rendered concept with Midjourney
Today we live in a world where the air is polluted, the waters polluted, our food is highly tampered with, and these all add to the burden that your precious body needs to take care of, without you thinking about it.
Because of how many things are working against you, even in your own home, is partly what led me to develop my next project, which are healthy / longevity homes — homes that do not make you sick.
On top of being the best materials and focused on reducing microbial and man-made VOCs, they have biohacking modalities in them such as sauna, hyperbaric, cryotherapy, cold plunges, etc (check out Bechamp.llc for more info on that).
Receptor Site Displacement
Many toxins work by displacing or taking up space in receptor sites that are essential for your body to function.
For example, you need selenium as a cofactor for producing glutathione, but metals such as mercury and arsenic will take up that receptor space and your ability to produce glutathione is shunted. R
Same thing with estrogenics like plastics attaching to estrogen receptors (See my 2 part post on estrogen/estrogen receptors and estrogenics).
I mean there's like a million examples of A displaces B, but that would be a whole book on its own.
Stress and Immune Suppression
So back to other things that cause immune suppression, like stress.
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and it's byproduct cortisol are immunosuppressive.
That's why they give those types of mimetics to autoimmune patients.
There are good types of stress called eustress, such exercise, accomplishing a really tough task, eating spicy food, etc in those come with the benefit of endorphins.
But when you are sick and you don't have that redox balance as well as microcapillary health etc this generally leads to overexertion which is immunosuppressive.
Do You Temporarily Feel Better During Another Virus, Then Crash?
If that is the case, it’s most likely the immunosuppression turning off temporarily, thus you’re able to fight those latent infections through the oxidative and inflammation cascade that comes with a new pathogen.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t last.
Suppression of Latent Viruses
There are two standard models (or philosophies) on what to do with latent viruses.
The conventional Western Way is to suppress it with drugs like valacyclovir (acyclovir) indefinitely.
The Eastern approach is to try to bring the virus to the surface and kill it and then add cofactors to keep it suppressed.
I personally fall somewhere in the middle and believe a proper healthy lifestyle helps suppress this enough.
If you want to drink, or smoke, or do bad things for your body, you're in the wrong place.
What Else Reactivates Viruses?
Reduction of arginine and the addition of lysine is critical in stopping the replication for many latent viruses, especially in the herpes classes.
It is well known that EBV and its reactivation can cause stimulation of IDO (creating the whole tryptophan/kynurenine pathway). R
Immunoglobulins such as MegIGG2000 or Hyperimmune Egg are great for stopping their replication and enhancing immune status against them.
If it wasn't obvious, cutting out the toxins and the stress would be the first step.
Lastly, I would be taking a NRF2 activators or mimetic like DIM or sulforaphane.