My 16 yr old daughter begin slowing signs of severe fatigue in Aug 2003 in Oct 2003 after blood work we were told she had Mono. Her blood work did not improve within 2 mos and in Dec 2003 was taken out of school for 6 weeks due to severe fatigue. She was retested with the results being the same with her EBV 200+. She had a "relapse" of acute Mono in January and has since had several blood tests done including RA factor (negative), ANA (extremely high) and Antinuclear Antibody (extremely high). Her fatigue has not improved even with rest and she was also started on Effexor for possible depression and counseling. She has an appt with a Rheumatologist tomorrow and I am very scared for her and her future. Can anyone give a desperate mom hope?

sadgirl88

Mono and EBS are forever, well at least the side effects. The fatigue may last a long time, it may go away. You might want to check the Fibro or Chronic Fatigue boards on tips for the fatigue. There is some very useful info there and some very helpful individuals. FMS and CFS can be a secondary problem to EBV.

I had EBS back in 94 after a hip replacement and still have severe bouts of tiredness. It took me months to even get better initially.

Eating healthy and exercising does help. Also I am on Lexapro for anxiety but I can tell you that it actually has helped my severe bouts of tiredness, I am more energetic than I have been in years. I still get periods of tiredness but for the most part it's much better. If the effexor doesn't work out ask about Lexapro, alot of patients are commenting now on how it has really increased energy. Be careful with the Effexor, never stop it suddenly it can have some severe side effects if you do so. Not all anti-depressants work the same for everyone. The theory behind taking the anti-depressents is actually to help one rest better so they don't get tired out so fast. DId her doctor suggest she take the effexor at night? This should help her get more sound sleep as opposed to taking it in the day. Some folks actually get tired from the med itself and if she is taking it in the day it could be a contributing factor to her tiredness.

I wish I could offer more advice but honestly I am not sure what to tell you. I know that she can in the future get better or at least get it under control and it may be something she has to accept as a part of her life. Hopefully the doctors will have better answers and a plan of action to help her out.

Being a Mom myself, I know how you feel. I don't have any answers for you but I will keep you in my prayers. The Rheumatologist should be able to give you some answers. I know that mine is extremely helpful and does all he can to help me with rather severe Osteoarthritis. My primary Doc sent me to him a month ago, because I was positive for the Rheumatoid factor and had a lot of blood work. It turned out that the numbers in my blood work did not warrant a diagnosis of RA. My best wishes to you and your daughter and hope she will be healthy before too long. Maggie