Hello!
I came down with a very bad case of mono in September. I was literally "dead on my feet" (when I could stand up) for 2 months. After that, I started feeling a little better, but still extemely tired. Well, it is eight, going on nine months later and I am still VERY exhausted. I eat well, try to exercise, take vitamins, drink plenty of water, ect. But I just can not get back my health/energy. I actually suffered from fatigue long before I was diagnosed with mono, so I believe I have actually had it for close to a year before I was so sick that I was finally dignosed. My tests no longer show that I have mono and all my other tests are pretty much normal, as they have always been. What is going on? My doctor suggest chronic fatigue syndrome, but is there even a test for that? If so, I don't believe there are any treatments, are there? I am living my life but with about 75% less energy than I had before, and my mind is not as sharp as it used to be before I was sick. Please help anyone.

Mono can bring you down for a long period of time without it having to be developing into CFS. I had glandular fever (mono) for around 5 months. During that time I did absolutely nothing - I mean, I got up out of bed every day and sat/laid on the sofa doing nothing for the whole day. Apparently I did that every day for months (I can't really remember - I had it when I was 17/18). It took me ages to get myself back to 100% energy. I started off by doing little bits and pieces, going on courses, getting back into work and finally starting uni about 18 months after the mono had started. It was a while after that when I realised I must be over it because I was coping with things again.

Eating well, exercising etc. all the things you are doing should help. It will take a while for your immunity to pick up again and in the meantime you'll probably still feel very tired - at least I know I did!

CFS can't be diagnosed until everything else has been excluded. You could have developed it after the mono, but personally I think it's too early to tell (not that I'm a doctor, but I know it took me a long while to recover from it).

I'd recommend carrying on doing what you're doing because it sounds pretty sensible.

Claire

Claire
Thanks for the reply. Its good to know that I am not a "unique" case and others have gone though the same experience.

Hmm, my CFS was precipitated by mono (I've been ill for going on six years now). I can't say with any certainty that the mono caused the CFS, but there seems to be a connection in my case, at least.

I know what a number CFS does on you, physically and mentally. I had to go through a period of grieving for my former self before I was able to come to terms with these unwelcome limitations. I have hope that someday I'll find a "cure"; I hope you come to have the same. I would suggest finding a doctor who specializes in treating CFS, there's generally at least one in every major city. Look up "CFS/CFIDS support groups" on the net- there you'll find people who know of the best local doctors. Even if they can't refer you to someone, you've at least found a group of people in the same boat who can commiserate.

Good wishes.

You are part of the CFIDS family. Mono known as EBV member of Herpes family virus, the entire population is exposed to it, but for some like us our immune system just cant hold it well.

Read my post " i am here, if you need help" regarding what vitamins to take.

Also, tell me about your immune system, have you been exposed to anything else ? Any other sorts of bactiera ?

Please rest and take lots of good Vitamin C , I would say any where between 1000 - 5000 mg of Vitamin C.. Need to boost your immune system, not overactive it.

CFIDs gets better as you go along, only if you take care of your self.

Do not excerise, because EBV virus loves to be in your heart, it will just make you sick afterwards.

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree. Exercise in small doses is absolutely fine. When I had mono I didn't exercise much whilst I had it, but during my recovery period I started to exercise again. I've had very similar symptoms again for over a year and I stopped exercising because of them. Recently I started to exercise - only slow walking for 30 minutes a day - and mentally I feel much better and the weakness I was getting after exercising is gradually reducing.

No exercise at all can be just as damaging as too much exercise.

Thanks to everyone for replying. I went to the doctor yesterday and told him everything that was going on.He is retesting me for mono, and also anemia and my blood sugar since it was slightly elevated the last time I tested ( I was also very mildly anemic). I have suffered from some moderate depression (Ihave a history of it) but especially since I got sick, so he also gave me some samples of Lexapro, which he says can also help with energy. We'll see.