I just wanted another opinion on this. I'm a very active 21yr old student. I noticed I have been doing a little less the later half of this semester & still feeling like I've been doing a lot in terms of fatigue. (A little less for me is still more than most people). I had a cold/difficulty breathing that just I just wasn't kicking that started about 5 weeks ago. After almost 3 weeks of frustration about not feeling terrible but still not being able to take deep breaths, getting winded & having crazy headaches (I've never had a headache before in my life) I went to campus health. They said it could be a sinus infection (I work in dusty conditions so it probably aggravated my symptoms) and I took amoxicillian (500) twice a day. (40 pills). THey also drew blood and checked WBC and for EBV (mono) and my WBC was just barely in the normal range (on the low side) and the EBV came out negative. When the antibiotics didn't help I came back, my headaches were worse & I had to drive. They gave me nasal spray as I had a little congestion still and noted what they debated whether they were very swollen right cervical lymph nodes or muscle knots or some other lumps (2). After Thanksgiving I was still feeling awful with the headaches (the back of my head has had off & on pins & needles feeling on my skull -- disconcerting). They had me get a CT of my head and neck & did a monospot test. The monospot was positive but was after my CT results. The radiologist noted diffuse bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy and soft palate tissue changes (don't remember that wording). They expedited my results but when the positive monospot was confirmed said all this could be explained by severe mono and so now I am just waiting.
The thing is I don't have severe mono at all. I have crazy headaches which make things difficult by my energy level is only slightly lower (meaning it takes a lot of self restraint not to go on long runs which usually make me feel better when sick), I have no fever, no sore throat or other symptoms -- just neck pain from the nodes that radiate up the right side to behind my ear.
Do you think it is possible I don't have mono? (How accurate is the monospot antibody test compared to the EBV blood test?) Maybe the swollen nodes are casued from something else. (I remember having these odd lumps before, I noticed them several months ago and was concerned a bit but forgot because life got busy). I have a follow-up in six weeks and if the swelling hasn't abated they'll look more into it. Would it be worth getting a second opinion? I'm not a hypochondriac generally but I've had some pretty serious conditions in the past that have landed me in the hospital, in surgery or with a picc line and those take even longer than mono to recover from. I don't want to be out longer than I have to by waiting and letting anything get worse. I welcome any advice! Sorry about the long post.
Hi the symptoms of fatigue and neck nodes do sound similar to others who have had the disease. If it said monospot positive then it probably was. I would try bay leaf tea every 6 hours even through the night for at least 10 days if it were me. Bay leaves were used in the old days to prevent the smallpox virus from making a person ill. I understand that the mono is from the Epstein Barr virus. The doctors in the old days used to check the spleen every few days or so to make sure it was not swelling too much.
I didn't have swollen lymph nodes, or the sore throat. I had difficult breathing, cold symptoms and complete exhaustion. I'm just starting recovery, but continue to have serious fatigue, and low fevers.
The following user gives a hug of support to SOE: sjb (05-28-2012)
