Have any of you had serious complications from glandular fever? (MY STORY)
Posted , 3 users are following.
If anyone has had any serious complications from glandular fever I would like to hear your story becuase I'm curious as a year and a half ago it put me in intensive care.
THIS IS QUITE A LONG READ, SO IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED DON'T READ.
So, a week after my 17th birthday, I woke up and had quite severe stomach pain, a long with that my face looked slightly yellow, I was throwing up and had no appetite as well as diarrhoea. At first I thought I may have appendicitis so we decided to dial the none emergency NHS line, and after telling them my symptoms, I got given an appointment at the walk in centre. Upon arrival , they did my blood pressure and heart rate and they were both through the roof. My heart rate was around 130 and I can't remember what my blood pressure was. After an ECG that came back fine and blood tests, they came to the conclusion I had an infection around my liver so was put on an iv drip and antibiotics. The 1st week in hospital involved ultrasound scans and more bloodtest and they found out my gaull bladder, spleen and liver were inflamed and my liver function was slightly lower than it should have been. And after a week of none stop antibiotics they noticed only a minor improvement In my blood tests. So after the 1st week I was (wrongly) sent home with an appointment in 3 days time for blood tests at the hospital. While at home, I deteriorated and continued without eating and had really bad diarrhoea as well as throwing up. 3 days later I went back to the hospital for blood test, but while there I threw up everywhere in front of a passing doctor and we explained everything to him, and he advised we to go back to a&e. After again, more bloodtests they found the liver function was worsening as well as my infection markers dropping and low blood platlets. They ordered a CT scan, as well as a camera..... both ends. Everything came back clear other than again.... the inflamed organs. After 3 weeks in hospital, the doctors still had no idea what was going on, and i seriously deteriorated so they put me in intensive care, and then later that night, blue lighted me to a specialist liver unit in Leeds. While at Leeds, my kidney function started to drop, which intern caused fluid build up all over my body which made moving almost impossible as I put on around 3 stone overnight. They also inserted a cafiter which is extremely unpleasant. At Leeds, they decided to do a lymph node biopsy, liver biopsy and bone marrow biopsy and everything came back fine which left them again.... baffled. After not eating for 4 weeks they decided to feed me through a tube. while inserting it, I threw up in the doctors eye and the tube came out and I refused to have it re fitted. at this point they were considering dyalasis and liver transplant. They eventually decided to give me an extreemly high dose of steroids which eventually made my liver and kidney function go back up and I was discharged from intensive care and put onto a normal ward for a week until finally being fully discharged. After being discharged I was kept on a dose of steroids that I had to cut down every week until I was completely off them and I also had regular check ups until around 4 months ago where I was also discharged from outpatients.
That came to the uncertain conclusion that all this was caused by an extreemly rare case of glandular fever. Although my outpatient consultant doesn't believe that was it was. Thankfully tho, there was no lasting damage other than huge stretch marks everywhere that have left me extreemly self conscious.
0 likes, 5 replies
joanna17875 kyle36591
Posted
It sounds to me like you have a gallbladder disorder, have you had a scan for gallstones??
I had glandular fever as a teenager a d had no effects that you have described but I did have my gallbladder removed earlier this year. Make sure your diet is very lean and clean, cut out dairy a d gluten, esp bread, don't have fizzy drinks, coffee, fast foods, fats ie fries.Do this for at least 3 weeks after which you should see an improvement.
Very best wishes and do persue gallbladder issues, you may have a bile duct blocked which can cause these symptoms and can make u very poorly.
good luck
kyle36591 joanna17875
Posted
at first, that's what they thought it was. but eventually the moved on from that conclusion and went with glandular fever. and surely gall bladder problems wouldn't cause liver and kidney failure with low blood platelets? I had a lot of the symptoms of glandular fever as well.
kyle36591
Posted
and yeah they did about 5 or 6 scans over the course of being in hospital
jen38212 kyle36591
Posted
A few years ago my 17yo son had glandular fever although we didnt know that at the time, He did not feel unwell and had no symptoms until he presented with blood blisters in his mouth, tongue and a spotted rash on arms and legs, I initially feared menningitis but knew he would have felt more unwell. He had had a dry throat at night but that was about it.
Instinctively I knew this was serious ( I am a nurse aswell). I took him to local A +E dept, While we were waiting to be seen the rash was increasing and all over his back the rash was in the same pattern of the chair he was sat on. Numerous blood tests were done, first results showed his blood platelets were very depleted 9, they should be between 150-400. further results showed glandular fever positive. As platelets are responsible in the normal blood clotting process this had rendered him at as much risk as a haemaphilliac from bleeding out. He was kept in hospital overnight and platelets dropped to two. It was theorised by the doctors that his bodys response to the viral invasion of glandular fever was to actually attack his blood platelets along with the actual virus. He was started on medication (steroids)to suppress his now overactive immune system, Thankfully this treatment worked well and platelets have remained normal since. This virus had caused thrombocytopenia in him at that time,
I suppose what I,m suggesting is maybe you too have had an autoimmune response like my son did just that it has manifested in a different way in you?? Worth asking the docs.
Good luck in your recovery
J
kyle36591
Posted
by any chance was the rash extremely itchy? I had one during the time I was in hospital and it would spread quicker than water flows down a stream lol. I was never 100% certain, but it seemed where ever I touched a rash came up.
and when ever I've asked a doctor about it, they're never able to give me a definitive answer. they've basically said to me, they're not certain what it was, and they can't be certain that it wont happen again, but if it doesn't I will need to be admitted to hospital immediately.
by any chance have the doctors told you if it could come back or anything?
and I'm not sure what my blood platlets were, but I know anytime they did a blood test the blood would pour out like water for ages.