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I was diagnosed with glandular fever 4 months ago. I am still exhausted.

Posted , 17 users are following.

Gerbear
Gerbear

I am still not able to go to work or drive or do household chores.  Does anyone have any advise?

I no longer have a sore throat, swollen glands, fever, enlarged liver or spleen.  I am 61 years old and am quite depressed that that the fatigue symptoms have not resolved. My doctor says this happens sometimes for older people, that it can take months to get my energy level back to normal.  

Is this what others have experienced?

Gerbear

 

2 likes, 220 replies

220 Replies

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  • becky1987
    becky1987 Gerbear

    Posted

    Did anyone else have crazy liver function bloo test results?
    • Aquin
      Aquin becky1987

      Posted

      I didn't but i have heard of other people experiencing this for months. What are your symptoms?
    • Gerbear
      Gerbear becky1987

      Posted

      I had elevate liver function blood test for several months.  Follow your doctors advise.  My doctor (in the USA) gave me oral steroids (prednisone ) to help me heal. Your doctor will know what is right for you.  I hated the side effects from prednisone but it did help my liver function tests to become close to normal.

      keep resting and trusting your body to heal!

    • becky1987
      becky1987 Gerbear

      Posted

      How elevated were they? Did you she the scores? Mine were extremely high and worrying
  • Aquin
    Aquin Gerbear

    Posted

    Is anyone here losing weight during recovery? I've dropped a bit of weight and hoping for it to stop as i don't have much to lose. I'm trying to eat more calories and hoping that helps. It's not a nice feeling losing weight due to illness sad
    • Gerbear
      Gerbear Aquin

      Posted

      I have not lost weight--but I hear that is common for others. My doctor said to make ever calorie count by eating heathy food and no junk food.  
  • craig07920
    craig07920 Gerbear

    Posted

    Remember try to keep hope everyone. I know it's really difficult to do that when feeling so unwell, everyone in the chat knows this and knows the truth about the frustrations and longevity of glandular fever. For me, I was able to get working again part-time within a year, but it took a good 2 years probably to be confident enough to be working full-time or near enough it again. This virus really can knock your confidence and often the mental side of the battle is underestimated, because dealing with that at the same time as the physical symptoms can feel almost impossible I know. I'm not saying that will be the case for everyone, because I think everyone is different, but just remember you're making progress every day even if it doesn't feel like it in your body - eventually it does manifest itself and you do feel well again.

    Fresh air is good - if folks feel well enough for even a short walk every day that is a good thing. I remember a period where all I could really do in the day was a 10-minute walk but it was such an achievement for me to do that and if you balance that kind of light exercise with plenty of rest, early nights, maybe a nap during the day if you can, good vitamins and most importantly the will not to give in, then you definitely will get there!!

    I feel a good recovery coming for EVERY person who has read this post. Hang in there folks.

    Craig

     

  • heidi147
    heidi147 Gerbear

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I'm 16 years old and was diagnosed with glandular fever just over a month ago. I'm currently doing my A-levels and my first exam is in a week and a half. The only problem is I'm always too tired to revise and I'm having difficulty concentrating on anything. Has anyone else experienced intense pressure at the front of their head? I've had it for about a week along with lack of coordination, bad balance, joint pain and memory problems. Is this all part of glandular fever still?

    Many thanks,

    Heidi.

    • Gerbear
      Gerbear heidi147

      Posted

      Heidi,  Yes, all you are describing is part of glandular fever.  I call it "brain fog". Often I can not concentrate enough to even read a novel.  And yes, the headaches, nausea, weakness that goes along with poor balance and lack of coordination and the other symptoms you mentioned.

      The best way to recover is rest, rest and more rest.  Be sure to follow your doctor's advise and drink lots of liquids and eat healthy food.

    • Aquin
      Aquin heidi147

      Posted

      Hi Heidi, i have all of those symptoms! They are terrible aren't they? I have so much trouble absorbing information.

      I've experienced head pressure on and off. Feels like something is pressing down on my head.

      Keep in touch! You're a lot younger so your body will most likely cope and recover a lot quicker.

    • craig07920
      craig07920 Aquin

      Posted

      Hi everyone,

      Just wanted to continue to offer some words of hope and encouragement to everyone here - I know everyone is suffering with this horrible virus and wants to kick it into touch. Everyone who is reading this post right now is going to get fully better - I firmly 100% believe that.

      Heidi - I feel your pain, it must be so difficult when going through exams and studies. Remember to put your health first and if exams are affected then although it's a blow it's not the end of the world - it's circumstances out with your control. The good news definitely for you is that from my understanding when you get glandular fever at your age there is much more likely to be a quicker and smoother recovery - so I believe you will be feeling much better and stronger soon, although you may have to ride out the horrible feelings for a few weeks until they fully pass over.

      Aquin, Rolane, Gearbear, Becky....

      You are in my thoughts and just hang in there. Remember about 75% of the western population have been affected by the EBV virus at some time or other, and there's certainly not 75% who go about feeling as unwell as you guys do permanently in their lives. They do recover and your body gets the virus under control. It lies dormant in your system once your body gets it under control, the only lasting effects I really have felt is maybe it can take a little longer to get over colds and things like that - but really other than that you get to a stage where you're good to go and feel pretty much like your old self again. I just hope and pray that will be very soon for all you guys.

      "It all works out in the end. So if it hasn't worked out yet, then it's not the end". The end of this horrible virus is coming though and your immune system gonna kick it into touch, because it's far stronger than it is.

      Fresh air, vitamins, relaxation videos and tapes, healing videos - some of the things that helped me. Give yourself some time and space to recover, the worst thing you can do and many people do is to carry on at the full pace of life and continue to work and carry all the daily stresses. I know it's not easy to drop those, but any virus (this one in particular) needs to be managed properly to allow a full recovery.

      It's hard to be patient and mentally resilient I know. i really believe a good recovery is on its way though. Again I can only call on my own experience from when I was in a very similar situation and I felt that hope was fading and I was going to have to adjust to a new less healthy way of life. Let me tell you, that WON'T be the case even if it has been going on for some time. There comes a day when it just seems to click and all of a sudden your body starts to align more normally again. I can't explain it, but it's something you guys have to look forward to and it WILL definitely happen!

      Thinking of you all and take care

      Craig

       

    • Aquin
      Aquin craig07920

      Posted

      You're an angel Craig. Tell me, when did you feel the virus really start to lift? Was it not for 12 months?
    • craig07920
      craig07920 Aquin

      Posted

      Oh you're welcome I know how hard it is just want to offer some hope.

      Well first thing to say is everyone's experience is different so I know some get better quicker than others, but for me I took unwell around October time and it took me a fair few weeks to get a diagnosis. I remember feeling really quite unwell through the first few months. I was off work and tried to go back in April of the next year part time just for two half days a week, that's all I could manage, but then again by the end of June I was really struggling again and had a bad time in July to August and then it was after that really things started to improve more. It still took me a fair while to get working full time again but definitely after a year the worst was well by and the next year was much easier and slowly your body started to build up its resilience again.

      You will definitely get there, I believe if you are around 9 months on the worst is by and improvements will start to manifest soon. But it still takes time it's not an overnight thing, but the horrible worst feelings can start to be over very soon I believe.

    • Aquin
      Aquin craig07920

      Posted

      That's very helpful to know, thank you! Rolane and I both fell ill in October last year so thats an easy time line to guage. Im so happy it's almost over. When you've been suffering for 7-8 months what's another 4-5?

      What were your main symptoms Craig?

    • craig07920
      craig07920 rolane22133

      Posted

      Good to hear rolane, hold onto that hope and light!

      Aquin, my symptoms I think are fairly well covered by the things you guys have mentioned. Initially, I really just felt unwell and very stunted within myself, I didn't know what the matter was all I knew was that my body didn't at all feel right, I couldn't put a finger on it.

      I vividly remember the constant feeling of running fever through my body, it was a horrible feeling and it stayed for months and months, gradually fading over time but never fading as quickly as I wanted. That was the key thing that eventually did fade and go away and that you guys have to look forward to. I thought like you at one point it never would.

      I also had very sore lymph glands in my neck, on one side in particular, feeling of being wiped out when I tried to do too much, needing to make sure I took that extra rest, also I felt pain within my lymph nodes in my chest at certain times too. It was so sporadic one week it could be one thing it was bothering more then the next it could be something different. The virus can get you in that way, but it won't win in the end, it tires itself out with your strong immune response even though it is persistent. Also at around the 8-9 month stage I remember feeling really sore joints in my knees, arms, with bruising appearing for no reason. I believe at that stage it was the virus being defeated and working its way out, but it was unpleasant at the time.

      I'm not saying you guys will experience anything like these things, as i say everyone seems to be affected differently. But just remember the underpinning fact that it will pass and what you are experiencing now is temporary (even though I know the temporary seems to be a very long and weary period).

      Take care and I still believe in a full recover for you Aquin, Rolane, Becky, Gerbear and Heidi.

      Craig

      Craig

       

    • rolane22133
      rolane22133 craig07920

      Posted

      Thanks Craig. Yes 71/2 months in and my joints are starting to hurt...did you have blood sugar issues...hyper hypo glycemic?
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