Please help

has anyone ever had these symptoms without actually being diagnosed with mono?

hi lisa,

my blood tests were perfect too and only showed an old EBV and CMV infection. i felt very weak, anxious, body aches, joint pain, night sweats, chills, chest pain, difficulty breathing. i was very sick for 6 months couldnt work... but all my scans and blood work were healthy. relax. its some crazy virus or post viral fatigue .. but you will be better.

i am now back at work full time after gradually and SLOWLY increasing my work hours and stuff i did. when i felt lousy i did nothing. i did accupuncture and saw a naturopath which may have helped, i am not sure. but i want you to know that you are NOW healing just believe in your body to recover because you will!

and to clarify how sick i was... i refused to leave the hospital because i felt so sick i was certain i was dying. i couldnt even call a taxi to pick me up.. had no strength to talk.

and i am much better now. some days i feel cruddy but they happen less and less frequently and are less intense.

Hi Lisa,

So sorry to hear you have been going through such a tough time with a mono-like illness the last three months. Really empathising having went through mono myself a number of years ago.

I can only imagine how frustrating and distressing it must be when you are feeling this way and can't get a firm diagnosis. You've done all the right things by getting blood tests and although frustrating it is a good sign that things showing clear, hopefully it is some reassurance to you.

I know with mono it is often only the first few weeks of the symptoms that it really shows positive in a blood test, for example I was diagnosed but after 3 months or so I think I had another blood test and it showed normal again, even though I was still feeling unwell and having all the awful symptoms of mono. I have read accounts of many people on the forums who have went through the same similar awful experience of going through this type of illness / symptoms without having a firm diagnosis, which must be so awful and frustrating. One thing I do think that the blood tests can show (although I'm no expert) is if you have had a past infection for EBV (virus which causes mono), even if it's not currently showing positive, so many worth asking the doctor about that perhaps.

Whether is it mono or a similar type virus / illness Lisa, want to reassure you that things with these type of viruses do get better with time. For me it took a number of months to get over and back to full health, it was an awful time and I found it so hard to cope with, had terrible fatigue, low grade fever, feeling wiped out and just generally unwell - the first 3-4 months in my experienced were BY FAR the worst and although it still took some time for full recovery after that, the intensity did lessen and recovery did come with time, thanks to God only. I truly believe you are going to get through this and get well again Lisa, just hang in there and cope with one day at a time, get plenty of rest and remove stress as much as possible - if that means taking a back step from work, studies, other stresses of life for a while, please do that Lisa - I had to be off work for quite a while with this but did get back again once feeling better again thanks to God.

Taking vitamins and herbs helped me during recovery from this thing, would recommend a good strong multi-vitamin per day (Immunace Extra here in the UK is the one I find really good), a B complex vitamin per day and/or Co-enzyme Q10 (great for energy levels and nervous system), higher doses of Vitamin C (1000mg-3000mg per day) and immune boosting herbs like siberian ginseng and echinacea. Again of course I'm no expert on these things and always wise to look into any supplements before starting to take them, checking if there are any interactions with medications, other conditions, etc, and that not exceeding the maximum daily recommended dose with anything.

Thinking about you Lisa, the anxiety and depression caused by these types of illnesses really is awful, it affected me badly and it knocked my confidence which again takes time to rebuild. But just want you to know there is hope, if it is mono or something of a similar ilk, that it is normal for it to take this course and to feel like this for a number of months but then go on to make a full and complete recovery - so don't panic if recovery isn't overnight or instant, because you WILL get there with some time and giving yourself plenty of rest and space to recover. Pushing through with this thing is not usually a good idea, it really needs rest and your body needs time to recover and get its strength back (which it will!).

The guys on the forum here are great for offering encouragement and good advice Lisa, so definitely a good place to come to chat with others who understand and have an idea of what you are going through. Message any time.

Craig

so, I was sick for an entire year and a half with the most horrible feeling of nausea, brain fog, anxiety, and generally ill-feeling like the flu. It turned out to be both EBV and CMV. Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. They are all part of the herpes family and will make you feel absolutely terrible. Since then I have had up and down issues with my thyroid. This virus never leaves your body so your immune system is constantly attacking it. I have kept mine at Bay with a strict diet change and supplements. I literally could not get out of bed and missed about six months worth of work. It is the most sick and dark time of my life.