Calling all DIS doctors....UPDATE POST 26

[Mellie2162]

Thanks for all the help. Im going to take her in this morning and have them test for both mono and strep. She didnt have anymore nausea or diarrhea last night, in fact she wanted to try to eat and drink but her throat was so swollen she couldnt. I took a look in and it didnt look like strep (but im no doctor) there were no white patches it was just red and her tonsils were nearly touching. She woke up for about 30 minutes then went right back to sleep again. Hopefully they will figure this out. Ill post an update later.

 

[mhsjax]

It depends on how they feel. If she can handle school and not be sick no reason not to go-just don't swap saliva with her friends. If it is mono, it's nothing to mess around with either. DD's friend was pretty much on the couch doing nothing and still ended up in the hospital twice for complications (severe vomiting once and dehydration the other time).

OP, please listen to golfgal's post. I wont' go into details with my experience, I am sure most people don't want to hear it again, but mono is nothing to play with, if that is what she has. And if it is, DO NOT let her go back to school until the Dr says it is ok.

 

[Mellie2162]

Well she is up and we are getting ready to leave. She's hungry and says she feels better but on closer inspection of her throat she's got big white blisters all over it now. Blech. Im guessing it is strep.

 

[Jennasis]

As soon as you said enlarged spleen, i said MONO. From wedmd:

What is mononucleosis?

Mononucleosis, also called "mono," is a common viral illness that can leave you feeling tired and weak for weeks or months. Mono goes away on its own, but lots of rest and good self-care can help you feel better.
What causes mono?

Mono is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It is most often seen in adolescents and young adults. Children can get the virus, but it often goes unnoticed because their symptoms are mild. Older adults usually do not get mono, because they have immunity to the virus.

Mono can be spread through contact with saliva, mucus from the nose and throat, and sometimes tears. Because the virus can be spread through kissing, it has earned the nickname the "kissing disease." If you have mono, you can avoid passing the virus to others by not kissing anyone and by not sharing things like drinking glasses, eating utensils, or toothbrushes.

As soon as you get over mono, your symptoms will go away for good, but you will always carry the virus that caused it. The virus may become active from time to time without causing any symptoms. When the virus is active, it can be spread to others.
What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms of mono are a high fever, a severe sore throat, swollen glands and tonsils, and weakness and fatigue. Symptoms usually start 4 to 6 weeks after you are exposed to the virus.

Mono can cause the spleen to swell. Severe pain in the upper left part of your belly may mean that your spleen has burst. This is an emergency.
How is mono diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and examine you. You may also need blood tests to check for signs of mono (monospot test) and the Epstein-Barr virus. Blood tests can also help rule out other causes of your symptoms.
How is it treated?

Usually only self-care is needed for mono.

* Get plenty of rest. You may need bed rest, which could keep you away from school or work for a little while.
* Gargle with salt water or use throat lozenges to soothe your sore throat.
* Take acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil) to reduce fever and relieve a sore throat and headaches.
* Avoid contact sports and heavy lifting. Your spleen may be enlarged, and impact or straining could cause it to burst.

In severe cases, medicines called corticosteroids may be used to reduce swelling of the throat, tonsils, or spleen.

 

[golfgal]

I saw DD's friend last night, her spleen is still visibly swollen. She is pretty slender and she looks like she is about 5 months pregnant with a misplaced uterus .

 

[Mellie2162]

Took her to peds this morning and she thinks it could be pancreatitis. After we talked and she brought up the ct result and blood work from the last ER visit, she corrected me that it was her pancreas that was enlarged and not her spleen, so I was wrong on that. Also her amylase and lipase were elevated at that time, but they figured it was due to vomiting and diarrhea from a virus.

Anyway, she felt the sore throat could be due to the vomiting yesterday and that she probably has pancreatitis. She put her on a low fat diet for now and drew blood work to check for a complete health panel, enzymes, mono, and Lyme though she felt the latter two were not really in the differential. So once she confirms it she will refer her to GI and let them handle it from there.

 

[Christine]

Took her to peds this morning and she thinks it could be pancreatitis. After we talked and she brought up the ct result and blood work from the last ER visit, she corrected me that it was her pancreas that was enlarged and not her spleen, so I was wrong on that. Also her amylase and lipase were elevated at that time, but they figured it was due to vomiting and diarrhea from a virus.

Anyway, she felt the sore throat could be due to the vomiting yesterday and that she probably has pancreatitis. She put her on a low fat diet for now and drew blood work to check for a complete health panel, enzymes, mono, and Lyme though she felt the latter two were not really in the differential. So once she confirms it she will refer her to GI and let them handle it from there.

Wow, pancreatitis can make you really sick.

I was wondering about the mono though because I didn't think vomiting and diarrhea usually accompanied that.

I'm a little suspicious on the throat stuff. I mean, if the tonsils are swollen and patchy, that is hardly caused by vomiting the day before.

 

[Mellie2162]

Wow, pancreatitis can make you really sick.

I was wondering about the mono though because I didn't think vomiting and diarrhea usually accompanied that.

I'm a little suspicious on the throat stuff. I mean, if the tonsils are swollen and patchy, that is hardly caused by vomiting the day before.

I agree which is why they did a rapid strep (waste of money IMO) and culture.

 

[SydSim]

DD-14 is just on the tail end of Mono. Was out of school for a month. At first she was out for only a week, felt a little better and went back in for two days, felt worse and ended up in the ER with bad abdominal pains (thought it was a ruptured spleen). She had diarrhea to begin with, vomiting after ER visit. Gave her Zofran - didn't realize that headaches were the number one side effect of Zofran, so she felt even worse.

Things finally calmed down from the Mono, but GI symptoms persist (constipation issues from diet during Mono and inactivity, coupled with a few narcotics for pain).

She is back at school for half days, feeling better. And she also has a small lead in the musical, for which she is super excited because freshmen don't usually get anything but ensemble. So getting back to school was a huge priority for her.

Wouldn't be surprised if it started off as Mono for your DD, then morphed into something else later on.

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks for all the help. Im going to take her in this morning and have them test for both mono and strep. She didnt have anymore nausea or diarrhea last night, in fact she wanted to try to eat and drink but her throat was so swollen she couldnt. I took a look in and it didnt look like strep (but im no doctor) there were no white patches it was just red and her tonsils were nearly touching. She woke up for about 30 minutes then went right back to sleep again. Hopefully they will figure this out. Ill post an update later.

I know you provided an update, and it looks like pancreatitis - I know that can make you very ill as well, so hopefully, she is feeling better soon!

Just wanted to clarify, that you don't need to have white patches on your throat to be strep. I lived with most of my life, until emergency tonsillectomy at age 16, as I was deathly ill from infection - sometimes, my tonsils just swelled up, and it was still strep, or a very bad throat infection, so I know with me, I didn't always get the patches (although I saw that she does have the patches now). My baby boy is home right now with scarlet fever/strep. Totally didn't even know he had it, until he got a sudden fever. He has been sick lots in his young life, and his tonsils usually just get red and very swollen, and not necessarily white.

Good luck and best of health to your DD, Tiger