Glandular Fever .... help ! Updated !!

[TotallyAngelic]

My 16 year old DS has been experiencing the symptoms of acute tonsillitis for a week now and it hasn't responded to antibiotics. I took him back to the GP and now they want a blood test for Glandular Fever. It also coincides with him starting a relationship with his first girlfriend just 7 weeks ago, and therefore lots of snogging for the first time ever.

What worries me is the prognosis of extreme fatigue for months following the acute phase, and the fact that he has GCSE exams in May, and an art exam in 2 weeks

Can anyone give me any insight on the long term effects of Glandular Fever and how it has affected anyone else or their family members. At the moment I just feel really gutted that this has happened to him at such a crucial time in his school life.

 

[natalielongstaff]

no advice but i hope your ds is better soon Sarah xx

 

[mandymouse]

Sorry I don't know much about glandular fever, I just hope your DS is feeling better soon

 

[babystar]

Oh I feel sorry for him!! I had it at about 16 (a long time ago!) and it was dreadful! I cannot express enough how tired and rough I felt, also even a while after I was "better" I would feel run down and ill for longer periods of time.

Unfortunatly there is not much you can do, as with all illness the best thing is lots of rest! Could you discuss the exams with his school and see if there is any other options? I dont think the stress of exams will help him recover any quicker!

Sorry that I dont have any better advise but big hugs for him!!

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Thanks guys .... I just feel at a loss. He is usually so full of vitality and fun and all he wants to do is lie on the sofa and sleep. He is very very seldom ill. I just hope the blood test shows it isn't glandular fever and just a regular virus.

 

[poppie123]

Oh I feel sorry for him!! I had it at about 16 (a long time ago!) and it was dreadful! I cannot express enough how tired and rough I felt, also even a while after I was "better" I would feel run down and ill for longer periods of time.

I too had it in my teens, the exact time of my GCSE mocks which i was unable to sit.
I was off of school for about a month and like you cannot emphasise enough the extreme fatigue i felt, i also remember being baking hot one minute and then freezing cold the next, don't know if that's the norm though

It took me a long time to recover properly and even now when i am really not well my Mum always says you haven't got Glandular fever back have you, Mums!!

Keeping my fingers crossed that it isn't Glandular Fever

 

[jjk]

sorry no advice just hope your DS feels better soon :

 

[buzz for boys]

I feel for your son and hope it doesnt turn out to be glandulaur fever.

I had glandulaur fever the year of my exams and can remember being off school for ages - my most vivid memory is of my mom telling me it was time to go back to school and i cried my eyes out at the bottom of the stairs and said how i suppose to go back to school when Im too tired to even climb the stairs !! It really is the most extreme tiredness ever.

In terms of exams my school made special circumstances where I only took 1 exam a day - did mean that I was taking some eams for the first time while everyone in that room was doing resits but that worked for me.

Hugs for everyone and really hope it works out for you

 

[Jets fan]

I had it when I was 15 and was in hospital for a month as I was really rough, BUT this was 32 years ago so I'm sure that treatment has come a long way since then.

Good luck and

Tina

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Gosh .... it really does sound horrendous. I so hope he hasn't got it : (

 

[Chilly]

I got it 2 weeks before my A-Levels, I only had one week off then I went back and sat my exams as I was determined not to have to postpone them, I got through them fine, everyone is effected differently.

I think I still suffer the effects now though as I get colds all the time and a lot of them knock me for six.

 

[Netty]

Natalie had it 3 yrs ago, infact we were in Florida at the time and we didnt know she had glandular fever. She was extremely tired all the time and also felt sick, when we queued up for rides we would have to leave the line sometimes as she just felt so ill. we found out after the holiday at the docs that it was GF.
she also had a rash on her feet,when she was at her lowest with GF the rash would be crimson red, then reside when she felt better.
Even now if she feels ill and tired the rash rises again
GF stays in your system, but the symptoms are not as severe,
your ds needs to take plenty of rest and just try to fight through it.
it is falsely called the kissing disease!

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Glandular-fever/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

 

[RabFlmom]

I had mono( the common term for glandular fever) when I was teaching( my 2nd year) . It is easy to catch from just someone sneezing that has the virus in them or from glasses and utensils that have not been cleaned properly between uses in a restaurant etc. I had the embarrassing task of calling 26 sets of parents to cancel their first parent teacher conference that was scheduled for the next 2 days. And believe me, they did tease me when they did come for conferences. LOL
It made me very tired I had been falling asleep right after school for about a week before my parents forced me to go to our family doctor. I thought I was just catching a cold. It effected my voice, too. I pretty much had to whisper for a few months or my voice cracked, got raspy, and hurt my throat. I could not sing for a few years.
I was still falling asleep at odd hours in strange places that whole year. I don't think I saw the back side of midnight till the next year, but during the day I was fine. I even went to grad school at night after teaching all day winter semester.

It effects people differently and I was one of those kids who caught everything when I was in school and then when I taught, I swear I caught every childhood disease that I hadn't gotten the first time round. One of my friends had it. Only stayed out of work a few days and seemed fine from then on.

Since there is no cure for it, your son is doing exactly what he needs to do....sleep on the couch all day if need be. Watch for pain in the stomach area and go back to the doctor if he has pain.
Be sure to have kleenexes near by, so he can catch any sneezes and be sure to wash all dishes in the dishwasher so they are disinfected. Otherwise use a bleach rinse before you rinse hand washed dishes.
He will be back to normal self in no time.

 

[fav_is_tink]

I've never had direct experience of GF but I know someone who's daughter was floored with it for weeks - but it does affect everyone to differing degrees, lots of rest for your DS and fingers crossed he recovers quickly so as he gets a good chance with his exams.
Sending

 

[emily1982]

I had it when i was in college. Although i noticed my glands were up so much before any symptoms, then i was sick for a few days, bad fevers and slept all the time. The worst of it lasted a month then i would say it took about a year to completley get over.

 

[Funniebunny]

I had glandular fever when I was about 25/26. I went to work feeling a bit off it but had noticed that I had a lump in my groin. Whilst at work I just couldn't cool down eventhough it was February so my colleague made me make a doctors appointment. I was off work for the rest of the week as all I could do was sleep, my glands were up, even my eyelids were swollen. I think they said to try and drink plenty of fluids and rest as much as you can. I had a good month of feeling really rubbish and like a lot of people I'd say it too a year to get totally back on my feet.
Sadly once you've had it, it stays in your system so if you go through stress it can flare up again. I've got a bad throat again now, 5 years later.

I hope the tests come back clear.

Hugs

 

[gemmybear83]

Hi I also suffered from GF at uni, I was ill for about six weeks, but had problems with tiredness for months afterwards, and this still comes back now if I'm rundown.

If you do a search on the Internet there is dietary advice over how to how combat GF, I followed this and even if it didn't help I improved my diet! If he has been diagnosed with GF you need to be careful with exercise as you have a higher chance of a ruptured spleen for a few months afterwards.

I know it sounds scary but GF is really common, and in the scheme of things nothing to worry about

 

[catherine]

DD had GF last month, she was so poorly that she had to be hospitalised. She had a total of 4 different antibiotics, one lot IV. She also had to have IV fluids because she could eat or drink anything. When she got home from the hospital she rested and had another week of school. Anyway she took her mock exams and has finished of the last of her course work and is sitting her GCSEs in May. She was told that she hadn't to do PE for a few weeks because she had an enlarged spleen but apart from that and feeling more tired and run down she's be fine!

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Thanks everyone for the advice and support. DS had the blood test today but has managed to eat something and he actually fancied something to eat rather than me try and force the issue. He has also had a lot more fluids today so that is an improvement. He is using a local anaesthetic spray for his throat which seems to be making a difference, although his throat still looks horrific. I am still hoping it is just viral tonsillitis and not GF.

 

[Jeccaboos]

I had Glandular Fever about 2 years ago when I was 34.

Like your son, the doctor thought I had tonsilitis but when I never responded to antibiotics, I had the blood test and the results came back as GF. I can honestly say I felt ill for weeks. I remember being sat in the doctors and crying as I felt that bad. All I could do was sleep. My DH was abroad on business at the time and my mum literally moved in as I couldn't look after the children as I didn't have the strength.

It took me at least a year to recover properly and in that time I picked up every cold and virus that was around. GF is a horrible thing so I do hope your son hasn't got it as the after-effects are long lasting.