Fatigue

[Admin]

Fatigue is another hallmark and extremely common symptom of Glandular Fever/Mononucleosis. Many people describe it as "bone crushing fatigue". This type of fatigue is also diagnostically significant and useful to medical professionals in discovering the illness. This symptom is usually the first to start and the last to go. Glandular Fever/Mononucleosis has a very long incubation period. Fatigue can usually start sometime during the Incubation period, which is the time it takes from the minute you're infected to the time you get your first symptom.

One typical course of the illness is weeks of "malaise" or "fatigue" which leads up to the acute form of the illness, the part where you are actually very sick. You'll get the full on fever, sore throat, nausea and so on during this "acute" phase. After the acute phase the fatigue many times will remain for an undefined period of time. For some people the fatigue can last many, many months.  This is referred to by some as "post viral fatigue syndrome".  This convalescent phase can have many ups and downs. You feel better than worse, rinse/repeat.  

[orlandochick]

Yup, this is my main symptom right now. Coffee is my friend:)

[sgan]

Is it possible to experience a prolonged illness without fatigue as a main symptom? For example, I've been dealing with mono since April 2012, I feel relatively fine now, but every time I overdo something I get some recurrent mild symptoms (like a very specific nausea & dizziness), but no physical fatigue. Lack of energy was never a problem for me, even in the acute phase, and that was actually a problem, because I did some things which I shouldn't have done and now I am experiencing the consequences (long recovery). Can we talk about post viral fatigue syndrome without an actual physical fatigue, and what is the difference between PVFS, or convalescent phase, and the illness ME/CFS, which can also occur after mononucleosis and has a totally different course, where do we draw the line between mono, PVFS and CFS?

[Admin]

Oct 29, 2013 6:17:29 GMT -6 sgan said:

Is it possible to experience a prolonged illness without fatigue as a main symptom? For example, I've been dealing with mono since April 2012, I feel relatively fine now, but every time I overdo something I get some recurrent mild symptoms (like a very specific nausea & dizziness), but no physical fatigue. Lack of energy was never a problem for me, even in the acute phase, and that was actually a problem, because I did some things which I shouldn't have done and now I am experiencing the consequences (long recovery). Can we talk about post viral fatigue syndrome without an actual physical fatigue, and what is the difference between PVFS, or convalescent phase, and the illness ME/CFS, which can also occur after mononucleosis and has a totally different course, where do we draw the line between mono, PVFS and CFS?

You raise some great questions! Personally fatigue was never a prevalent symptom for me either. Nausea and "flu-like" feelings were much more the norm in the first year of my illness, especially after "over-doing" it.

To answer your other question, Mono does not cause CFS although the "post-viral" phase that can follow mono closely resembles CFS.
The main difference being the two is CFS tends to last a life time and "post-mono" symptoms do not. There's lots of confusing information out there on what's what, that's for sure:)

[sgan]

Thanks for your reply!

Yes, there is indeed a lot of confusing information out there, some sources claim that if the mono hasn't resolved after 4 or 6 months, then CFS should definitely be considered, while according to other sources EBV can not trigger CFS, or at least not alone (but in a combination with a retrovirus or with an inherited immune abnormality). However, you can never be sure, and when you read so many horror stories of people who never recovered from mono, or CFS sufferers explaining that it all started with mono, you begin to freak out a little...

Anyway, I guess what matters most is your age and your activity in the acute phase - if you are like me and catch mono when you are 30, and you never slow down even in the acute phase, then you should be poised for a prolonged course and a slow recovery

Great idea to create this site btw, hopefully more people will come across it when it matters most (in their acute phase) and will avoid the mistakes others are doing, especially if their doctors have told them that mono is just a benign illness that will last a couple of weeks and they can safely resume their activities after that - they shouldn't, that's for sure!

[Admin]

Oct 29, 2013 10:56:05 GMT -6 sgan said:

Thanks for your reply!

Yes, there is indeed a lot of confusing information out there, some sources claim that if the mono hasn't resolved after 4 or 6 months, then CFS should definitely be considered, while according to other sources EBV can not trigger CFS, or at least not alone (but in a combination with a retrovirus or with an inherited immune abnormality). However, you can never be sure, and when you read so many horror stories of people who never recovered from mono, or CFS sufferers explaining that it all started with mono, you begin to freak out a little...

Anyway, I guess what matters most is your age and your activity in the acute phase - if you are like me and catch mono when you are 30, and you never slow down even in the acute phase, then you should be poised for a prolonged course and a slow recovery

Great idea to create this site btw, hopefully more people will come across it when it matters most (in their acute phase) and will avoid the mistakes others are doing, especially if their doctors have told them that mono is just a benign illness that will last a couple of weeks and they can safely resume their activities after that - they shouldn't, that's for sure!

Some Doctors tell patients 6 months to 1 year, other Doctors tell patients a few weeks. I think it largely depends on that Doctor's past experience over what research they've read regarding the illness. I think you're right, during the acute phase, rest is very important. Many sufferers say they wish they had taken more time to rest in the early stages. One of the best things for sufferers is being able to relate to others in similar situations. I also hope they will find this forum and add to it's content. Feel free to add your personal story to the "introductions" thread as well:) Thanks for joining!