Son just diagnosed with glandular fever - advice please!

[baffledlemon]

17 year old son had severe tonsilitis (for first time) couple of months back - responded to antibiotics straight away. He's just had it again - even worse and so very exhausted - and antibiotics did nothing. He's had IV antibiotics yesterday and two types to be taken at home for a week. He's felt terrible for several days and had an EBV test and it has just came back, late today, that he has an acute current GF. I can't speak to a doctor so don't know when he can go back to school or anything. His throat still very bad and pus spots all over tonsils. And if it is viral I wonder why we are still giving him antibiotics but I guess we must finish treatment. Anyway really worried about him - have heard stories about people being laid low for months. I wonder why he had tonsilitis two months ago and whether that was the start of it or if that was just a coincidence. Anyone who knows more about it - any advice gratefully received. Feel so sorry for him.

Oh dear :(
Rest, rest and more rest I'm afraid (I had it at 18)
Lots of regular pain relief, soluble co codamol is good for gargling with
Difflam gargle or spray helps
Vitamins may help in the long term - he should be on pro bionics of he's on antibiotics to protect his stomach
Poor lad :(

Pro biotics not bionics :)

I had it aged 48! Rest is key. For the first couple of weeks I would wake up in the morning, see everyone off to work/school then go back to bed and sleep til lunchtime. Small nap later on and then in bed asleep by 10. I was absolutely floored by it. After that things got better and I reckon I was back at about 90% capacity after about 4 weeks. It’s the only time in my life where I have been ill enough that all I wanted to do was stay in bed.

It’s interesting you say he had tonsillitis 2 months ago. I had had 2 really bad chest infections in the 6 months previous to mine and had just ‘powered through’, as you do, but then I got another one and that prompted me to ask for a blood test as it just felt relentless and not quite right.

Hope he feels better soon

My brother had it in his late teens. It really wiped him out and you just have to give in to that I’m afraid and rest. He was recommended the highest dose vitamin C you can take back then. Not sure it that’s still the advice. Xx

DS had glandular fever aged 16. He was stay in bed unwell for the first week, felt a lot better after the antibiotics kicked in and the pus etc cleared up, had a further two weeks of lounging on the couch playing Xbox, and for much of the third week was challenging me to be allowed out the house to see his girlfriend. Wishing your son all the very best OP, hope he starts to feel a bit better soon.

thankyou! I am just wondering if it started in march when he had the first bout - but it responded to antibiotics so not sure. He has been really tired on and off for a while but this is so much worse. I don't know when he is supposed to go back to school. Just feel so bad for him. I wish he didnt' have to take the antibiotics but guess no choice now. defo dosing up on vitamins and fluids.

DONT hassle him into activity. Itll be hard as it will seem like extreme teen laziness. And watch he doesnt become down or depressed

• i had very similar at 16 and DM constantly badgered me into doing things when i could barely keep my eyes open - its said it can move into futher debilitating conditions, so gently gently.

Hi My son was diagnosed with moderate to severe glandular fever at around 13 yo. I'd noticed he always dropped to sleep after Sunday football and I'd asked the Mums if their boys were the same. Sometimes he'd walk down the stairs and look like a ghost, on those days I kept him off school. I've always tried to get him to take vitamins even now. I think that complete rest helped him cope aswell as sympathy because he absolutely loved sport and refused not to do it! They said it could last into his early 20s. He's 19 now. For the past few years if he gets a cold etc he's usually great at getting over it but then comes the fatigue. It's more difficult now as he's away at Uni and they keep strange hours. I think he's aware of his own body limitations. He does spend a lot of time in his room though when here, like no for the Easter hols. Not sure if resting or lazy!!! Also there's long covid too so it's very hard. I guess just making sure they eat well, have orange juice after meals, drink plenty of water and rest when needed and hope it goes.

yes that's the thing mamabanana we've been hassling him for a while now for saying he is super tired and wonder if he;s had it for much longer. just don't know how long the 'active' phase lasts. But he has been so very poorly this week. and his throat so scary looking. Just feel so little info on it all.

gosh ellejay does seem like it canbe a long term thing :(

bit panicky about long term risks too but trying not to think about them....

I was hospitalised with this when I was 16. Couldn't swallow at all so ended up dehydrated and on a drip. All the hospital gave me was soluble aspirin to gargle and spit out after months of antibiotics - it worked. Was warned about doing exercise when I got out as it can lead to issues with spleen.

Just to reassure you that, while GF is notorious for wiping teens out for several months at a time, it's not always that dreadful. My ds went down with it around October half-term of Y11, was off school for about 2 weeks, off PE and ASCs till the end of term (another 2 or 3weeks) and back to 100% by the next term. He was shattered at first, and we were astonished at how fast he recovered, once the initial ill phase was over.

Hope your ds has it as gently.

I forgot to mention ds was not allowed to do most PE that spring term, and no contact sports at all until the summer, until his spleen shrank back to normal size.

thanks Dilebertian/thecaddieisabaddie. he doesn't do contact sports any more at least. hope it won't last too long.

I had GF at 16. I was quite poorly, my mum thought I was being lazy & I remember her being really mean until I got diagnosed 😂🙈

It was a tough ride. GCSE year. I had a couple weeks off school feeling dreadful. Needed several rounds of antibiotics for a very infected throat that wouldn’t shift. And it probably took me a full year to get properly over. I was just knackered all the time. But I was also a teenager who got major FOMO so I just forced myself to be a normal teen. I can remember trying not to fall asleep at the cinema with mates. I remember feeling bone tired walking round the shopping centre we used to go too every other weekend. I remember sat watching my mates swimming on the side of the pool cos I just had zero energy to join in. But I was there & socialising so I went anyway! I managed to get 11 A’s at GCSE despite my exhaustion, I remain pretty proud of this years later 😂

Resting when I could was key. But I think getting out & seeing my mates kept me going as well, mentally if nothing else! Probably could have been easy to slip into not going anywhere & just being at home but I can see how easily that Woolf have lead to me feeling very down & miserable! And then you end up in a horrible cycle ..

Hi

My son was diagnosed with this at 13yo. Used to play football then sleep on the way home. One day he was asleep as I was maneuvering the car in the car park. There were times when he'd walk downstairs and look like death warmed up. Like a different child to the one that went upstairs half hour before. It started to concern me so I asked the other parents about their boys. Ended up going to Dr then consultant at hospital. She put him down as moderate to severe as it was affecting his school life especially as he was so sporty. He was downgraded to moderate at 15yo. I feel bad that I can't remember the medication he was on. She did warn me it could affect him until he's 23. He's 20 in February and it still affects him from time to time particularly after other illness. Fortunately he's a bright lad and although I insisted on days off after bad bouts he got great grades and got a good uni offer at Southampton. Not the most important thing in life but that was his goal. I can't offer much advise other than giving lots of love, understanding and making sure they have your backing when they aren't up to doing stuff. Most of the tiredness these days is down to uni life 🙃 😆 x