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Original poster

Any one had glandular fever...

21 replies

Poolbirthx2 · 03/05/2015 05:08

I think i have glandular fever. Feel so ill; sore throat, aching bones, ear ache, headache. I had a telephone consultation with the doctor on friday who prescribed antibiotics but they not done a thing. Only thing that helps is a hot bath!

How long will it last, do i need to go doctors. I have not felt this ill in a long time!
Tia

OP posts:

Banana82 · 03/05/2015 05:27

Hi there!

I had glandular fever when I was in university about 12 years ago now. It started off as literally feeling exhausted. I could barely move to our kitchen to get a drink. I also had incredible thirst. Then came the swollen glands. They were so bad my whole face had puffed out and my eyes were just slits. I don't remeber my throat actually hurting any more than a normal sore throat though. It was just the sheer exhaustion. Uni was a long was from home and my dad came and picked me up. When we had a pit stop at a little chef on the way home I couldn't even get out the car to walk the 10 metres to the door.

I didn't want to eat or do anything. Just sleep. Even watching tv or just sitting at the table with family wore me out. I lost 2 stone and the after effects lasted about a year. I used to be out all night but come 10pm I was ready for bed.

My doc initially told me it was tonsillitis which I knew wasn't right. Get a second opinion. I did. I hope it's not glandular fever. It really did knock me about for a long time although I've heard some people can recover quite quickly.

Get well soon!

BikeRunSki · 03/05/2015 06:25

I've had it - lasted properly about 2 months, after effects and fatigue about a year.

Pagwatch · 03/05/2015 07:23

I've got it. It took a long time t get diagnosed but the blood test confirmed it a couple of weeks ago. It's just dull as hell. I haven't had any days when I have been bed bound but I am able to rest when I need to so its easier for me. But needing to sleep in the middle of the afternoon just makes me miserable.
I'm eating well, avoiding alcohol and sleeping whenever I can.

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 03/05/2015 07:36

I had it when I was in sixth form, a fair while ago now!

I was bed ridden for four days, literally couldn't get up. Couldn't eat, only drink (and only just as was so painful). Think it was two weeks before I was back at school and even then, I couldn't last a whole day.

After effects like extreme tiredness probably a year in recovery and for about five years after that if I got tired, I got ill and took much longer to recover.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Madsometimes · 03/05/2015 07:37

My glandular fever was like Pagwatch's. I got it in my uni holidays and it took about a month or two to fully recover but I was not bed bound, I could potter about the house. I felt a bit lousy when I went back to uni, but it didn't last too long. It was confirmed by a blood test, and you do need to go back to GP to get the blood test.

My sore throat was not particularly severe, milder than tonsillitis or even a very bad cold. It was the fatigue and fever that was distinctive for me. I did have white spots on my throat so from that point it mimicked tonsillitis.

TrulyTurtles · 03/05/2015 08:03

I had it at 19. (A long long time ago)Initially diagnosed as tonsillitis, with thrush in my mouth, couldn't eat anything except custard and baby pudding, tonsils out, then high temps at night particularly, incredible thirst (think 2or 3 litres a night) headaches, lethargy, night sweats. Eventually saw different Dr who hospitalised me-no White blood cells, ni folic acid (hence temp). There for weeks, barrier nursed for three, spleen massive. It was scary.

Original poster

Poolbirthx2 · 03/05/2015 08:19

Thank you everyone. It started off really as exhaustion which i just put down to looking after two young dc but then yesterday i just couldnt move - i said to dh i have stuff to do but i physically cant move. I will ring doctors tomorrow for a second opinion

OP posts:

Mummytogoldie · 04/05/2015 01:52

My dd age 5 had it, well still has it suffering side effects. Hers started as swollen glands and horrible throat which was almost closed up. They said tonsillitis but after 3 days of antibiotics she got hospitalised and a blood test confirmed glandular fever. She got hepatitis if the liver from it and a swollen spleen. She was exhausted . She then got orbital cellulitis and was really poorly in hospital for 7 days. It's 7 weeks since all this started now and she is still ill. She is like a different child so tired and emotional constant temps and sore throats :( ask for the blood tests , they need to check your liver as well, I hope it's not that cos it seems like a long haul :(

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 04/05/2015 01:56

Ask for a blood test - mine was picked up randomly before the symptoms really kicked in, as I'd had a blood test for an unrelated issue.

Original poster

Poolbirthx2 · 04/05/2015 18:08

Thank you for all your comments. After going to out of hours GP i have been diagnosed with tonsillitis and an ear infection and given some new antibiotics - i'm not convinced; i have honestly never felt this ill in my life and i am now on day 4 with no improvement.

OP posts:

pinkfrocks · 04/05/2015 19:42

Tonsillitis in an adult can be pretty crap. It can take a month or so to feel really well.
But GF is a whole lot worse.
I had it when I was around 27. I had a month off work then it took me 6 months of going to bed by around 8pm to get back on my feet and TBH a whole year before I was really 100%. I couldn't even climb a flight of stairs during the first week of it.
Get well soon and rest.

Mummytogoldie · 04/05/2015 19:52

I would ask for the blood test op as dd hadn't responded to antibiotics after 3 days and they said tonsillitis should respond within 48 hours. If you have glandular fever and they give you amoxicillin it will cause a scalded like rash x

Adarajames · 04/05/2015 20:10

I was told years later that yes Id probably had it as a teenager, and was part of the cause for the later ME that has disabled me for about the last 19 years. If it is gf, then you really need to take it easy, rest a lot, take suppliment if you can swallow them and on no account push yourself I get better more quickly or you could be be up with ME. Certainly push for the blood test so you know for sure whether it is or not and I hope you can get tha support with your children so you can rest and recover well

stayathomegardener · 04/05/2015 20:12

Just be aware that taking antibiotics for tonsillitis when you actually have glandular fever can make the outcome worse.

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 05/05/2015 07:25

Agree with others. They gave me antibiotics for tonsillitis and within two days I was far, far worse so did blood test.

Your poor daughter Mummytogoldie

headlesslambrini · 05/05/2015 07:50

I was in hospital with it as my throat closed.over and couldnt drink water. All the hospital gave me was soluable aspirin to gargle, within days I felt so much better and was able to drink, a couple of more.days after that I could eat very small amounts.

wonkylegs · 05/05/2015 08:20

I had it at 17, off school for a week and was like the walking dead for several months. I was diagnosed by blood test.
I was in 6th form and had to sleep several times a day between classes as I couldn't make it through the day. Ended up repeating the exams the next year as I was in no state to do them.
So I was horrified when after a bought of the 'flu' at 19 - severe pain, stiffness and fatigue returned. That year I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis which made the GF seem like a walk in the park. I've since found out that there are studies that link the two possibly because the same underlying problems with your immune system allow them to develop. It's shit as I am likely to have RA for life - although the drugs are much much better than they used to be.

FelixFelix · 05/05/2015 08:27

I had GF when I was 19/20. I started off being horrendously tired all the time. I would literally walk in from work and sleep from 7 until the morning. Then I kept getting ill every few weeks - flu like symptoms with a bad throat and constant ear infections. It carried on like that for about a year. I still now get ill very easily and always have colds, I assume as a result of having GF.

Also, it can be quite hard to detect with a blood test. I had three and it was never picked up, but my GP said he would bet a lot of money that it was GF.

FelixFelix · 05/05/2015 08:30

Wow I've just read the rest of the posts and some of you have had a horrendous time! Feel like I got off lightly now.

OP I echo everyone else that you should push for a blood test. I hope you feel better soon.

furryleopard · 05/05/2015 08:48

I had it in 2002 when I was at university. It started off like a bit sore throat coldy but got worse and worse and my throat swelled up so I was saving up to swallow. My Dad came to collect me and I laid on the sofa at home for about 3 weeks - had to get a sick note for my part time job.

The doctor assumed it was tonsillitis and gave me amoxicillin but that reacted to the epstein-barr virus that causes glandular fever and gave me a full body rash (everywhere except my face, fingers and toes)! That lingered for ages and I had to have another few weeks off work as I was customer facing and it was summer so I couldn't really cover up. It was when I had a rash they tested for glandular fever otherwise I'd have not known I'd had it really.

I don't particularly remember the exhaustion lasting as I was at university and certainly didn't start going home early from nights out! However I did lose 3 stone and drop a couple of dress sizes which was (in my eyes at the time anyway) a bonus!

furryleopard · 05/05/2015 08:58

Wonkylegs - after reading your comment re arthritis I just wondered as I have Graves Disease (overactive thyroid) and that is also auto immune, a bit of googling brings up other people linking glandular fever with thyroid problems, mostly underactive but some overactive. I wasn't diagnosed til around 8 years later but I just wonder. My consultant ruled out a link with my gallbladder (as I had problems at the same time as my thyroid became noticeable) but I've never thought of a possible link with glandular fever.

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