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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Glandular Fever. Is it all doom and gloom?

90 replies

Sparklingbrook · 03/05/2018 19:46

DS (18) was diagnosed with Tonsillitis earlier in the week but they are now doing a blood test as they think if might be Glandular Fever.

Everyone I have spoken to have been full of awful stories of being laid low for ages as a teenager.

Just wondering what he's in for. Sad

OP posts:
beargryllshasabigrope · 03/05/2018 21:21

I had it at 17 and it floored me for months. I had no idea it can have such long lasting effects, I've always suffered fatigue and joint pain since, but never connected the dots. I wonder if it's GF related..

I hope your DS is ok OP, and it's just a rotten case of tonsillitis.

fitflop · 03/05/2018 21:21

I got my DS Natures Plus Power Teen multi vitamins.

I was told to make sure I got some with Zinc.

They don't taste the best apparently but are manageable!

Hope you DS feels better soon.

cdtaylornats · 03/05/2018 21:22

Took my roommate out completely at university. I woke up when he was shivering so much I heard it and he had a downie and two sleeping bags on his bed.

Got a doctor, he called an ambulance and that was the last I saw of him for 3 months.

Mrscog · 03/05/2018 21:23

Oh no Sparkling :( hope it’s not, and that he feels better soon.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 03/05/2018 21:28

Thanks Mrscog, I am a bit worried due to the Uni stuff more than anything. Bad timing.

I hope so too bear, I just want to know now.

Did he come back cdtaylor? Shock

Just be chance DS came home last Saturday to surprise me. So glad he wasn't suffering at his Halls and waited til he was home to be ill.

OP posts:
Mediumred · 03/05/2018 21:29

Aww, poor him, and fingers crossed ds2 is ok. I had it in my first year of uni and had to be admitted to their sanitarium-type place but i’m sure I was allowed home after four to five days and was back on my lab and lecture-heavy course pretty soon after. Get him to drink as many fluids as he can stand. I was told to lay off the booze for three months which was hard, and I didn’t manage entirely, but I suffered no further ill-effects (and am now nearly 30 years older eek!)

CAAKE · 03/05/2018 21:42

I had it at 17. I woke up ill on the day of a huge dance exam. I just managed to get through the exam and was taken home to bed where I stayed for 10 weeks.

A naturopath recommended a daily dose of 1500mg of vitamin c powder taken in orange juice. I feel like this is what cured me in the end, although I did suffer badly from every cough and cold I caught for about the next 10 years.

FreckledLeopard · 03/05/2018 21:59

DD (17) has just got over it. She got ill at the start of January and was in bed until mid-February and only started going back to school normally in April. She had the worst tonsillitis I've ever known and it was like living with a 90 year old!

What helped was daily high dose zinc and vitamin C, and reflexology.

Mellifera · 03/05/2018 22:11

My friend‘s son had this recently, also first year at uni.

He was ill in October, then a bit better, then it hit him hard, by that time bloods had come back.
He lost loads of weight, was very sporty und muscular, but struggled and spent most of the time at home until February.

I hope your DS‘s results come back negative.
On the other hand, uni must be used to this.

Graphista · 03/05/2018 22:14

I had it early 20's completely floored me for 4-5 months and wasn't fully recovered for at least a year - and I was a fit healthy type at the time!

It may not be of course. It may be a bad bout of tonsillitis which can be a lot worse than people think but not as bad as gf

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 03/05/2018 22:16

It has been said that Uni is the place to contract GF. And yes, I am hoping this is all run of the mill for the Uni.

I don't know which way I am thinking now. Whether he just has bad tonsillitis. Or it is GF and he is going to get worse, because he isn't having to stay in bed and he can't sleep because of the throat pain and he has what seems like a really bad head cold.. He seemed better today than he has done all week but still awful IYKWIM.

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 03/05/2018 22:17

I felt awful for months. I have lasting damage on my liver. Not major but I still go yellow if I drink.

I lost quite a bit of weight because I had no appetite

Doublevodka · 03/05/2018 22:19

My daughter had it last year when she was 12. Her tonsils were so swollen she was admitted to hospital for steroids as they were blocking her airway. She was ill for a month and lost a lot of weight but then bounced back and doesn't seem to have had any long term fatigue.

Love51 · 03/05/2018 22:20

FWIW I had it (and a related disease a year later) and it actually inspired me to work really hard and I overachieved in my exams. I didn't want to be bitter in the future (eg thinking I'd got C's but could have got As if it wasn't for GF) so when I was better I worked my arse off. Used to revise on a Friday before I went to the pub - decided that arriving a bit later could give me an air of mystique!

llangennith · 03/05/2018 22:28

I had meningitis at 19 and blood tests showed I’d had GF before that which probably lowered my immune system. I’d advise your DS:
You have to look after yourself for a long time after GF and if you’re tired you have to rest. Don’t push yourself and forget all the crap about ‘making the effort to exercise’.
Do what you have to do and cut out socialising till you’re better.
it can come and go for years after the first strike but you’ll cope.

Bowednotbroken · 03/05/2018 22:29

My son had it at 16. Four months later he was diagnosed with ME and he's still more or less housebound 12 years later. Not to be gloomy or anything! I'd be interested in what has made a PP feel better at 63 too (sorry can't recall which poster).

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 03/05/2018 22:33

I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. Some of your you and your DC have really been through and still are going through the mill with it. Sad

Everyone I have spoken to in RL has either had it or knows someone who has, seems very common.

OP posts:
AtiaoftheJulii · 03/05/2018 22:38

Ds had it earlier this year, starting end of January - he was really ill for about a fortnight, painful throat, kept spiking temperatures - it was my mum who suggested GF, when I was saying to her that it didn't seem like flu, but I couldn't work out what it was. Then had February half term and spent most of it still in bed, but was back at college as normal after that. Since then he's been basically ok, maybe 90% of normal? Definitely more tired at times, but other times mostly fine.

I do make him take lots of vitamins!

I don't think it's always horribly debilitating, you just hear the horror stories more! And there are also probably loads of people who think they've got flu or tonsillitis and don't even ever know because they don't have severe long term after effects.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/05/2018 22:39

I was quite unwell for a week. Could t close my mouth, or talk. Didn't eat for a week but after that I was tired for a week abs then fine.

Aprilmightbemynewname · 03/05/2018 22:41

I remember my ex had it years ago, I skipped college one lunchtime to call round Blush, his df had the same idea and I needed up hiding in his walk in wardrobe for an hour!!

FernetBranca · 03/05/2018 22:49

I’ll give you a much less gloomy experience. I had it in my 3rd year at university, at Christmas. I was absolutely wiped out for about 4weeks, then shaky for another 4.

My dr was adamant I needed early nights, fruit and veg and not much alcohol Hmm. Just what you want to hear as a student. Actually I hated feeling ill so much that I pretty much did what he said and it pretty much worked. And I think it gave me a really strong message about self care which has stood me in good stead since (am now in my 50s).

My tutor was super nice as his own dd had had GF really badly and had had to miss a year at university. But I honestly think they are very used to it and very responsive.

I went through about 2 years needing to be v careful about not getting run down but I really bounced back very quickly. In the remaining 2 terms I got through all my work, fitted in a major romance and got a good degree 😀

DramaAlpaca · 03/05/2018 23:00

My DS had it recently. He's a bit older, early 20s. Had a couple of bouts of horrible tonsillitis so GP did bloods for glandular fever which came back positive. He was quite unwell for a couple of weeks but improved steadily after that. He had it quite mildly really but still has to take care of himself, not too many late nights, eating well & taking vitamins. He needs to make sure he gets lots of rest. Anyway, my point is that it can be debilitating or it can be much less severe.

Hope Sparkling's DS feels better soon.

SmokyRobinson · 03/05/2018 23:07

I had it when I was 16 - tiredness lasted for about 6-8 weeks, with the second week being the worst (unable to leave bed, high fever). But a month later I was back at school and starting my normal activities again. No long term problems because of it, fortunately.

CaviarAndCigarettes · 03/05/2018 23:50

Sorry @Sparklingbrook but it was awful. It used to take all of my energy to get to the bathroom and back and then I'd sleep and summon up the energy to go again.
It's a months not weeks thing in my exciting experience

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 04/05/2018 10:57

Thanks all, I can see that there's a mixed bag but generally it's horrible.

He's in a bit of a state this morning. But we got to the Doctors for the blood test. They insisted we would have the results Tuesday but I will be surprised.

He's currently lying on the settee looking shattered.

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