<p>S has been sick now for nearly a week with a severe sore throat and swollen glands. Went to the college clinic, which did a number of lab tests, pointing to viral origins. We are still waiting for the conclusive mono test, which should be due back tomorrow.</p>
<p>The clinic staff seems to think it is a foregone conclusion that mono is the Dx, although S has had none of the usual crushing fatigue, no fever at all, and still has an appetite (although swallowing is very painful and difficult.) He is pretty miserable.</p>
<p>Just wondering if others here have had kids with mono, but without the round the clock sleeping and fever? I feel so bad for him-- he just got back to school for the spring semester this past Monday and now tells us he wants to come home, at least for the weekend. Luckily, he’s just 2 hours away.</p>
<p>My D, who is very athletic and pretty healthy in general, did not have a fever and did not lose her appetite. So it is possible that a young person can have mono without the “typical” symptoms! Please bring him home - he needs as much rest as he can get.</p>
<p>Bring him home for the weekend and keep your fingers crossed! Maybe some chicken soup will be all that’s needed and if not you can deal later. (I really hope D will be only 2-3 hours away for this reason.)</p>
<p>Bring him home. I have had mono before and couldn’t imagine getting it in college. It is honestly one of the most miserable common illnesses you can have. Be prepared though- it takes many young adults more than just a weekend to get over mono. I missed nearly a month of school in sophomore year because I was so sick. Make sure you get doctor notes in case he has to miss some class. </p>
<p>Yes, we’re picking him up tomorrow. Then I guess we’ll just hope for the best and that whatever this turns out to be does not ruin his entire semester.</p>
<p>The lack of fever and fatigue was perplexing to me though, as these are the two symptoms that always are mentioned. Couldn’t he just have a raging viral tonsillitis?</p>
<p>The medical care at his school is a little sketchy, too. I am just venting… terrible day.</p>
<p>Strep test was negative. He was vaccinated against both seasonal and H1N1 flu. I have my fingers crossed that it is just a bad case of tonsillitis, which is no picnic, but at least should resolve itself quicker than mono?</p>
<p>The whole thing sucks. He is generally very healthy.</p>
<p>I had mono in college and had the horrid sore throat and generally felt miserable, but never got the awful fatigue or any other symptoms, that I can remember. I was fine after a few days in the college infirmary. D apparently had mono a couple of years ago and didn’t even know it. She had a blood test for something else a few months after she had what she thought was a bad cold or a mild case of the flu and it showed the antibodies. Not everyone reacts in the same way to the virus.</p>
<p>When I had mono virtually the only symptom was the worst sore throat I’ve ever had. Since I got sick over Christmas break, I got a fair amount of rest anyway. I returned to school to reading period and exams and I didn’t need incompletes in anything.</p>
<p>My bet is tonsillitis. My D had mono last semester, she crawled home with tiredness and body aching. Grades suffered but missed very little school. Hope your S gets better soon.</p>
<p>I had a pretty mild case of mono-- I was fatigued, but not too tired to go to class, go around my normal business, etc-- it was only a problem that I was on a sell weekend for a job, and thus everyone else was out until 2-3 am partying while all I wanted to do was sleep (I didn’t know I had mono until after that weekend). I didn’t have a very high fever, and really the sore throat wasn’t that bad. I just had pretty swollen glands. I felt a lot better after about a week, although it took awhile to fully recover.</p>
<p>Here is the deal. Teens/early 20’s often get mono and you don’t have any clue it is mono. At this age, most pharyngitis (sore throat), tonsillitis, etc is the EBV virus, (= the mono virus), rather than strep or the usual pathogens that young kids get. They go on antibiotics (which don’t help mono) because it is thought to be strep, they get better, and no one realizes they have mono. Most teens who have mono don’t know it, and DO NOT GET THE TYPE OF MONO that you are thinking of, the fatigue, the weeks of not feeling up to par. That scenario is actually more likely to be adults. Parents fear the diagnosis of mono, but don’t realize that it is very common in teens. Most of the time it goes undiagnosed. It is only when they have the extended symptoms does the mono get diagnosed. </p>
<p>Don’t panic yet. The test may be negative, and even if it is positive, it does not mean a long drawn out course. Many students with mono get over it quickly. If the test for mono is positive, and there are IGM antibodies present confirming an acute case, it may only be acute symptoms without the chronic part. There is a precaution against contact sports and exercising because the spleen can be enlarged. If the test is positive, rest and certain precautions are needed. BUT A POSITIVE TEST does not mean your son will be sick for weeks or months. Really. Could he be, yes. But could he get over it as quickly as if it were strep throat or the flu, YES!!!</p>
<p>Epidemiological studies suggest that between 1%-3% of college students contract mononucleosis each year. Certainly there are not 1-3% of college students with the mono you are thinking of. And by age 25 90% people have antibodies to the EBV, indicating they have been exposed. Most did not even know it. Some were not even sick. Some were sick with a limited illness. Only a very small portion have the “dreaded mono” that we think about.</p>
<p>My 17 yo dd is just getting over mono. Although she had the high fever and sweats as well as the crushing exhaustion, she did not get the sore throat until a week into it. She also had liver involvement. I would want to know for sure if it is or is not mono because of the chance of liver inflammation as well as the spleen. Luckily for us, she only missed 7 days of school since she was sick from the start of winter break.</p>
<p>Very helpful, Sunny Florida! Sounds like you know of what you speak! I was starting to envision weeks of languishing in bed, a semester lost, and then lethargy well into the future.</p>
<p>I will try to keep calm, S will spend the weekend in his own (clean) room and bed, and we shall hope for the best.</p>
<p>My daughter had a confirmed mono with very similar symptoms (swollen glands, horribly looking sore throat, but no fever, and no fatigue to speak of - was still working and going to summer school classes). She was sick for about 3 weeks (took us 2 weeks to finally take her to ER, as she does not have a doctor here at home). She fully recovered in less than a month.</p>
<p>Momo, I am a GYN, but I end up being the primary care physician for many women who are young and healthy and have no true primary. I also have a 17 yo and a 19 yo, one of which had mono, but it was a very short lived illness with no spleen or liver problems, no fatigue other than the days she was sick with the sore throat and rash.</p>
<p>D was on the other end of the spectrum. Got mono in Feb and after a few weeks thought she was better. Relapsed in June and seriously became so dehydrated she almost died. Went to Dr’s office who couldn’t get a blood pressure on the kid while she was talking to him. He called an ambulance and they had trouble getting a bp too. Rushed to hospital sirens screaming and all. She was sick with 103-104 fever for 3 weeks as i sat by her side. A few months later all her hair fell out from the prolonged high fever. </p>
<p>Wow, sax. What an ordeal for all of you. Hair loss like that could really be traumatic for anyone, but I imagine especially so in a young woman. At least it does grow back. The important thing is she survived, but my goodness…</p>
<p>That’s terrible! I had mono this summer, with the horrible sore throat and not much else. I was really sick for about four days and had to stop contact sports for six weeks even though my spleen and liver were fine…it was precautionary. I’ve never had such a bad sore throat (tonisilitis) in my life.</p>