I'm curious to find out if anyone else "out there" can make a connection between current chronic fatigue and a past bout of mononucleosis. Smile mentioned the possible connection in an email to me, and I've been researching ever since. There's nothing definitive medically speaking, but I'd just like to ask how many others out there who suffer from fatigue (and depression) had mono in earlier years.

I had Mono in high school but don't have fatique.

Most people with mono, all they want to do is sleep, sleep and then sleep somemore. It is usually one of the major symptoms of this disease.

[ September 16, 2005, 08:58 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

I had mono in 1979, but despite 2-3 months of bedrest, and a reasonably active life since, I've still never had the same energy level that I had before. I hear the same story from a lot of people who had mono in their early years. So I'm exploring the possibiity of a connection between the long-term fatigue and that old bout of mono. Some studies call it "chronic mono", and some report that this chronic mono actually develops into chronic fatigue in some people, possibly caused by the same Epstein-Barr virus that caused the original mono. Nothing's conclusive, of course. So I'm just doing a casual study of my own here.

Eagle, Epstein barre is the causative agent for mono which can recur again and again. I too have heard of both chronic fatigue and recurrent depressive episodes in people who have had mono as young adults. I'm not sure there a direct relation but I just keep hearing the same story and there seems as if there might be a connection. When mono starts coming on my voice throat hurts in the nasopharynx area and my voice changes. I have come to recognize it and before it can put me out of commission, I just take a day or two to rest and it goes away.

As I'm reading your book, I was reminded of being completely immobilized by my first bout of mono when I was in my twenties. I remember the depression also. I think my mono often followed a time of great stress so as with many conditions it was difficult to know which came first, the physical or the psychological.

Here's a website I found about it.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ebv.htm

smile

HOORAH! HOORAH! smile is back and posting her wisdom for all to see.....Now question, I always heard Mono called the 'kissing' disease and that it can be spread by kissing someone who has it. Is that true

[ September 17, 2005, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

I had mono in high school too and right now am going thru all kinds of tests because of constant exhaustion. I thought it was a result of my back surgery last December but seems worse. It is really starting to get me down because I feel like I'm getting nowhere and I feel stressed from the feeling I'm losing little parts of myself

Chatty, I had mono when I was studying theology in a Catholic seminary. I know for a fact that my mono was definitely not caused by kissing someone...I'd remember kissing ANYONE back in those days. I was 24 at the time and hadn't had a date or a kiss since grade 12. Unless you count the "kiss of peace" during Mass...I did get lots of those, but since they were all on the cheek, I don't know if they'd count as possible points of infection!

Pattyann, Persistant extreme exhaustion has been the most debilitating factor in my life for about three years now. The doctor keeps checking me for different causes, but everything comes back normal...except an unexplained elevated WBC. It really is demoralizing, because it feels like I'm dragging cement blocks around everywhere I try to go (and so like you say, I usually end up going nowhere fast!).

I seem to have finally come to terms with the reality of my limitations, and am trying to go with it, rather than expending more precious energy fighting against it, which only fatigues me even more. But there's no denying that it really does cripple me and make a lot of my favourite activities impossible to do anymore. It would somehow be so much easier to tolerate if I could at least point to a better reason for the fatigue than just "I don't know!"

Eagle,
I wonder if your initial attack might have been related to antibiotics. At the time of my first mono attack, I had taken a lot of antibiotics for what they thought was strep. There are theories that mono may result from the toxims of fungus that over develop as a result of taking antibiotics. The theory is that antibiotics (which are also in meat) destroy the normal bacteria in your intestine to balance the fungus and other normal organisms thus there is an over growth of fungi, and other toxin producing organisms. Symptoms of fungal toxicosis include fatigue and depression.

My recurrent bouts of momo followed a course of antibiotics. I am beginning to wonder if they might have led to a fungal condition that led to mono. I was given a lot of antibiotics following my surgery in Dec. and was so exhausted and depressed. The pain didn't help either.

Some of the problems that led to my surgery began to develop following a supposed strep infection in 2003. As it turned out, I didn't have strep at all, but had breathed draino that burned my throat. After the antibiotics, I hurt all over, gained weight, became depressed, and was exhausted.

It's all just theory, but pro-biotics to combat fungal infections might help. I took them and am also attempting a low carb diet (carbs contribute to fungus development). Only this week I got enough energy to begin exercising again. I am slowly beginning to feel like myself.

It might be worth a try.

smile