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mono/ fatigue how long?

Hello,
My 14 year old gaughter was dx. with ono very early Feb. I am getting concerned about the on going fatigue. SHe was a very active teenager before this. The fatigue is improving slowly however she can not make it through full school days. She goes into school 1 or 2 hours late and has days she is completely wiped out. She was involved in sport/dance activities 5-6 times a week before this and now partcipates maybe once sometimes twice a week. The day she gets her period she seems much more fatigued and can hardly function. I make sure she eats a well balanced diet and she is taking vitamins. I am getting concerned and I fell bad for her.  Is this fatigue for this length of time normal? How long does this take to recover?
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, fatigue after Mono was started.
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Hello, It is now 6 months since my daughter dx. with mono.While her fatigue is better she is still very tired. She still is unable to handle all her activities. She sleeps 12 hours a night. She is back to 1 of her activities but tired easily. I know she is out of shape from her ilness. Is it normal for her to still be so tired. When she does get overtired she sleeps and rests a day or 2 with relief. SHe is never 100%. She initially lost weight with her mono and now has gained weight and has to watch what she eats not to gain more. She is not depressed. ( I have been asked that)I know this can be from inactivity but I hope nothing else is going on with her.  Can mono sometimes turn into chronic fatigue? Any ideas what our next step should be or is this normal.
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Avatar universal
I went to the doctor about three weeks ago with the following symptoms:

1.  Sore neck - my glands are swollen and my neck is actually sore to touch, it hurts to turn my head and when I yawn, cough or sneeze I get a sharp pain in my neck.

2.  I have pressure in my ears, my neck, my mouth and my face.

3.  I have intermittent feelings of a low-grade fever.

They told me I had a sinue infection and gave me a decongestant (can't remember the name) and amoxycillin.  After 4 days on the antibiotic I didn't feel any better and actually was feeling worse so I called the doctor back.  This time they called me in a prescription for Biaxin.  I have been on the Biaxin for 8 days and I do not feel any better.  My neck is so sore and I am living on Ibuprofen.  I take 800-1000 mgs at a time and I feel okay for about 6 hours then I have to take it again.  I do not actually have a sore throat, it is my neck (my face and my ears) that hurts.  The overall sick feeling seems to come in waves and sometimes comes on very rapidly.  

Does this sound like mono?  I have felt badly for so long that my imagination is starting to get the best of me and I really worry what is wrong with me.  I have even worried about Hodgkins Disease...Any ideas?
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Avatar universal
My daughter is 21 now. She has had 2 bouts with mono. First, when she was 14 and again freshman college year. The bout at 14 was the worse. She had severe fatigue for about 3 mths and took another 3 mths to get back to her "normal" functioning. Her bout at 18 was less severe, but school was ALL ahe could do. The social life fell by the wayside. It is difficult to watch and we Moms get tired for them. I do think the disease is under-rated for the impact it can have at an "active" time. We also had to stop all contact activities with the enlarged spleen. Good Luck - I feel for you and your daughter.
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233190 tn?1278549801
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello - thanks for asking your question

The symptoms of infections mononucleosis vary widely.  The fatigue may last anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months from the acute illness.  Unfortunately, other than symptommatic treatment, there have not been many other modalities that have been shown to decrease the course of the disease.  

If the fatigue is improving slowly, I would continue to observe and wait - some patients take more time than others to recover from mononucleosis.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
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Avatar universal
the time varies considerably, from days to months.It may be that she'd be better off backing off from her after school activities a while longer.
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