Please Help

This is the first time I have posted. Can somebody please help me out? I have had a mono-like illness that has been with me for months. I will have good days and bad days. Has anyone ever had this without being diagnosed with mononucleosis? The main symptoms are fatigue and nausea. If anybody can please write backk and let me know if they have heard of this, I would greatly appreciate it.

[alltomuch]

Have you been tested for Hep C?  Let me know, and keep me posted ok??  I had those symptoms for years, finally diagnosed and went thru treatments.  I still feel the same now, but at least my liver is not being damaged anymore!!  

[april804]

Do you need to get a blood test in order to test for Hepatitis C? I have had blood tests and had a CatScan of my liver.....would Hepatitis C come up in a CatScan?

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your help.

Lisa

[medicmommy]

Hi April,
When you say a "mono-like illness" do you mean you have monocytes present in your blood or are you using it as an example of some of the symptoms? Have you been tested for strep, is your spleen enlarged, is your white blood cell count elevated, do you run intermittent fevers, have night sweats, or abdominal pain?
These symptoms can be present in many illnesses, some of which can be treated with medicine and resolved, and some that remain chronic and can just be managed. Many times the underlying cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is found to have an auto-immune root, or a low-level infection (such as systemic yeast, staph or strep, tuberculosis, hepatitis C, hypothyroid, etc.) Being chronically ill can further manifest in depression symptoms which can be quite disabling and will lower the immune system further.
I hope this helps. If you haven't, at least see a Dr and get a full panel of blood tests done including a complete metabolic panel (CMP) including liver functions (LFT's) with a PCR for Hepatitis and a thyroid battery (TSH, Free T-3, T-4) and a complete blood count (CBC). -Go over the results with your Dr and ask about abnormal values-don't just let them glance at it and put it in the chart. Best of health...~MM

[SassyLassie]

Looks like you have gotten some great advice already. I just want to re-inforce that it is a good idea to see your doctor, they will run some tests/blood work, then they will be able to help your further.

No, hepatitis C would not show up in a cat scan, it would, however, show up in the blood work.

Hope you feel better soon.

[medicmommy]

Okay, don't shoot me for asking this, but has pregnancy been ruled out? Your age and medical history isn't listed, so it's one more thing to consider if you've noticed any weight gain or differences in menstrual patterns...Many women can carry a pregnancy to their last trimester and barely "show" until then...If you are menopausal, it is still a possibility -I had a friend who became pregnant at age 55 (NOT FUNNY!) after she thought she was "done" going through her change...~MM