Is EB reactivation real?

[Riahi]

Hi,

My problems started beginning of March. Tiredness, and low energy. Middle of March aches and pains in shoulders, upper arms, and right side of back of neck. I can not find any lymph nodes that would be worrisome. What I do have are a pea size lymph nodes here or there..that when pressed is extremely painful. Then next day I will check same place and that is gone. The aches , and pains have gotten better since for 5 days now, still there off ,and on, but nothing like it was.

But I have now have for the last 3 days is a low grade fever, with chills in the late afternoon it starts. It ranges about 99.4, 99.6. I have a low body temp. usually so I really feel it. But it fluctuates wildly. 20 mins low grade, next hour fine , next 5 mins low grade, 2 hours fine. It is that crazy. CBC was fine .My doctor also ran a Sed Rate, and an LDH test, which were normal.

I just called him to add the low grade fever to the mix. A few years ago.. I had something similar, but not the aches, and pain thing. Tired, low grade fever, general sense of not feeling well. And I was tested for EB, and they found a reactivation. So he is going to test for that again.

Is this a real thing? EB reactivation? I just don't want to miss anything . and I am in a hurry, end of May, I have a trip (cruise ) which I feel I could take no matter how I felt. ( you could always veg out if I had to). But two weeks later I go to Hawaii. Which is a long plane ride (being in Northeast). That one I so want to do , but I am afraid I won't feel ok enough:(

THank you for any help.

[carisa]

It's very real. I've had reactivation once a year for the past four years. All of them were worse than my very first encounter with EBV. For whatever reason, some people are not able to fight off the infection as well as others.

[9DodgeFan]

Hello, and welcome!  EBV reactivation is very real and more common than most people think.  I personally had a relapse which was worse than the initial sickness.  It took a long time to get over, but since then I have been OK.  Obviously it will be different for different people, but I would say definitely get as much rest as you can.  Have you been under more stress lately?  I ask because there are many events/factors which can cause EBV re-activation, but stress is one that I hear the most often.  Feel free to take a look at some of the other posts in this forum; you will find that EBV re-activation has been discussed fairly often.  Maybe you will find some information in one of them that you think would be more applicable to you.  Best wishes!