Worried about symptoms

[schaeffer123]

On Monday morning, it was almost impossible to swallow, my throat and neck were swollen and stiff. I had sore muscles and could barely move. It hurt like a ***** to swallow, I could barely even swallow water. Usually if I have strep throat it gradually gets more painful over the course of a few days.

My husband just told me I had the flu and to drink more water. He also dragged me out to do some shopping and pick kids up from daycare (we didn't go shopping, I insisted to go home. He gets grumpy when I'm sick and will force me to do things when I just want to relax - thinking it's better for me to be up and out.

Tuesday I felt worse, My headache is a constant throb and my throat felt like it was tightening up.

Doctor took one look at me and said, It looks like strep throat, but it really sounds like Mono as well. He took a throat swab and gave me a prescription for Pennecillin.

My lower back, front part of my thighs and lower back of my calf constantly ache
I'm constipated and I can't make a bowel movement, if I strain my head pounds severly. I've lost 9 pounds in 2 days, and I have no appetite at all, I have to force myself to eat something (soup)

I woke up this morning with chills and I had a fever of 104.1F - I had no one to call so I started keeping cold cloths on my head and back of my neck, stripping down and drinking ice cold water. I was just starting to get fuzzy around the head and then I started sweating like a pig. (Told husband about it on the phone and he got all sarcastic "interesting" about it).
My fever is now 101.2F and I'm more alert to things.

It's hard to sleep at night, my body hurts so much from laying down so long, and my head and neck hurt from the pillows, if I use less pillows, my neck hurts more. So I end up tossing and turning all night, getting up, putting lots of clothes on (because I have bad chills) or pulling them all off (because I'm so hot).


Anyway, does this sound like Mono or just a flu like my husband insists?

[juICY45]

I HAVE SHINGLE LIKE CONDTIONS FOR 3 YRS. I BREAK OUT ABOUT  EVERY 6 WEEKS. IT STARTED ON MY UPPER BACK, NOW IT SPREADING DOWN MY BACK TO MY BUTTOCKS. I ALSO GET THEM ON MY SCALP. RECENTLY I BEEN HAVING JOINT PAIN ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER THE PAIN I BREAK OUT WITH PAINFUL SORES IN THOSE JOINTS  WHERE THE PAIN WAS(FOR EXAMPLE MY ELBOW,ANKLE, SCALP) I BEEN TO FOUR DOCTORS WHIO CAN EXPLAIN IT. THE ONES ON MY SCALP TAKE ABOUT 6 WEEKS TO HEAL THEN THEY MOVE AND START OVER I LOSS HAIR IN THAT AREA ONCE I GET A LITTLE WHITE HARD ROCK OUT IT HEALS BUT THEN IT MOVES, I HAD ABOUT 6 OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS.
THE ONLY THING DOCTORS FIND IS MY WHITE BLOOD COUNT IS HIGH.I HAVE HIV TESTING DONE FOR THE LAST 3 YRS. EVERY 3 MONTHS AND ITS NEGATIVE. THE LAST BREAK OUT I HAD ABOUT 40 SORES. BEFORE THE BREAK IM IN DISABILATING PAIN., EVEN VICODIN HARDLY HELPS THE PAIN,. I LOSS MY JOB BECAUSE OF THE PAIN AND LOSS OF ENERGY AND INDURANCE. PLEASE CAN ANY DOCTORS OR PERONS GIVE ME SOME KIND OF CLUE WHAT I COULD HAVE.

[fed-up-w/pain]

12 years ago I was in Basic training in the Army. I fell off an obstacle and injured my right SI joint and low back. In 1996 I suffered another injury while riding in a Track vehicle. I was track commander which means I am standing upright through the hole in the top of the track,with my upper body extending out of the track (from just under breasts and up). It was dusk and visibility was poor and we hit a ditch, I was thrown forward then back (whiplash style). I hit at just below my breasts, the air was knocked out of me but did not pass out. My driver suffered a cut chin and needed stitches. I received overnight bed rest and that was it. No x-rays or real physical exam. I applied for compensation when I was discharged because they messed up on getting my appointment set for an exam for medical discharge (how convenient). They dragged it out so long that my enlistment ended before they got another one set up(there was a change of command and it was more important) I receive disability comp from the VA for the injury to my low back, but there was no testing on their part, I went to outside doctors because they refused to do MRI (too expensive they said). I gave them the proof and was given 50% disability. The whiplash issue has yet to be resolved. I am in pain from my neck to my toes. I wake up at least 3 to 4 times to re-position due to pain so severe in my low back and hips that I cry and wake up my husband to help me cause I can't move from the pain. I take methadone 5mg three times a day, flexeril 10mg 2 times a day, and that doesn't hardly touch the pain. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, raynauds, sjogrens, osteoarthritis, and I am not sure they are the correct diagnosis. I have all the symptoms of FMS but with severe fatigue that strikes after I go away for a weekend (travel over 30 miles) and get little sleep, stress also causes it to happen. I am in bed sleeping for sometimes over 24 hours and physically unable to get up and function past just going ten feet to the bathroom and sometimes I need help with that. At least once a year I have symptoms that can not be explained by tests, they all come back normal, but the physical signs are there, swelling of lymph nodes in my neck, axillary, and groin. My salivary glands swell under my tongue, and I get lesions in my mouth and my tongue cracks. I get sever migraines, with extreme sensitivity to light, rashes, and swelling in my legs and face, unable to walk on my own. I have gone in to the walk-in clinic like this only to be told all tests were negative, no mono, no virus, no bacteria infection. Go home and rest. I have seen my doctor at the VA and he thinks we should just treat my depression (been there done that) and see what happens. I can't help but think something else could be wrong and I want to know so I can seek treatment or at least research how to best live with it. I appreciate any information you can give me to shed light on what to do. My husband thinks it could be Lupus, my doc says he doesn't think so so no tests are ordered.

[celine149]

Whatever it is, I hope your husband gets it next, he deserves it!

[MomOfTwoGrls]

above poster is right, I hope your husband gets it next.  He is a insensitive cad and needs to sleep on the couch for awhile.  MEN..... I swear....

[Haileys Mom]

I empathize with you! Seems as if your husband reacts the same way mine does. Although I'm glad he tries to find logical, less serious reasons for my occasional 'rough' spots or sicknesses, sometimes he gets grumpy and actually seems frustrated like "here we go again". I know they mean well.

I wish I could help you. Like you, my throat is so sore and has been for a solid 2 weeks now. I am also getting neck pains, like shooting, sharp momentary spasms. Sometimes it feels as if something is in my throat when I swallow, and the pain is raw and lasts all day. My husband said I'm snoring more than usual and I'm sure that's aggravating it even more!

Will you be seeing an ENT Dr.? I go on Friday. I went to him back in January too. God forbid he 'missed' anything serious back then! I will be very upset if that's the case. My right tonsil is enlarged (always has been bigger than left) and very sore. I have been having a lot of heartburn and ever since being pregnant (daughter is 20 months now), that has been something I noticed, whereas before that, not bad at all.

Not sure about the flu w/ your symptoms. When you have the flu, you feel like you've been hit by a Mack truck, have no energy, chills and ache and feel ROTTEN. I am always in bed the whole time until it gets better.

Do me a favor---Drink some nice warm, steaming (not scalding hot, but hot) chicken broth. Don't use the low sodium stuff... you need the salt with it. Also, consider drinking some Theraflu. That stuff usually works great for me. But the chicken broth always makes me feel better even with something like the flu!
I think I will do the same tonite and see if it eases my sore throat at all. I doubt it though. I am scared stiff that I'll never get rid of this horrid pain!

I swear if it's not one thing, it's another. I just recently got rid of a 5 month long 'mystery' of left shoulder and arm pain that came out of the blue and I'd gotten many different tests for. It finally went away and now this all starts.

Good luck-

K

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There is marked fever and continuing symptoms suggestive of a persistent infection.  If a bacterial cause of the sore throat isn't treated appropriately, it can spread, leading to more serious infection.  

Imaging of the head can be considered to evaluate for any abscess.  A referral to an ENT physician can be considered to further look at the sore throat and to determine if it has spread.  If so, IV antibiotics and hospitalization may be needed.  I would also obtain blood cultures to ensure the infection hasn't spread to the blood.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician, or in conjunction with an ENT physician.  If the symptoms and fever continue, I would be evaluated in the ER.

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.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_