Headaches, fatigue, dizziness, fever

[chelbeay]

My fiance went to the doctor about a week ago because he had been sick for a little over a week with symptons coming and going.  The doctor told him that he had Mono.  Gave him some meds for allergies.  Since he seems to be getting worse.  He has fever that comes and goes..mostly low grade but some are higher.  He has body aches like he has the flu and he get headaches normally when he first wakes up.  These are really bad and he says they hurt worse when he closes his eyes and try to relax.  He gets extremely fatigued.  He did not have a cold nor did he have any swollen glands.  The doctor did a WBC and a flu test.  Did not do a test for mono. The doc said he did not have the flu but his WBC was lower than normal.  His ears were filled with fluid.  My fiance seems to feel better and then it all hits him again, hard!  Does this sound like Mono.  The diagnoses just seems wrong to me.

[chelbeay]

Well my fiance collapsed at home this past Saturday evening from such severe headache pain.  I took him to the ER where we spent 11 hours.  They did blood work, cat scan, and an lumbar puncture.  He was diagnosed with viral meningitis along with confirmation of the mono again.  Luckily the bacterial meningitis test came back negative.  He has been out of work all week with pain meds and is now feeling better but still very fatigued and weak.  

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

So it is finally confirmed that it is infectious mononucleosis. The fluid in the ears and the swollen lymph glands may have caused the headaches. Strep throat also may cause severe headaches due to the pain and inflammation in the throat.

Infectious mononucleosis tends to affect the younger population groups. But this is not unlikely for older patients.

Keep us posted for anything.

[chelbeay]

My fiance went back to the doctor.  They did the mono spot test and he has full blown mono.  One ear was red and both have fluid.  Also he has started with the swollen glands a couple of days ago and the doctor also said he has strep throat.  Now he is taking an antibiotic, vit C, and antihistimine and Ibprofen.  The doctor said she just couldnt get over the fact that he is 38 and has mono.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Ear infections when present may cause headachesThe pain may be more noticeable in the side of the infected ear.However, in your fiance's case both ears contain fluids.This may manifest as a sense of fullness and a generalized headache.

Headaches behind the eyes and localized in the forehead need evaluation of the sinuses and of the eyes. I suggest that your fiance seek consult with an ENT specialist to have his sinuses checked.A complete eye examination to rule out any eye problems may also be needed.

[chelbeay]

Hello.  Thanks for the reply.  I was surprised that the doctor diagnosed him with Mono without doing the test for it.  I asked my fiance again and he did say the doctor did a nasal swab and blood work.  Yes it was the doctor that told him about the fluid on his ears.  In fact the doctor was surprised when my fiance said he had no pain from the pressure.  He prescribe some meds for allergies saying that it would take care of the fluid.  When he gets his headaches they are always behind his eyes and on his forehead.  Can that be caused from an ear infection?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

I suggest that you have your fiance seek consult with an ENT specialist.

With regards to the presence of fluid in his ears was this an observation made by his physician?

The fluid in his ears may be causing his symptoms.Ear infections may cause headaches and generalized weakness if the infection is left unmanaged.In your fiance's case, the decrease in WBC may signal an underlying viral infection although this finding may be nonspecific. His symptoms also fit the picture of a viral infection.

Infectious mononucleosis usually presents with a sore throat ,an enlarged lymph node and fever. You may discuss with your physician the advantages of doing a monospot test at this point to help with the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis.