Mono at 10 months, keeps getting worse

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hello, 

This past February I got VERY sick, continued going to the doctor throughout the spring until they finally tested for mono, which came back positive. 

It started with post-nasal drip, sore throat, hoarse voice, glandular swelling and pain, fever, fatigue, constipation, blurry vision, ear pain, anxiety etc. You know, just normal mono stuff. Then, from June up until now, things have been getting weirder. My ears started ringing, my eyes started to ache and dry out, and my mouth got dry. I also started dropping things a lot, plus stuttering and fumbling my speech. I developed breast pain, shoulder pain, sciatica, and upper right rib/back pain.

10 months later, I still test positive for mono, and I still don't feel well. 

For the first three or four months I didn't realize I had mono, so I wasn't living as normal, drinking booze and eating junk, working full time and doing volunteer shifts on the side.

However, since diagnosed I've been taking good care of myself. I've been eating tons of fruits, vegetables, and meat, avoiding carbs, sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, soy, and shellfish. I've also been taking a boatload of vitamins, minerals, and herbs - magnesium, iron, vitamin c, vitamin d, B12 and folate, omega 3, astragalus, echinacea, nettle leaf, dandelion root, licorice root, melatonin. I've been walking regularly, but not doing any high-impact exercise. I sleep 8-11 hours every night. I do yoga and meditate to try and cut the stress. 

I'm wondering if anyone else has had mono for this long or experienced any of these weird symptoms, and when/if/how you began to feel better. 

Thank you. 

2

Hey! I've been sick since around February too, and still experience most of the symptoms that you've described, except for a sore throat(it has cleared up in November) and the chest pain that got better(i still feel it when I bend down). I've also had a bad food poisoning in January and after that, i've developed hemorrhoids and problems with prostate, so the last year was a f*****g b***h, lol. I'm sure that all your symptoms are normal. I hope we can all get healthy again in 2018.

3

Hey there, thanks for the reply! Definitely know what you mean about 2017. Glad to hear you're starting to feel better, I hope it all turns around for you soon. 

4

Hi MRW,

I had it for a year, have only recently been feeling better. I had most of the same symptoms. It is a very vicious virus, but you will eventually recover and you are near the turning point.

5

Hey MRW, I am at the 9 month mark now and feeling only very very slightly better overall. Hardly enough to see any positive improvements. I have read over a hundred different stories of people who have suffered for up to two years with this virus so at this stage I am remaining positive of a very slow but full recovery. 

I don't mind if it takes another 6-12 months really, as long as I know I won't be like this for the rest of my days. 

Thanks to this forum, I can see people like Mono are making very good progress and that gives me great reassurance which it should for you also.

Take care and keep your chin up pal!

Sam 

6

I’m. Just past a month. So sorry it’s been miserable for so long. Has the diet helped at all.. any abdominal pain..

7

Hi Sean, 

For me, what's helped more than anything is supplements — particularly liquid iron, vitamin c, vitamin d, and vitamin b12. Mono caused me to become anemic, so I was breathless and tired, in addition to already being super duper anxious. I found that those supplements helped keep me energetic and emotionally even. 

As for the diet, avoiding sugar and alcohol have been the most important — whenever I've overindulged, like over Thanksgiving, I've gone into a week-long relapse. Also drinking tons of water, sleep, etc. Anyways, it seems like the earlier you concentrate on a nutritious diet and taking it easy, the shorter the duration of the illness. I didn't look into it until around 6 months after I'd been sick, so I think that's why it's has been so prolonged for me. 

8

Been reading all of the comments, like you, I am so ready to feel well. I've been dealing with mono since May. I don't feel nearly as tired, but still have a daily headache. Anyone else have the daily headache and if not, did you and when can I expect it to subside? Getting mono as a 44 yo working mother of 2 is the pits!