Can you really get mono twice?

[jeliphish]

I went into my employee health clinic today complaining of pain behind my ears that goes down my neck somewhat. I thought it may be still some fluid issues like I had a month or two ago. My ears looked great but my lymph nodes were swollen which is probably what's causing all the tenderness in my neck and behind the ears. My spleen was also a bit "swollen" and when she pressed on it -it didn't necessarily hurt- I could just feel it extra sensitive if that makes sense....like when she pressed on it I could feel a sensation in my whole abdomen.

She mentioned mono...but I had it at 16. She is stil running a CBC and an epstein barr test.

Any experiences? Google has decided I either have mono or non-hodgkins lymphoma....

[Crafty]

From what I understand, yes. It's a virus that just stays in your system, laying dormant until, well, it's not. If I'm remembering correctly it's from the herpes virus family, like chicken pox and herpes.

I hope you feel better soon. I spent a year feeling awful and having everyone around me just think I was lazy, until my psychiatrist listened to me about how tired I was (and remarked that I looked tired!), tested me for EB, and lo and behond, I came up positive. I live i perpetual fear of the virus waking up again- I felt so wretched for so long. I hope you have a quick recovery!

[nataliachick7]

I have chronic epstein barr. Mono is highly misunderstood in the mainstream medical community. mine flares up every few years, i get a fever, exhaustion, achiness, horrible cold sores, etc... I take olive leaf extract, monolaurin, (natural antivirals) and Vit C.

[sophiesgrandma]

Yes you can get mono more than once.

[JessicaS]

Yeah, I am pretty sure you can get it multiple times. Mono is pretty hard to get rid of.

[Honey693]

My husband had it 3 times in 4 years.

[Babina's Mommy]

Oh lord yes...I was diagnosed with mono 9 years ago. Then I just had it again this past September. It was awful and worse this second time. I believe I was reinfected though, maybe the original infection was dormant and resurfaced from this, but I believe it was definitely also a reinfection. Someone else who does have chronic mono shared a drink with my daughter who gave it to me. And the nine years between the first time I had it and now, I was tested for it (when I was also tested for other things at the same time) and it was negative...

[jeliphish]

Well it looks like it is mono... At least it seems as if it is on the tail end of it. From what I understand (I'm going to get a fax of the bloodwork so I can understand better)concerning my Epstein Barr test, my IgG level (not acute level I don't think) is a 4.9 and it's supposed to be between .0 and .08. I guess that means my antibodies are in overdrive. She thinks the worst of my illness was about 4 weeks ago. I have just been writing off the tiredness as sleep deprivation, the sore throat as allergies, and the intense soreness from babywearing.
I am still struggling (and sleeping with 2 heating blankets) with the lymph nodes. I feel like it's the worst case of flu I have ever had... My arm pits can't be touched.
I have a follow up next week and I am going to try to take a few days off work.