<p>Just by way of illustrating how personal each case is, my d. got it at age 7 - and I assure you she was not kissing high schoolers. In a case of justified mother guilt, I've always assumed she got it from me - as posted above (the gift that keeps on giving) she probably drank from my glass and was just susceptible at that moment.</p>
<p>I had it at age 14. Socked away in bed unable to even read a whole book for a month. Guess it's better these days, but definitely bring him home.</p>
<p>jmmom--If you are 45 minutes away, and son is done till the 12th, unless your home is crazier than a dorm, I would insist he come home till his first final. Better for him to have quiet whenever he feels tired, food brought to him etc. so as best to use his time productively. I am guessing by now the thought of extending his semester into his break is horrific!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Mono may be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- which is caused by the Epstein Barr virus ( same thing that causes Mono).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think so...</p>
<p>This was a fashionable pop medicine trend a few years (decades?) back. It is a trend that has not stood the test of time. Truth is, no one knows what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. No one even knows if it is a true medical condition with a specific physiological cause.</p>
<p>I didn't know this- interesting
I knew it can take a long time to recover from mono- I had it in junior high but it was at least a year before I felt back to normal
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ebv.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ebv.htm</a></p>
<p>CFS seems to be a completely different thing- and more important to treat the symptoms than to absolutely identify a cause ( since they haven't seemed to be able to do that)</p>
<p>I'll second the steroids. I had mono this summer. I couldn't sleep or eat for days and I could only very painfully swallow any liquid at all. When I took a sip of gatorade, had it go down the wrong way, and couldn't even manage to cough my mom took me back to the doctor who decided it wasn't strep after all and but me on steroids before the bloodwork even came back. 12 hours after starting steroids I could drink and eat soft food. I was on the full dosage of steroids for 3 days, followed by several days of stepping down the dosage.</p>
<p>Steroids can be used but should only be used if absolutely necessary. They are very effective in reducing swelling in the airway but all drugs carry risks of side effects. Also using them before a proper diagnosis is not a good idea. Steroids can mask other more serious diseases and thereby postpone finding the correct diagnosis.</p>
<p>S was also put on prednisone by health center doctor to reduce swelling in his throat. I became alarmed when he told me exactly how swollen he was and was very thankful the doctor put him on it prior to the actual diagnosis. Had he waited another full day for the blood test result I am afraid there may have been no airway at all.</p>
<p>If all the kids on the hall have the same symptoms, it would not make sense that it is mono. Although 95% of the adult population would test positive for epstein-barr, only a small percentage actually feel the effects from it.</p>
<p>Although a high percentage of the population (95% is excessive, I believe) may test "positive" for Ebstein-Barr virus, this is NOT the same test as the MonoSpot. The EB virus titers measure IgG antibody which is the long term immune response to the virus. This more realistically corresponds to exposure to the virus in the remote past. The MonoSpot tests IgM antibody response, the acute immune response, and correlates with acute infection. This is why it is the useful test for these college students.</p>
<p>Infectious mononucleosis (i.e. "mono") is quite variable in its presentation in these kids. Some have the full blown "classic" case which generally starts as a pharyngitis (sore throat) with constitutional symptoms (fatigue, malaise, etc), some have extreme cases which can result in splenic rupture or jaundice, others have minimal symptoms, if at all (subclinical cases). The MOST important points here are a) prompt medical evaluation and testing (there are LOTS of other illnesses that "look" like mono) and b) rest, hydration, avoidance of contact sports, and symptomatic treatment. Yes, let the appropriate individuals at the college know about this child's illness. And get the kid somewhere with a quiet environment so he can rest...and avoid alcohol, etc.</p>
<p>hopkinslax, I am thinking that too. And DS now has me a little confused, as he wanted to wait to go to Health Services until he talked to "the kid" who had mono - last night I thought it was a "bunch of kids." Who knows? He's tired, congested, worried about his studies, hurting throat, worried about things he can't be productive about right now (how will I get my paper written?)... I'm thinking/hoping that he's at Health Services as we speak, and standing by to see what I can do for him.</p>
<p>quiltguru - thanks for the expert advice summary. Right now the "patient" is not being very cooperative and I don't want to swoop in and whisk him away unbidden. But I do think/hope he'll want to come home tomorrow and plan to get him if so. If Health Services doesn't inform Dean of Students so he can work out any accommodations needed (delayed paper date, different exam dates?), we'll do that ourselves.</p>
<p>Well, can't say as I'm thrilled with the Health Services: they think it's "probably not" mono - maybe strep or flu. But they didn't do a Monospot or a culture (it's not doing the culture that bothers me, but what do I know?). Gave him some Gatorade, told him to drink plenty of fluids and rest. He sounds a lot better (not as to the cold/sore throat symptoms, but as to his mood); I think his trip to Health Svces was reassuring and he's thinking he'll be over this in a few days and can keep up with his work. The whole mono thing may have been all in his imagination.</p>
<p>Trying hard to keep my helicopter parked in the garage. DS says he will check in with me daily, so I can hear how he's doing.</p>
<p>Health Services told my D she probably has strep right now. However, there seems to be a strep-mimicking bug going around, as her good friend was diagnosed with strep and then the culture came back negative....</p>
<p>Robitussion of all things has helped. Glad to hear it is most likely not mono.</p>
<p>Did they do a culture, Alu?</p>
<p>Good question. I think so. As I said her friend got one. I'll check.</p>
<p>Have him get tested for both strep and mono. My DS had horrible sore throat, huge swollen glands. Couldn't swallow. Sickest I've ever seen him.He had three day course of predisone and was a new person.</p>
<p>Actually, they can do a RapidStrep and have the answer re: strep immediately. It is pretty accurate and does require a throat swab. If +, the strep can be treated right then and there. The MonoSpot blood test will take a day or so. There are some findings on physical examination that can assist in differentiating strep from viral pharyngitis, which is why an examination is important.</p>
<p>From what I remember, our doctor strongly suspected mono since son had been on an antibiotic for say a week, with no resolution. Our doctor also started the steroid therapy before the actual lab diagnosis was made; the doc was sure it was mono, or sure enough to begin steroid therapy based on the antibiotic having no effect on the worsening sore throat.</p>
<p>quiltguru - I can't imagine why they didn't at least do rapidstrep or strep culture since that is what he says they suspected (I'm assuming they didn't because when I asked if they did a culture, he said "What's that?" and I said swab and he said didn't do that). He'll resist me telling him to go back. So do I browbeat him? Health Services won't talk to me anyway, so I can't call and ask why not. Or do I assume they looked at his throat/took temp and didn't think strep was likely at this point? Maybe they just mentioned it to him in a laundry list of possible alternatives to mono.</p>
<p>Sheesh, now I'm turning cc into a medical consult.</p>
<p>Well, jmmom, I'm a nurse. If my kid was 45 minutes away, sick and getting marginal care from health services, here's where I'd go next. Fever? Swallowing saliva without difficulty?
If yes to first and/or no to second, then home to our family health provider for bloodwork and cultures. All this talk about prednisone/steroids, they are symptom management and will not kill the strep, if that is the culprit.</p>