Glandular fever

smileygal

Hi,

Is it true that you can only get glandular fever only once, like chickenpox?

thanks

DrIndy

Yes, its a viral infection. The bug in question is epstein barr virus and the disease is more correctly called infectious mononucleosis.

Its also called kissing disease as the virus is shed in the saliva for months after the infection has passed and so is still transmissible. The younger you are when you have it the less the symptoms and many 4 and 5 year olds have few or no symptoms, as you get older it gets nastier and some people are left with feeling of fatigue for months afterwards. This tiredness can occur after a number of viral infections and so is not specific to glandular fever.

Your body mounts an initial immune response and then about two weeks later starts churning out masses of antibodies that clears the infection. The initial immune activation is what actually causes the fever and the achy muscles not the actual virus.

This is why you notice that people generally recover 2-3 weeks after a viral infection, irrespective of the virus in question.

Interestingly, glandular fever is associated with nose-mouth cancer (oropharyngeal cancer) in chinese people and burkitts lymphoma - a cancer that destroys bone in black people. It also can trigger certain leukemias. However, this is rare and only in genetically vulnerable people to cancer.

Pet

Is there a vaccine for it? I know of at least two people who got it while in their twenties, and according to them they suffered terrible chronic fatigue for months afterwards.

DrIndy

Pet wrote:

Is there a vaccine for it? I know of at least two people who got it while in their twenties, and according to them they suffered terrible chronic fatigue for months afterwards.

There is no vaccine developed as of yet to the best of my knowledge.

sorry....

but most people have it have few symptoms....

smileygal

Thanks for the informative reply.

bluefin

well dont know much about it
i mean i dont know whether it can occur again once it has happened
The cause of glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis) is a virus known as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This is most frequently seen in teenagers and young adults. It is thought to spread in a similar way to many other viruses, from saliva, and is sometimes jokingly referred to as the "kissing disease", as it is often passed from boyfriend to girlfriend or vice versa.

Lyndzi

ive had glandular fever 4 times so it does come back

beeno67

Lyndzi wrote: »

ive had glandular fever 4 times so it does come back

Or you have been misdiagnosed at least 3 times.

Lyndzi

i wasnt miss diagnosed. i had blood tests by my doctor each time, and each time it was confirmed i had glandular fever. i am not the only person i know who has had it a fews times.

Jeapy

Lyndzi wrote: »

i wasnt miss diagnosed. i had blood tests by my doctor each time, and each time it was confirmed i had glandular fever. i am not the only person i know who has had it a fews times.

IM is pretty distinctive diagnostically. You check the serum and do a blood film that shows the irregular leucocytes- cant really misdiagnose it if its been blood tested. Some people just have problems with antibodies eg Ive had the MMR vaccine 4 times and have had mumps and rubella, whereas my measles titre is well over the limit. thats the fun of immunology unfortunately!

Fizman

Sorry for the crazy bump, but didn't think a new thread was necessary.

My question is this: If somebody has suffered from Glandular fever at some point, is there an issue regarding the donation of blood?

I for some reason or another remember hearing this before, and wanted to know exactly what the story was. I had GF about 4-5 years ago.

Dinkie

Hi,

As far as I'm aware you can't donate blood. I had glandular fever and am unable to donate.

There is an interactive eligibility quiz if your unsure whether you can or not:

http://www.ibts.ie/Become_a_Donor/Give_Blood/

I am terrified of needles so am actually really grateful I'm unable to donate...it stops me feeling too guilty

cuckoo

Fizman wrote: »

Sorry for the crazy bump, but didn't think a new thread was necessary.

My question is this: If somebody has suffered from Glandular fever at some point, is there an issue regarding the donation of blood?

I for some reason or another remember hearing this before, and wanted to know exactly what the story was. I had GF about 4-5 years ago.

I have donated blood, and had glandular fever previously. That was a while back, so the rules may have changed...

I've rung the IBTS lo call number (on the website, top right hand corner) with questions about donating in the past, they were able to answer them straight away.

littlebug

I had glandular fever but I was able to continue donating blood until the cjd/ uk restriction came in.

Tree

Given that most ppl have contracted glandular fever (whether with or without symptoms) by the time they're thirty five, it would be madness for the ibts to deny ppl donations on that point. There are quite a few viruses you can carry about and still donate blood, in fact, many of htem you won't even realise you've contracted eg. cmv.

tallaght01

post above removed, as asked for medical advice

mayogurl

Hi i'm going to tack this on here as there's no point starting a new thread for it. I had a blood test last week that came back positive for glandular fever today. I had swollen tonsils for 10 days and on my 2nd doctor's visit she tested for glandular fever. I've been off most of last week and this week. I've spoken to her in detail several times and she explained that since I never felt fatigued and the only symptoms I had were swollen tonsils, I'm fine to go back to work at the end of this week, and fatigue should not be a problem. Apparently I should be over the very infectious period by Friday.
I'm just wondering has anyone else out there experienced this?I thought glandular fever was one of things that you had to rest for weeks to get over. I have been on 2 antibiotics in the last week and she's told me to stop taking them now obviously.I was just wondering was there anyone else who's only had these symptoms or who's had this without suffering from the fatigue?

tallaght01

this thread is just becoming a place for people to ask for med advice, so I'm going to lock it.

If anyone wants to start an actual thread ABOUT glandular fever, go right ahead and I can move a few of the posts from here into it