LymeNet Flash: How many of you have had mono before Lyme?

This is topic How many of you have had mono before Lyme? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by dullchime (Member # 6024) on :

Just wondering how many had this situation before your Lyme dilemma.

chime

Posted by Monica (Member # 224) on :

I had blood work sent to Igenex about six weeks ago. My tests came back showing active Lyme Disease and also a recent EBV infection.

I have read on the board before that some Lyme sufferers have positive EBV tests, although they don't have any recollection of having an experience with mono.

I sure don't!

I think there must be a connection between the positive mono test and LD. Don't know what it is, but would be curious to hear other people's ideas.

Posted by artbyjessie2 on :

from what i understand about 95% of the general population shows past exposure to the EBV virus.

Active infection would be indicated by a high titre.

i had an Inf. Disease doc try to tell me taht I have chronic EBV - without a high titre. Fired him promptly.

I don't think it has any relation to Lyme thought probably is a factor for Chronic fatigue sufferers - the ones that don't actually have Lyme.

Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :

I had "mono" when I was 17....very ill. I now know it was mostly [if not all] Lyme. I believe I contracted Lyme around age 8.

------------------
oops!
Lymetutu

Posted by marks (Member # 6965) on :

My regular dr. who has an "open mind" tested me and said I had chronic mono.

He treated me for 2 weeks with famvir.

I believe it is associated to the LD.

Posted by sarabear (Member # 6530) on :

I had mono at the start of the decline o fmy health. I don't think it was lyme acting up because my throat was practically swollen shut. Maybe it caused the lyme to become active in my system or something--I don't really know.

Posted by bg (Member # 46416) on :

YES, I got infectious mono at age 21; almost 35 years ago this month. EPV was not the name they used back then.

So fatigue has lasted from then to now with 1-2 years later the fibromyalgia severe pain came as well as the EXTREME sensitivity to lights/glare/reflections and noise/sound.

Plus irritable bowel/bladder, TMJ, migraines, painful periods, & the rest of my long list of symptoms came.

Betty G.

Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :

After the standard 4 weeks of abx and no improvement, my PCP tested me for EBV. Positive! He then thought ok good it's not as bad as he suspected.

At least he was smart enough to suspect lyme in the very beginning. Two months later I told him it's lyme. I've got 40 of these symptoms from Dr B's write-up.

Pam

Posted by threefries (Member # 6959) on :

Wow - this is interesting.

I still have no dx of lyme, but I had mono about a year and a half ago - during thanksgiving. Never did figure out how I got it.

Anyone else think these two could be related???

Posted by PinchotGail (Member # 5066) on :

You caught my attention! I had a bad case of infectious mono when I was 14; which coincidently was the same year I developed myoclonic seizures........I was pretty healthy until 10 years ago, then got Babesia in Fall of '03, that took me right down the tubes!!!

Gail

Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :

Before my son tested positive for lyme, he had a positive EPV, and monospot. However, he never had mono, at least not that we ever noticed. Weird uh ?

Posted by laserred (Member # 6796) on :

YES, I had mono as a teen ager, about 14-15 y/o.

Hmmmmm.....since then have had strange, subtle, unexplainable symptoms (that I can relate to Lyme, now that I know what I know about Lyme)

Just to name a few over the years....

painful heavy mensus, paralysis (that lasted for a few hours upon wakening, this happened 2 times over about 2 years time),

stiff neck, painful achey joints, night sweats, panic attacks, sinus infections,

sudden severe onset of fatigue (once I slept almost 2 weeks straight, up each day for a bowl of soup and potty, then back to the couch, lost 10lbs in 2 weeks, which I couldn't afford, only weighed 108, went down to 98lbs).

Insomnia, anxiety, heart palpitations, rashes, migrains, neck & shoulder pain, brainfog, swollen ankles, feet, hands, muscle & joint cramps (charley horses), sciatic nerve flareups,

hyperactive bladder, vision problems, hair loss (alopecia, but it grew back)

Hypothyroid dx...short term memory problems, forgetfulness, getting lost (once I went to the grocery store...1 mile away, ended up in my parents driveway, 15 miles away). Left arm weakness (came and went)

I think I just kept getting reinfected til my body crashed last summer and my body's immune system said 'Do I have your attention now? I just can't keep up any more, I need outside help!'.

-laserred-

[This message has been edited by laserred (edited 11 March 2005).]

Posted by cigi (Member # 6600) on :

Dignosed with EBV in 1988 - was in my 20's. The titers were so high, doctor told me titers of someone with Hodgkins or HIV. Never retested, but lyme diagnosis was thought of and come out in 2002.

Cigi