Does this sound like mono?

Question

I have a low-grade fever (100.3) that I just started running today. The glands in my neck are swollen, but that's the only place-- not in the armpits or the groin. They've been swollen for about 2 days now. The ones in the front are only slightly swollen while one in the back is about walnut sized. Also, my urine is darkish in color and sort of pungent. I'm taking 18hours at college this semester, and have worked about 43 this week. I'm sort of stressed out and EXTREMELY fatigued. I've been having a little bit of trouble visually focusing over the past couple of days.

I recently got an industrial piercing, and my mother is worried that might be the cause.

Can anyone help me define my illness? I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, but I'm a total worrywart, so I'd like to have some idea of what I'm dealing with here.

Answer 1

that sounds like mono

Answer 2

You might have mono.  Some of these symptoms match the major signs of the mono "checklist" on wikipedia's page about it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_...  Moreover, they sound reminiscent of my infection with it- fever, shaking, extreme fatigue (both physical & mental), frequent urination within short spans of time, swollen glands in posterior cervical (neck) lymph nodes.  Similar to your situation of  being overwhelmed by work & school, the disease beset me when I first started having major bouts of insomnia due to stress.  

So many other symptoms overlap with mono, so the only proper way to determine if you had it would be through blood tests (a high white blood cell count combined with a positive result of the Epstein-Barr virus would be pretty conclusive).

This doesn't sound typical of a piercing infection.  & it seems unlikely that you got mono due to the piercing, as mono requires body fluid exposure (saliva, blood, etc.- though I suspect sweat may be a method of transmission, as I had minimal fluid exposure other than sweat left unwiped on gym equipment).  When you see the doc, mention the piercing in addition to your symptoms.

Hope you start to feel better.

Answer 3

Symptoms usually begin to appear 4 to 7 weeks after infection with the virus. Signs that you may have mono include:

constant fatigue

fever

sore throat

loss of appetite

swollen lymph nodes (commonly called glands, located in your neck, underarms, and groin)

headaches

sore muscles

larger-than-normal liver or spleen

skin rash

abdominal pain

People who have mono may have different combinations of these symptoms, and some may have symptoms so mild that they hardly notice them. Others may have no symptoms at all.

Even if you have several of these symptoms, don't try to diagnose yourself. Always consult your doctor if you have a fever, sore throat, and swollen glands or are unusually tired for no apparent reason.

Because the symptoms of mono are so general and can be signs of other illnesses, it's possible to mistake mononucleosis for the flu, strep throat, or other diseases. In fact, occasionally some people may have mono and strep throat at the same time.