First off, I'm sorry to hear about your condition. It sounds very difficult to be able to manage life with the symptoms that you describe!

It sounds like you need rest! Is there any way that you can take 1-2 weeks off from whatever you're doing (school, work, etc.) for rehabilitation? It sounds like your body needs some TLC in order for the immune system to get back up and running.

Thanks for your concern!

I have been trying to take it easy, though I am a single mother of 2 young children and I receive slim to none for help. I am not working anymore, I did lose my job because of this. I try to rest as much as I can, but nothing seems to help.

You poor thing! I'd suggest that you call your doc's office to identify which tests they administered. There are a couple for mono. There is the Epstein-Barr Virus Antibodies Test and the Mononucleosis spot test. Doctors also order a complete blood count. There seem to be two possibilities right now.

1. You have a negative mono spot test with symptoms and reactive lymphocytes are present and you may be in the small number of people who do not make heterophile antibodies. Other EBV antibodies and/or a repeat mono test may be performed to help confirm or rule out the mononucleosis diagnosis.

2. You may present a negative mono test and display few or no reactive lymphocytes. This means that you may be infected by another microorganism that is causing mono-like symptoms (such as a cytomegalovirus (CMV) or toxoplasmosis).

When the mono test is negative and/or the doctor wants to obtain more information about the presence and status of an EBV infection, she may order one or more of a combination of EBV antibodies. These tests can indicate whether you are susceptible to EBV, have had a recent infection, have had EBV infection in the past, or have a reactivated EBV infection.


I hope this helps! I think you should return to the doctor and follow up. I'm rooting for you!

My doctor tested my blood for mono like six times for mono, each one coming up negative. But they finally sent a sample to some lab in California and it came back positive. I think what he said was that my body wasn't producing the things normally found to fight off mono so they thought it was negative.

I can't imagine having mono while also caring for children, but if you do have that, something that helps me is to schedule everything. I write everything down, and I make sure I'm taking care of the minimum that I need to. Everyone says that's all you can do anyway (:

I hope you feel better / get answers soon!

My daughter who is in her sr year of college is apparently dealing with cronic mono. we have been dealing with her symptoms for 4 yrs off and on. her blood work revealed active mono twice. but the dr did not diagnose her with cronic mono. now her symptoms have returned. she is a full-time student who works 20-30 hrs per week while maintaining a 4.0! this condition is taking a toll on her mentally and physiccally. she goes to college about 60 miles away and lives there. her dr is in this area and she cannot take time off from school as that caused her to lose my insurance for a semester a year ago and she has to have that!!! i have great hope for future treament for this condition. is any research for treatment being done???? she is at the end of her rope. i have had to make an appointment with a counselor for her severe depression from this!!!!