Hello Kanasmk,

When you have a fever your body is trying to fight an infection. Especially with Swine Flu out there and meningitis you don't want to take any chances that it could be something serious. I would suggest you both get checked out. If you can't get doctors appts. tomorrow, I would go to the emergency room. It's better to be safe than sorry and feel better soon!

Can you explain what menagitis is?

Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Non-bacterial meningitis is often referred to as "aseptic meningitis. Symptoms include: Fever and chills; Severe headache; Nausea and vomiting; Stiff neck (meningismus; Sensitivity to light (photophobia; Mental status changes)

How can one get meningitis?

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The most common causes of meningitis are viral infections that usually get better without treatment. However, bacterial meningitis infections are extremely serious, and may result in death or brain damage even if treated.

Meningitis is also caused by:

•Chemical irritation
•Drug allergies
•Fungi
•Tumors
Types include:

•Aseptic meningitis
•Carcinomatous meningitis (meningitis due to cancer)
•Cryptococcal meningitis
•Gram negative meningitis
•H influenza meningitis
•Meningococcal meningitis
•Pneumococcal meningitis
•Staphylococcal meningitis
•Syphilitic aseptic meningitis
•Tuberculous meningitis
Acute bacterial meningitis is a true medical emergency, and requires immediate treatment in a hospital.

Viral meningitis is milder and occurs more often than bacterial meningitis. It usually develops in the late summer and early fall, and often affects children and adults under age 30. Most infections occur in children under the age of 5. Most viral meningitis is associated with enteroviruses, which are viruses that commonly cause intestinal illness.

Many other types of viruses can also cause meningitis. For example, viral meningitis can be caused by herpes viruses, the same virus that can cause cold sores and genital herpes (although people with recurrent cold sores or genital herpes are not at a greater risk of developing herpes meningitis).

Recently, West Nile virus, spread by mosquito bites, has become a cause of viral meningitis in most of the United States. In addition to causing viral meningitis, West Nile virus may cause encephalitis in some patients and a polio-like syndrome in others.



Symptoms

•Fever and chills
•Mental status changes
•Nausea and vomiting
•Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
•Severe headache
•Stiff neck (meningismus)
Other symptoms that can occur with this disease:

•Agitation
•Bulging fontanelles
•Decreased consciousness
•Opisthotonos
•Poor feeding or irritability in children
•Rapid breathing
Meningitis is an important cause of fever in newborn children

My Name is katie and my boyfriend has had a stiff neck sore back, in larged glands High fever around 101-102.5 we went to the hospital and they didnt test for anything even tho he has the syntoms for meningitis and or swine flue. he has had these symtoms for 8 days now. he wakes up in a puddle of sweat and its none stop. when we went to the hospital all they gave him was two water IVs and vicodine for the body pain. he complains that he is dying and cant handle the pain. he has also not slept in 5 days if he does sleep its only 2-4 hours at a time. should i bring him back to the hospital?

Katie,

Where do you live? I know here in the states they most always take blood and run tests when you go into the ER so sick. I would suggest taking him back or going to a doctor that will give him a better check-up. I hope he feels better soon.

Katie, I was misdiagnosed in June during an ER trip after suffering what I thought was an anuresym, I had a 103 degree temp, horrible body aches, stiffneck and the pain was so horrible suffered hallucinations. They sent me home with a shot for pain and cough med's with codine. A week later I am still in horrible pain, went to my md and she diagnosed the VM said rest, fluid, rest, fluid. It has been six weeks, I am working from home part time on FML. This has been the worse illness I have ever experienced and feel like I may NEVER be healthy again. After reading all the posts, I am now terrified my quality of life is forever changed. From what I understand there is very little that can be done to help. I had an MRI yesterday, results not in yet and have been going to physical therapy for two weeks. Besides the headaches and feel "out of it" the worse thing is I can't sleep. I am so exhausted, but when I lie down the pain in my neck/back/head is so bad I can't fall asleep. Today was my last day on steroids, so I hope I can sleep later today. It is 5:00 AM right now and I am going on 2 hours of restless sleep. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your boyfriend.

Katie, I also had the same symptoms as your boyfriend and was diagnosed as having Reactive Arthritis or "Reiters Disease". I'm currently being treated and the pain is annoying along with the stiffness.