Glandular Fever....only a few days til Uni...

Yesterday i was diagnosed with Glandular Fever. I'm gutted.

I'm starting university on Monday, a long way from home, and i'm not entirely sure how i'll cope with everything.

can anyone who has had Glandular fever advise me on how long it lasts, what i should do, how best to cope, etc. Should i tell people as soon as i get there, or will that just alienate people from wanting to get to know me?

cheers.

Joe

Reply 1

frost105

14

Mine lasted 4 months but was a bit of a bad one plus I had lots of other stressful stuff going on which made it loads worse!

Reply 2

squigaletta

The length of time it lasts can vary from 6 months to 2 years, i had it for 2 years. I doubt it will have an alienating effect on people, but just dont say it as you introduce yourself may seem a little wierd. the best thing you can do is take aechinacia suppliments, multi vitamins and vitamin c daily, you need to keep your immune system bolstered. also try not to run yourself ragged too much, make time every week to chill out, read a book and not party.
pm me if you want more info

Reply 3

pikaboo

13

I managed to do well in my GCSE's and AS levels without even knowing I had glandular fever, and that was the busiest period of my life...so I'm sure you'll be able to cope too. My advice is to sleep when you need to (even if you feel sleepy in the middle of the day - your body needs lots of rest), drink lots of watery drinks (go easy on the alcohol if you can, it'll only make you more dehydrated), do a little exercise to keep active but never strain yourself. You'll be able to tell after a while anyway when it's time to take it easy. You'll get concessions if you need to miss any compulsory tutorials etc. if you let your lecturers know. Hope you get over it soon, take it easy and hopefully it won't drag out for too long :smile:

Reply 4

chonky

I was diagnosed glandular fever 1 day before final tests of college and I had to redo them after it was over.
Although my symptomes only stayed 2 weeks. That's very uncommon for glandular fever.

It's irresponsible to go to university with glandular fever because it's highly contagious even long after your symptomes are gone. You will with no question infect other students and knock them out for some weeks/months.

Reply 5

Fleece

15

Yeah, I got it in Fresher's week and had about 2 weeks off at beginning of term which wasnt ideal. But yeah, it lasted for quite a long time. Was only properly right after Christmas I'd say.

It varies for everyone though.

Reply 6

squigaletta

Its not irresponsible to go to uni with it, its irresponsible to kiss people at uni while you have it.

Reply 7

chonky

Its not irresponsible to go to uni with it, its irresponsible to kiss people at uni while you have it.

It spreads via 'droplet infection' (don't know the real english word) which might happen aswell when you speak normally with a person. It need not be only a kiss.

How can I avoid spreading glandular fever?

There is currently no vaccine to prevent glandular fever.

To prevent spreading the virus:

- avoid kissing or any close contact with people if you are currently, or have recently been, infected
- do not share crockery, clothing or towels with people

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Infectious_mono.html

Reply 8

Fleece

15

squigaletta

Its not irresponsible to go to uni with it, its irresponsible to kiss people at uni while you have it.

I didn't kiss anyone at Uni as I had a boyfriend at home and still got it. Like chonky says, it's airborne.

Reply 9

squigaletta

I know its airborne but its carried in the saliva. ou cant not go to university becase of it so you have to minimise the risk of infecting others, hence no kissing. id never kissed anyone when i got it so im well aware that thats not the only way its passed on

Reply 10

Soph33

I had it when I hadn't kissed anyone too. I only had symptoms for 2 weeks so I was lucky, just take it easy and rest when you need to, but do your best to get yourself back on your feet.

If you're going to uni, it wouldn't be the best way to meet people if you gave it to them! But just make sure you don't kiss anyone, share any drinks and try to keep your kitchen stuff seperate?

Hope you don't have it too bad.

Reply 11

Fleece

15

Tbh I don't think the OP is much going to feel like kissing anyone.

Reply 12

tinkerbellejess

13

I had it at christmas. I would say rest and relax for as long as you can (until you get there). And try and take it easy when you get there, If you rest now, and don't go too mental when you get there (you probably won't feel like it anyway) the hopefully you'll heal quicker.

Reply 13

theflcgal

i had it last year very very badly. the doctor had to give me a steroid injection to reduce the swelling in my throat and liver.

ok advice - for me there were 2 stages of it. the first when i was just completely nackered the whole time! rest lots and lots and drink lots of lucozade and get some vitamin tablets. if you're anything like i was then you wont be able to eat properly for a few weeks. get lots of sleep. you'll probably lose a lot of weight. i lost half a stone in the first 2 weeks, and then another half a stone in the next few months. it was over a year ago that i got glandular fever, but im still not completely recovered. im still underweight and get tired out easily :frown:

the second stage for me was after about 6 months of feeling too ill to do anything, becuase i hadnt dont mcuh for the last few months, my muscles had completely wasted! so do gentle exercise. its important not to exhaust yourself, but make sure you do some exercise, or you'll have trouble later.

did your doctor say you had any other effects, eg a swollen liver? if so, DONT drink alchol!

dont kiss anyone for a while, becuase you're infectious. even after the actual glandular fever has gone, if you got it badly, then it will have left you with a very low imune system! i keep getting silly colds and throat infections that i just cant shake off cos my immune system is gutted. i keep having to go back to the doctors for anti biotics and stuff.

anyway hope that hasnt depressed you too much! oh and while we're tlaking about depression, depression is well known for coming with glandular fever. you get so fed up of not being able to do everything that is easy to get down. so just make sure you have some good mates there with you to talk to and who are prepared to do things at your own pace. never be embarassed to have to ask your friends if you can have 5 mins sitting down, if you're out with them and feel tired!

good luck and keep smiling.uni will still be great fun!

Reply 14

Fleece

15

Yeah, you shouldn't really drink anyway, as it's most likely that your liver will be enlarged/swollen. I wasn't allowed to drink until Christmas.

Reply 15

Mkali

I won't bother listing everything you should and shouldn't do, as everything I would'e said has been said before. I had Glandular fever for about a year and a bit when I was in year 6 and although it went away, I was left with a weakened immune system for well over another year or so, so that colds lasted weeks instead of days.

But it's all about taking care of yourself and doing what you know you should, if you ignore it, it won't get any better.

But have fun in university and try not to let it weigh too heavily on your mind. Enjoy and take care :wink:

Reply 16

theflcgal

me neither lol. and when i did start drinking again, i was such a lightweight after not having had any drinks for 6 months.

make sure you dont overdose on paracetamol or ibuprofen. its very tempting because if you've got a painful throat and painful liver and spleen, its easy to take lots of paracetamol. i found that for the first couple of weeks i had to have extra strong paracetamol every four hours, and that still wasnt enough, so in the alternating four hours i took ibuprofen. so every 2 hours or something i was taking stuff. which for quite a long time isnt really a good idea if you can avoid it.

Reply 17

puck_fella

On a side note, you guys all being the academic mega enthusiats most of you are. Seems to be a bit of a recurring theme here, bit of corrleation between high grades and gf.

Reply 18

theflcgal

well its not like the whole of tsr is saying they've had it is it :confused:

Reply 19

Helenia

20

squigaletta

The length of time it lasts can vary from 6 months to 2 years, i had it for 2 years. I doubt it will have an alienating effect on people, but just dont say it as you introduce yourself may seem a little wierd. the best thing you can do is take aechinacia suppliments, multi vitamins and vitamin c daily, you need to keep your immune system bolstered. also try not to run yourself ragged too much, make time every week to chill out, read a book and not party.
pm me if you want more info

Not true - in most people it lasts much less than that. I had it in my first year and was ill for two weeks, recovering for another 2 and then basically ok. I got tired easily and had a crap immune system, but I was well enough to function. Only really bad cases/complications tend to last really long.

To the OP - if you've got it diagnosed then you've probably already been feeling crappy for a while. Follow whatever advice you've been given and basically just only do what you feel up to doing in your first few weeks. Take lots of vitamin C etc and eat healthily.

Glandular Fever....only a few days til Uni...

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