Re: Patti Tessler, FNP-mono twice?
From: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 29 Oct 1999 11:10:35 -0500 (CDT)
At Fri, 29 Oct 1999, Gina wrote:
>
>Hi,
>Thanks for replying. I have another question you might know the answer
>to regarding this subject.
>I have heard that getting mono can pre-dispose a person to getting CFS
>or EB syndrome as well?
Mono is caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EB). Some physicians feel tht
Chronic Fatigue Synme is caused by chronic EB, others disagree.
>Is it possible that my
>mono symptoms could be one of those disorders, caused by having
>contracted mono so severely?
Possible but usually the diasease and the symptoms clear totally.
>As for it showing up in the EB tests twice, I think once it's in the
>blood it always shows up in the blood whether symptomatic or not?
In infections, there's IgG and IgM antibodies. IgG is"ever had it". IgM
is "have it now".
>Or the
>antibodies would anyway? I'm NOT a nurse so I don't really know, I am
>just assuming this is how it works?
>
>Thanks again,
>Gina
>
>PS: I am so glad this subject came up because I have had these questions
>since last summer, and always get shoo'd away when I try to ask a doc
>about it. They just say "You can't get it twice, so you must have a
>virus or something".
>
>At Thu, 28 Oct 1999, Patti Tessler, FNP wrote:
>>
>>At Thu, 28 Oct 1999, Gina wrote:
>>>
>>>Hello Patti,
>>>I have a question for you from something you replied here.
>>>You mentioned a room mate having 2 episodes of mono in her teens. It is
>>>my understanding, from my Dr., that once you have mono you can't get it
>>>twice? You develop anti-bodies that keep you from getting it again, like
>>>chicken pox.
>>>
>>>But you said she got it twice?
>>>
>>>The reason I ask is because since I had mono last summer, I
>>>have had numerous bouts of the exact same symptoms and often wonder if I
>>>have mono again, but the docs tell me I can't get it twice. I had it
>>>for 3 months last summer, at age 35. I lost 50 lbs. in 3 months I was
>>>so sick from it.
>>
>>Gina,
>>
>>It's also my understanding that, in general, one can't get mono twice.
>>However, it's worth noting that a person can get, for instance, a mild
>>case of chicken pox, with inadequate buildup of antibody to prevent a
>>second case.
>>
>>I was not privy to my roommate's medical records first-hand, so I can't
>>guarantee what I was told, but she advised that she had lab-confirmed
>>mono twice. The use of the mono antibody test (Epstein-Barr) stirs up a
>>fair amount of controversy in health care circles, so I'm sure that
>>you'd get different opinions from asking different providers.
>>
>>Your summertime illness sounds awful; I hope that you don't experience
>>this problem again.
>>
>>--
>>Patti Tessler, BSN, MSN, RN, CS
>>Family Nurse Practitioner
>>
--
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
Great Neck, New York
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