How long can Glandular Fever last? 9 December 2019 at 11:05PM in Health & beauty MoneySaving 15 replies 2.4K views

esme_dav

Hello I would like some advice, for some context, I know that I have had Glandular fever since the end of August last year, and the symptoms have been ongoing from September last year until now which is about 8 months, I don't know if this is relevant but I had just recovered from a bad chest infection in august which I had to take antibiotics for. I initially thought I had tonsilitis at the end of September but my tonsils and the nodes in my neck remained constantly swollen and from October to the end of March I was constantly getting secondary infections and my tonsils were in a constant state of being swollen and extremely sore and I felt constantly tired. At this time I was at University so I was going out a lot, smoking almost every day and drinking multiple times most weeks until December when I started to get really ill and was extremely tired all the time and then I started getting really bad ear infections mainly in my left year. When I came home over Christmas it stayed the same even though I was smoking and drinking less. When I went back to uni I felt ill all the time and tired as well, and my tonsils remained in the same state as they were the last term and I stopped going out as much and smoking but it only seemed to get worse and it made me really depressed. I have been to the GP 3 times since I have been at uni and I have been tested for glandular fever which proved I do have it and my liver function was tested and the results showed it was normal, I have had antibiotics for a secondary infection in December time but they didn't do anything.  Since uni has been canceled and I have been at home I have completely stopped drinking and smoking for a month now and the nodes in my neck are still just as swollen and my left ear still has a lot of pressure and is constantly popping (as is my right but not to the same extent), I am sleeping 10-12 hours every night but I still feel physically exhausted and have tried going on runs but my tonsils hurt and I struggle to breath when I do. My right tonsil has gone down a bit and is less sore but my left tonsil is still really sore and is getting bigger, I have noticed that it has lots of bulges on it and is very red.
In the last week, I have been gargling salt water twice a day but it has made no difference, I am about to register at my local GP and try to get an appointment, I am worried it might be tonsil cancer as the left is so much bigger and more inflamed than the right even after doing everything I'm supposed to do to treat glandular fever and has that has worked to an extent on my right tonsil. I would like to know if anyone thinks I would qualify to get my tonsils removed and if anyone can give me advice on how to get better quickly. Thanks to anyone who's taken the time to read all of this:)

Pollycat

Sorry to hear that you're not well, especially in these very difficult times.

But MSE forum rules are very clear that you should not ask for advice about medical problems:

• Medical advice

  This is a MoneySaving site. If you have a medical problem, please use NHS Direct or go to your doctor. This forum, and the Health, Beauty and Fashion board in particular, are not the place to discuss it.

  The Health board is for discussion of all issues surrounding health, diet, nutrition and how they relate to MoneySaving. Discussing medical insurance policies, cheaper ways to see consultants, cashback for alternative health treatments, how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) are all perfectly acceptable forms of discussion.

  It is very specifically and strictly not for the discussion of what to do in the event of certain medical problems. Please do not ask questions about this.

  Even though medically-qualified people sometimes visit these forums, we would ask them to refrain from answering specific medical questions. This leaves us open to somebody coming on, pretending to be a doctor when they're not, and giving advice.

You need to try to speak with your new GP or maybe read this:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/

busybusylady

Hi, I’m so sorry you’ve been so unwell for so long. I thought that I had Coronavirus but the antibody test came back negative, so now I’m pretty sure it’s glandular fever. It’s been two long months of illness so far. I still have a sore throat, uncomfortable ears and swollen lymph nodes in my neck. I just wanted to share that I have the same symptoms as you and they’re not going away. It’s annoying to not be able to get a doctors appointment at the moment, so it was comforting to read that someone else is going through the same thing. I hope you feel better soon. Maybe increase your vitamin C intake? 

sammyjammy

There is no reason that you shouldn't be able to get a doctors appt, they will triage you over the phone and if they feel you need a blood test will ask you to visit the surgery.

busybusylady

Finally had blood tests - had to go to hospital to get them done. Bloods and X-ray came back fine but I still have swollen glands and a sore throat. The problem is they don’t tell you what they’re testing for.