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What Causes Severe Sore Throat, Swollen Glands, Body Ache, Nausea And Fever?

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Posted on Tue, 1 Sep 2015
Question: been sick with a severe sore since last wednseday.. 3rd day on antibiotics, my strep culture was negative. Today I am still having some swollen glands but I can eat and swallow. I have ANOTHER fever tonight! Low grade, but this is crazy, I've been sick since last Wednesday night. So with everything, back in XXXXXXX blood work showed elevated platelets, then I had that bad cold in July before i went to the beach. But got better. Then had my blood work redone a week after I was sick & my doctor said my wbc we're now elevated and still elevated platelets... fast forward to now!... severe sore throat, glands swollen, body aches, nausea, fever. What does this sound like to you...what do u think mono?.. lymes?... Ebola!? Lol... .I literally just want to feel better, this sucks so bad! :( sorry for the book. :( my throat is definitely improving, but why still the low grade fevers, and glands
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (27 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
ahhh... I am looking at your previous questions

Detailed Answer:
This has been going on for almost 2 weeks. there is objective evidence of inflammation (elevated platelets and at least borderline wbc). This may or may not be the Second course of antibiotics this month. Frankly, I agree with absolutely every response you've gotten and I think you have been a great person to interact with !

That being said, the viewpoint Now is going to be different than the viewpoints Then. You have an off and on illness since XXXXXXX
Mono.
Certainly a monospot test. For that matter you could go with all the other chronic virus tests:
HIV perhaps (note that the most common risk factor in the first surveys of women were heterosexual long term monogamous relationships!... with husbands who were hiding risk factors!),
but mono is much more likely.
Testing for hepatitis is probably reasonable.
Not sure about lyme, frankly I doubt it is a reasonable consideration.
I have seen undiagnosable illnesses present this way (the patient finally mentioned that all the pets in her trailer park were sick/dying and we treated her with tetracycline which worked and penicillan family would not work on most animal bourne diseases). Many animal bourne diseases are not isolated/known/characterized.
And one should at least consider autoimmune diseases, tuberculosis, thyroid disease. Tumor if there are either a LOT of nodes or VERY odd and huge nodes.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (6 minutes later)
I have been married for 18 years and have had an HIV test, but I will mention it. I was tested for thyroid . I am not coughing so not sure about tuberculosis. my only glands are in my throat. I did have mono/Epstein Barr when I was 19. I am now 37. I had it horribly with them taking my tonsils out because of how bad the infection was. I also had parvo virus at the same time. can you get all this again? can it reactivate?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (5 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
on mono YES

Detailed Answer:
since CMV, ebv and even a non-virus toxoplasmosis are all classified as 'mono' and all can do this (do you own cats? they carry toxo).

ok... there are multiple types of parvovirus so, I'm not sure if one can get different types at different times... it is more aches than it is lymph nodes.

Mono is still top of my list.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (7 minutes later)
OK, yes! I own 4 cats, but my husband changes the litter boxes. they are kept in the basement. if it was toxoplasmosis, the antibiotic would clear that?.. correct?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (4 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
heh, my bad habit is answering before the question is asked.

Detailed Answer:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxoplasmosis/basics/treatment/con-0000
but I disagree with them about treating it. We just miss most of the illness from it! Doesn't mean it wasn't making people sick if we as doctors didn't figure out what it was.
By this point, the antibody test would be positive. If the acute antibody level is elevated (IgM) then, yup, this is that. If it isn't, but the long term antibody level is NON-ZERO, it very likely is toxoplasmosis.

Sulfa drug is the best. I believe tetracycline works. Maybe the quinolones. The only one I'm sure works is sulfa drug. And... penicillin family definitely does nothing to toxo.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 minutes later)
I am allergic to sulfa drugs. :( I am also allergic to quinolones
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (8 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
I'm learning a lot tonght!

Detailed Answer:
If the patient has a hypersensitivity reaction to sulfa drugs, pyrimethamine plus clindamycin can be used instead.
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/health_professionals/
The definitive guide to toxoplasmosis.

On the other hand, there were the other possiblities mentioned. ALso, if your EOSINOPHILS are elevated on the blood count two other possibilities are an allergic reaction to something or parasite infection (ok... toxo can also elevate eosinophils; and worms causing this is a huge stretch of the imagination, but I'm trying to include everything).
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (4 minutes later)
okay, so I'm thinking it's not toxo, because I don't change the litters and I wash my hands 100 times a day because I'm a germaphobe! haha, and I'm cats are all indoor cats. I'm leaning more towards mono. but I will ask my Dr. to check everything. You we're awesome with all your checking into things. I have been just annoyed with still being sick. :(
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (3 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
You're very welcome!

Detailed Answer:
sadly, toxo is the only mono we have a treatment for !
the rest mean you are going to be like this for probably most of the month.
(yes, your viewpoints are correct on the toxo; it isn't all that common. although I might want to get my antibody tested since I've only owned indoor/outdoor cats and do change the litter box, although I always always wash hands a lot).

thank you again for very interesting questions!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (5 minutes later)
thank you! as long as I know what I'm dealing with I'll be OK. :)
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (1 minute later)
Brief Answer:
antibody testing likely to show

Detailed Answer:
which of the mono organisms it could be. Biopsy of node is just not likely to be anything but an expensive waste of time--never had that help.

Best of luck, and good night.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (6 minutes later)
thank you, goodnight: )
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
goodnight !

Detailed Answer:
and best of luck!
(they require us to write responses to all replies, sorry if it seems like I'm going on a bit).
you're very welcome and I really appreciate the question. I'm always getting ready for board exams which I have to recertify every 10 years in one topic and every 5 in another, so this is the way I review.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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What Causes Severe Sore Throat, Swollen Glands, Body Ache, Nausea And Fever?

Brief Answer: ahhh... I am looking at your previous questions Detailed Answer: This has been going on for almost 2 weeks. there is objective evidence of inflammation (elevated platelets and at least borderline wbc). This may or may not be the Second course of antibiotics this month. Frankly, I agree with absolutely every response you've gotten and I think you have been a great person to interact with ! That being said, the viewpoint Now is going to be different than the viewpoints Then. You have an off and on illness since XXXXXXX Mono. Certainly a monospot test. For that matter you could go with all the other chronic virus tests: HIV perhaps (note that the most common risk factor in the first surveys of women were heterosexual long term monogamous relationships!... with husbands who were hiding risk factors!), but mono is much more likely. Testing for hepatitis is probably reasonable. Not sure about lyme, frankly I doubt it is a reasonable consideration. I have seen undiagnosable illnesses present this way (the patient finally mentioned that all the pets in her trailer park were sick/dying and we treated her with tetracycline which worked and penicillan family would not work on most animal bourne diseases). Many animal bourne diseases are not isolated/known/characterized. And one should at least consider autoimmune diseases, tuberculosis, thyroid disease. Tumor if there are either a LOT of nodes or VERY odd and huge nodes. Thank you for visiting our site. I hope we continue to earn your trust!