Glandular Fever

[Femme1]

I have recently read of a link with this disease and thyroid conditions, anybody with hypo have this in their medical history out of interest? I had this at 14, will mention when with GP discussing my tests.

[Hidden]

Yes I've had a viral screen done and I've had glandular fever, I don't remember having it and it can kick autoimmune things off as can other viruses-I think x

[Femme1 in reply to Hidden]

I'm 39 and this was contracted at 14 so not sure of the relevance, but it is mentioned as a common illness in many hypo peoples med history. Interesting stuff

[Clarebear]

Yes I think Dr P mentions the link in his book... xx

[Femme1 in reply to Clarebear]

I best have a look at this book then x

[Totoro]

Yes I had glandular fever at 19. Within a year later I slowly started getting what I now know were hypo symptoms. Dr Skinner said that sometimes glandular fever will "get inside the thyroid gland and hide there, eating away at it".

[Hidden]

I had glandular fever in my early twenties and was very ill. I also have hashimotos. Dr S. told me that there is a definite connection.

[Hidden]

Yes, there can definitely be a link with Glandular Fever (EBV virus), Roseola (HHV6 virus) or the cytomegalovirus. These can all remain undetected in the system for years as stealth viruses and may need specialist tests to find them. You may find this book very interesting - "On Hope and Healing" by Dr. Neil Nathan. Jane x

[Hidden]

We're all looking for the reason for HypoT (or other sorts of Thyroid problems). Epstein–Barr virus (mono) is commonly noticed (by us).

pity the docs aren't looking, they just treat symptom by symptom (but only if the blood tests agree) 'diagnose & drug'.

I saw a recent post quoting the GMC saying 'you can't expect doctors to diagnose multiple symptoms'! Hmm.. which is why we are classed as hypochondriacs maybe. J

[Femme1]

I find it really interesting and infuriating, we of non medical training spend a little time researching a problem that we suffer from and are soon quite informed on a broad range of symptoms, clues, and possible treatments, yet doctors who are paid to aid us with health issues such as these fairly prevalent illnesses fail miserably. I do not expect them to know everything without research 'off the cuff' , but surely this is a common well publicised condition? The issue of the dreaded TSH benchmark test confounds me, there is a plethora of info regarding patient symptoms over the reliance of the TSH as a be all and end all diagnostic tool of Hypothyroidism, so why are we still left to suffer silently? Makes me so angry, I certainly wont be accepting any more of this rubbish, my body, my choice!

[ChemicalAngel]

I had it 20 years ago. I can't stand anything round my neck as a result. No polo neck tops, scarves, nothing.

I am battling for hypo diagnosis at the moment.

Ann xx

[Femme1 in reply to ChemicalAngel]

It's so unfair isn't it, but we must keep pushing the issue, it's simply not an option to let them risk our health with stupid diagnosis criteria. Fingers crossed you get the diagnosis and more importantly the help you deserve soon then x

[summer01 in reply to ChemicalAngel]

Ann, I'm exactly the same, had glandular fever 20 years ago and really can't stand anything near my neck. Had hypo symptoms ever since, was told it was ME but 18 months back diagnosed as hypo.

[sandi in reply to ChemicalAngel]

Me too! in my case over thirty years ago. I don't think I ever really recovered fully, I could never do all the things my peers could, simply no energy. Drs (and hence parents) told me I 'should' be better. Even to this day my parents think I have a mental illness/hypochondria - after all dr said I was ok! It was only ten years ago when the symptoms got much worse that I was tested for thyroid problems for first time and diagnosed hypo.

Rambling .. anyway Ann replied under your reply because I too can't stand anything near my neck. I'd never related this to the glandular fever before! Has led to some funny moments as I can't stand to be touched on my neck either - so the occasional tender touch has led to me screaming and jumping away and a very bemused bloke!

[clairus99 in reply to ChemicalAngel]

exactly the same story here. it never occurred to me about anything around my neck before, but i do hate things too close to my neck (scarves and necklaces okay, but nothing else).

cannot believe you're having problems trying to get diagnosed, your gp must be rubbish. i think i was lucky in that i got a new gp when i moved and it just happened to come up in conversation. hope you can get it sorted soon.

[Taffhamster]

What annoys me is how defensive some GPs get when confronted with a term they're unfamiliar with. I don't expect them to have in-depth knowledge of every single condition, but I've had one react by saying, "You're just confusing yourself now!" when I knew what I was talking about! Compare this to the one decent doc I had at the practice (now sadly departed for pastures new), who would always grab a textbook or check online if she wasn't 100% certain of something. I had so much more respect for her doing that than I did for the guy who tried to paper over his lack of knowledge by trying to make me feel stupid.

[jaxnbreeze]

I had glandular fever 12 years but it took 10 years to have an effect on my TSH. Twice a year spring and autumn I 'crash' for a couple of days and have to recharge my batteries but I am fine apart from that . I am taking 50mcg. Thyroxine.

[wobblybee]

I too had Glanular Fever in my early teens (now 62), and have ill health for years, numerous

symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia and Thyroid. An MRI in 2000 showed 'twisted

arteries' at the base of my skull, pressing on my Cerebellum. I was told just to live with it.

Since being very young, I had suffered a few whiplash incidents, so really I just thought

that was what had caused the neck problem. After an MRI in 2011, a Neurologist diagnosed

Cerebellar Ataxia, because he could detect the organ was distorted. Apparently, my Thyroid is 'normal', BUT! I think once you've been labelled, quite often 'you're put out to pasture',

and it's 'next please'.

[Clairval]

I had Glandular Fever in my 40's and also had viral meningitis about 20 years ago. Was diagnosed Hypothyroid/Hashitmoto's in 2010 but had felt unwell for many years. Was always told by GP that it was anxiety, stress, post viral fatigue!!

[Femme1]

Makes me laugh, no matter what symptoms and histories doctors are presented with, they find any diagnosis except the obvious !

[Soldieress]

I don't think I've had glandular fever but I had a tonsillectomy on my 6th birthday due to constant throat infections. I wonder if there's a connection with that and Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism?

[nightingale-56]

Like jaxnbreeze, I crashed with tonsillitis in Spring and Autumn, but was diagnosed with Graves in 1972. Am sure it goes either one way or the other, but do feel that antibiotics have been most of my trouble.

[Toxiclmh]

I too have had glandular fever - at 12yrs. and 22yrs. old and have never felt the same since. I am now 58 and have recently been diagnosed with Graves. It is very interesting to hear of others who think there may well be a connection as I feel that there is. However, when I asked the endocrinologist if there could possibly be a link but he said definitely not. Where did you read of the possible connection?

[Marz]

.....is it possible that the glandular fever itself is a misdiagnosis - and could it be extreme symptoms of UAT - as the body struggles to convey messages - HELP ! Around 60 years ago I was bedridden with some mystery illness - only noticed by Mum when we had a photo taken in the street on the coast. When we collected it later she noticed I didn''t look well ! I felt awful ! No diagnosis at that time. My Endo here thinks I was possibly born with Hashi's.

Removing tonsils I understand can negatively affect the thyroid - due to blood vessels etc.

Perhaps GP's need to go on courses with the CID to understand detective work more thoroughly....!

[Cherubhmm]

I had glandular fever when I was 18 for 6 months followed by chicken pox! Nightmare! I'm new to my diagnosis and I feel now how I felt with the glandular fever!

[Framboise]

Yes I had glandular fever for several months too, just after German Measles, and that's what Dr S said could have caused my thyroid problems. I was fine for years after and seemed to have plenty of energy but didn't cope with stress as well as other people and also got every cold, flu, stomach bug, virus and infection there was. It took years for me to get really ill. I'm now being treated by a complimentary practitioner who believes the GF was EBV (but not called that here in those days) and that it gradually wiped out my immune system and affected my digestive and endocrine systems.

[Femme1]

Wow there certainly appears to be a common link here ! It would seen that the immune system certainty takes a battering in response, it looks like the thyroid generally ails a little in the years that follows but then really struggles later in adult life perhaps triggered at stressful times such as illness, Pregnancy and the change ? Interestingly my white cell count has been low for as long as I am aware , well six years to be honest because that's when I started repeat visits to docs with these symptoms . I generally average a cell count of 4 .0 , and I questioned this with regard to the onslaught of water infections over the coming years ( suffered about 15 in a two year period along with a few eye infections) but the doctor said it was fine because this was obviously my average. The lowest it has been that I am aware of is 3, but there you go, I'm fine on that score too, even though I need to take an antibiotic every time I have sex! Am I being negative when I think that it doesn't matter what symptoms we display and what ever facts we provide , most GP's only see what they want too ?

[chocoholic17]

I'm interested to see others querying a connection between glandular fever and Hashimoto's. I've just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's and was diagnosed with glandular fever only three months ago. Coincidence?!!?

[Callist0]

I had GF around 12 years of age, diagnosed with hashi's at 22. I study genetics, biochemistry and am getting into a biomedical research course at Monash hopefully next year. I have been reading articles strongly linking EPV and autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid and in some cases EPV can cause the development of malignant lymphoma (through infected B cells) of the thyroid from hashimoto's disease.