Mononucleosis? (or maybe not...)

[Shannon Nelson]

Thanks Joy,
I'll bear that in mind (ouch)!

Here's some more about the situation, and I would *love* some thoughts on
how to approach it! This is my son (age 9). He's been down with a "mystery
illness" for three weeks. First sign was about two weeks before that, when
he started looking and acting more tired than usual, harder to get him going
in the mornings. Then (three weeks ago today) he woke up "sick"--goopy nose
and throat, exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, and a bit of a cough.
He does not get sick often, and when he does, it usually hits him fast and
hard, then he's over it fast. But this time, tho the main symptoms were
gone within a few days, he his exhaustion has gone on and on and on... He's
had a few periods where I *thought* he was over it, but then "woke up dead"
again the next morning, back to same old thing. I just can't make much out
of it!

On days when he *has* a "better" time, it will be afternoon and evening.
Some days are better than others.
Looks really "peaked"--pale, dark circles under eyes; was looking a bit
grayish and yellowish, but that's better lately, mostly just pale and dark
circles.

He spends most of the day on the couch, reading etc., or sometimes gets up
for some quiet play. Some days in the afternoon and evening he is his old
self, rambunctious, rowdy and noisy--but not every day (not even most) and
back to his slump the following morning.

Sleeps fine (in spite of the days on the couch!), somewhat longer than his
usual.

Appetite far less than usual, nothing remarkable (cereal, toast, smoothies,
occasional fruit, soup..). Likes warm tea with honey. Likes sour and salt
(but those are part of his chronic.)

Seems neither especially chilly nor warm, no fever, no rash, no swellings so
far as I can see.

Considering this as part of his "chronic", his h'th has suggested calc-s,
which seems very reasonable (lots of touchpoints, and he's responded
extremely well to calc (earlier this year) and sulph (a couple of years
ago), but neither has done more since then. Per my instructions I gave him
two doses of calc-s on Sunday, and Monday he looked better and seemed to
have a bit more energy, but today is just as bad as ever again. Maybe I
should keep repeating it for a while, or I don't know...

I was considering carc (probably just because of its association with ME),
aned I see that carc covers all sorts of exhaustion, but I guess I need to
re-read about it to see if there's enough basis to give it???

Shannon
on 11/16/04 12:12 PM, J Lucas at j.lucas@ntlworld.com wrote:

[J Lucas]

You have to go by the sx even though they are often vague but what you
describe certainly fits the bill. You could request a blood test which
confirms the EBV as being present (as well as anything else untoward), even
though you still need to go by his own individual sx.

I assume you have felt around his glands and not just the neck area, feel
around the arms etc as well - palpate around the spleen to see if enlarged
(can be a complication of mono) - ask him to describe how he feels - does he
want to be comforted or left alone - keep checking his throat, peek at stool
and urine if you can. Keep in mind the original 'goopy' sx of the nose and
throat and cough, as these were the first indicators.

Has he been with anyone who has similar sx, the incubation can be quite a
long time I believe and of course you would know if there were any other
reasons for him feeling like this, i.e. not physical.

There are so many remedies to think about with this condition but the
exhaustion is often the leading sx - gelsemium, phos-ac, ailanthus,
carcinosin is usually sleepless but can also be very heavy sleep,
phosphorus, baptisia, sulphur, the acids, the kaliums, etc etc. Silica
marina is an interesting remedy to keep in mind for this condition as well
as all the other 'gland' rx.

Is the liking for soup and warm tea with honey new to this state as these
sorts of 'comfort' foods often indicate Carcinosin, as does the grayish,
yellow skin colour.

If he was my client I would be suggesting the blood test, at least this
would give you a starting point.

Best wishes, Joy

http://www.homeopathicmateriamedica.com
on 16/11/04 19:00, Robert&Shannon Nelson at shannonnelson@tds.net wrote:

Thanks Joy,
I'll bear that in mind (ouch)!

Here's some more about the situation, and I would *love* some thoughts on
how to approach it! This is my son (age 9). He's been down with a "mystery
illness" for three weeks. First sign was about two weeks before that, when
he started looking and acting more tired than usual, harder to get him going
in the mornings. Then (three weeks ago today) he woke up "sick"--goopy nose
and throat, exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, and a bit of a cough.
He does not get sick often, and when he does, it usually hits him fast and
hard, then he's over it fast. But this time, tho the main symptoms were
gone within a few days, he his exhaustion has gone on and on and on... He's
had a few periods where I *thought* he was over it, but then "woke up dead"
again the next morning, back to same old thing. I just can't make much out
of it!

On days when he *has* a "better" time, it will be afternoon and evening.
Some days are better than others.
Looks really "peaked"--pale, dark circles under eyes; was looking a bit
grayish and yellowish, but that's better lately, mostly just pale and dark
circles.

He spends most of the day on the couch, reading etc., or sometimes gets up
for some quiet play. Some days in the afternoon and evening he is his old
self, rambunctious, rowdy and noisy--but not every day (not even most) and
back to his slump the following morning.

Sleeps fine (in spite of the days on the couch!), somewhat longer than his
usual.

Appetite far less than usual, nothing remarkable (cereal, toast, smoothies,
occasional fruit, soup..). Likes warm tea with honey. Likes sour and salt
(but those are part of his chronic.)

Seems neither especially chilly nor warm, no fever, no rash, no swellings so
far as I can see.

Considering this as part of his "chronic", his h'th has suggested calc-s,
which seems very reasonable (lots of touchpoints, and he's responded
extremely well to calc (earlier this year) and sulph (a couple of years
ago), but neither has done more since then. Per my instructions I gave him
two doses of calc-s on Sunday, and Monday he looked better and seemed to
have a bit more energy, but today is just as bad as ever again. Maybe I
should keep repeating it for a while, or I don't know...

I was considering carc (probably just because of its association with ME),
aned I see that carc covers all sorts of exhaustion, but I guess I need to
re-read about it to see if there's enough basis to give it???

Shannon
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Julian Winston]

An old homeopath in the USA (Fred Morgan) said that he found
"Feldspar" 200 almost a specific for mono.
I know a few docs who have tried it, and found it useful.

I cleared a case with Nux 200. Did wonders, and fast.

JW

[Dale Moss]

Hi, Shannon --

Just to be on the safe side, have his urine checked if the fatigue doesn't
go away.

Peace,
Cinnabar

[Shannon Nelson]

Thanks, I'll read up on Feldspar (that's new to me!).
Was your nux case irritable?
Shannon

on 11/17/04 6:43 AM, Julian Winston at jwinston@actrix.gen.nz wrote:

[Rosemary C Hyde PhD]

Shannon, are you sure your son has mono? He seems a bit on the young
side for it, I would think (maybe I'm just old-fashioned). Rosemary

Robert&Shannon Nelson wrote:

[Julian Winston]

>Thanks, I'll read up on Feldspar (that's new to me!).

No. But cold.

JW

[Peter Graham]

Both my sons had Glandular Fever. One when in grade one (very sick) and the
other was in grade two ( a milder case).

Michele.

[Shannon Nelson]

Okay, checked for what?
Shannon

on 11/16/04 9:15 PM, DMH at igan@gis.net wrote:

[Shannon Nelson]

Nope, not at all sure! I've just been trying to think what could knock a
previously healthy kid down for three weeks (with no sign of real let-up
yet), and that's a possibility that someone suggested. Do you (or anyone)
have any other thoughts?

Shannon

on 11/16/04 11:36 PM, Rosemary C Hyde PhD at rosemarychyde@mindspring.com
wrote: