I WAS DX'D WITH EPSTEIN-BARR MANY YRS AGO AND THAT WAS AS FAR AS IT WENT. I WAS TOLD I HAD IT, NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT IT WAS, WASNT GIVEN ANY MEDS FOR IT AND I WASNT ONE TO ASK QUESTIONS BACK THEN LIKE I DO NOW, SO I JUST WENT HOME AND THAT WAS THE END OF THAT. I DONT EVEN REMEMBER WHAT IT IS ANYMORE. NEED TO LOOK IT UP.

I had it twice, once at 17 & again at 20. I was on another site and did a poll of how many of those with MS had previously been diag with mono & it was amazing. Almost all had had mono at one time or another, very interesting.

Yep, had it at 17.

Gentle hugs, Linda

My brother ( also w/ MS ) and I both had Momo! Hmmm!

I had Mono when I was in the eighth grade. That would make me around the age of 13. I was diagnoses with MS when I was 37 years old. I have heard that there is some kind of connection but I do not have all the facts.

The connection is: 100% of MSers have been exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus (commonly called 'mono'). But apparently that is not significant because 95% of the whole population gets exposed to it.
I myself had a bad case of mono in my early 20s. . .

Thanks for sharing. Very interesting reading..

Ooooh! I just got around to reading the article! I am glad SOMEONE has looked into the connection between the 2! I KNEW they would find it significant! I got really mad at my first neuro when I had mentioned having had mono years ago, the comment that I made previously about 100% of us having been exposed to us, as opposed to 95% of the population.
If you haven't had a bad case of mono, it is overall weakness (like a prolonged flu) for weeks.

Hi!

I was never dxed with mono but I probably had it in high school. I remember a few times where I had the symptoms of mono but my mom always thought I was just lazy. However I was dxed with severe Epstein Barr virus at the age of 39. I literally lost 6 months of my life. I somehow functioned, took care of my sons, did my chores but I have no idea how I did it. An absolutely horrible time in my life!! Yes, I have known for some time that there was a connection between EBV and MS. my doc told me when I was dxed with EBV. Said I would be very susceptible to many different immune related illnesses. He listed many and MS was one of them.

I also was extremely Vitamin D deficient. Still am. There is a village in Scotland where MS runs rampant among the people there. They live in the shadow of a huge mountain. Almost all of them are lacking Vitamin D. So there is another connection. I have 5 lesions on my brain and about 3/4 of MS symptoms and my doctor tells me the lesions are caused by some capillaries breaking off and traveling through my blood to eventually lodge in my brain. Huh. Also told me it was cuz I smoked. Never gave me a name for this condition. I researched it anyway and never found anything even close.

Why do they not want to diagnose us with MS?? I'm so sick of it...literally. When I think of the meds that could be helping me, helping all of us.....are we supposed to just die and let our autopsies diagnose us? So we wait for the ME instead of the MD?? I have just given up. I was crying from pain the other day. My husband said to go see a new dr. and I said no because they would get mad cuz they would think I'm doctor shopping and besides they wouldn't do anything cuz if their dx differed from their colleagues then they might face some anger. Everything being electronic now. No, I will wait till I need a wheelchair. I will wait till I am dying from MS complications. I have just given up.

~~MM

I had mono as a teenager too. I do believe there is a connection...

Never had it but I was exposed due to both my brother and sister had really bad cases of it. I am sure that I have the antibody because it was such a bad case going around.

I had a bad case of Mono when I was 15. I am now 52. I was diagnosed relapse remitting ms in 2008 but had signs for years that I had it. just did not know what it was. Curious that many of us had mono when we were younger.

Never had mono but my dr has checked me for Epstein Barr virus and I have a high antibody count in my bloodwork, more so in times of stress. I was Dx when I was 16.

I had it at 27.

I had a bad case of mono in 1972. I had to drop out of school for a semester to recover. I was diagnosed with MS in 2002, but I'd been having symptoms much earlier. It took a while to finally get the diagnosis. I now have SPMS.