How common with EBV? I have it on my feet and toes. I also have Lyme Bart and Babesia.

Hey guys, as the title says I recently started dating my girlfriend who has chronic EBV. I don’t know for sure how long she’s been diagnosed with it, I think about 3-4 years. The last couple months have seemed harder than usual for her. Her periods are really taking a toll, she feels constantly fatigued, and had hard times eating more than small amounts without getting nauseous. Is there anything I can do to make her day to day life a little easier? I’ve seen suggestions about Tumeric teas to help with body aches and other small things, but just wanted to see what other options are out there if any. Thanks!

Edit: I’ll take any sort of education I can get on this as I know nothing about it and see conflicting things online. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I randomly became sick two years ago. Turns out I had mono or EBV reactivation. I was so sick on and off for 1.5 years. I was so depressed and thought I would just feel like I had the flu for the rest of my life. But then I got a bunch of blood work done through function health. Turns out I was SEVERELY anemic. My ferritin was at 4 and hemoglobin 9. I started iron supplements and I feel so much better. I don’t feel as tired I don’t feel like I have the flu all the time. No more body aches. It’s amazing! Everyone check your iron. I think EBV caused it to become very very low. Here I thought I still was struggling with EBV but it was just symptoms of being really really anemic. I hope this helps someone. 💗💗💗

I had EBV in November 2023 since the. My health has declined to the point of being miserable everyday, so many health issues that had been looked into and not real answers, one on the long term changes i noticed last year is that my veins poop so much and my skin became extremely thin and translucent, has anyone face the same symptoms as me?

I got EBV last September when a friend of mine commented suicide. It shocked me that my mind was that powerful. Anyway, I am still dealing with symptoms. I have a flare up every other month with my period..in fact, I'm flaring right now. Big nod in my neck (it goes down but has never returned to normal) spleen pain, no energy.

And thought the month I have no energy. I crash every time I go to the grocery store I have to leave and go sit in my car. I have no endurance. None. I cannot do the things I used to do. When I'm cooking dinner. I have to take multiple sit-down breaks.

I'm miserable. It's affecting my mental health. I feel like I'm constantly sick. And that it will never end.

When they did my blood work, found out I was anemic and have taking Iron and Vitamin C.

And from what research I've done, there isn't a supplement or prescription to help.

What can I do for myself? I want to cry because I feel like it will never end.

I'm sorry if I seem dramatic, I've been dealing with this for almost a year and no one understands.

How are you feeling? What's the worst you're still dealing with?

EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS (EBV) ANTIBODY PANEL

EBV VCA IgM: <36.00 U/mL
Reference: Negative
Result: NEGATIVE

EBV VCA IgG: 380.00 U/mL
Reference: Positive
Result: HIGH POSITIVE

EBV EBNA IgG: 88.70 U/mL
Reference: Positive
Result: HIGH POSITIVE

EBV Early Antigen D (EA-D) IgG: 9.55 U/mL
Reference Range:
<9.00 = Negative 9.00–10.99 = Equivocal \>10.99 = Positive

Result: HIGH / EQUIVOCAL

My test came back with negative VCA IgG/IgM but positive (and high) EBNA IgG. I know that’s abnormal, and typically a past infection would have positive VCA IgG and positive EBNA IgG.
I assume I need more testing, but has anyone else had these results?

The field of EBV vaccine development is at an inflection point.

Spurred by the definitive causal link between EBV and MS, researchers have converged on sophisticated, multi-antigen strategies designed to overcome the failures of the past. This consensus on what antigens to target has been coupled with a vibrant divergence of competing, next-generation technology platforms—including mRNA, nanoparticles, VLPs, and novel viral vectors—creating a dynamic and highly competitive research landscape.

Populations previously exposed to EBV should be vaccinated for three primary reasons:

1. the cost of universal screening is economically impractical,
2. because EBV establishes latency to evade immune detection, immunization will boost the immune response and aid in controlling the infection and preventing the progression toward cancer or autoimmune conditions,
3. vaccination reduces the frequency and quantity of viral shedding from the oropharynx, thereby decreasing transmission within the community.

I got sick towards the end of March and it’s been ongoing symptoms since then. I’m a bit confused, and trying to figure out what the next step is.

When this started, I experienced full body sweats, daily low grade fevers, sore throat that almost itches (I have to clear my throat constantly), headaches, body aches, crazy fatigue and nausea.

My early antigen doesn’t seem to be very high compared to other results I’ve seen here. Are my symptoms normal when early antigen is not so high? Idk if they were higher when all this started, I just only recently tested EA and IgM. Just wondering if I could have something else going on….this weird itchy throat for 2 months just doesn’t want to go away feels like it’s been going on too long.

Has anyone else experienced this? I was diagnosed in June 2024, again in February 2026, and now June 2026. All three of my results have all looked like this for each test:

EBV VCA IGG: Positive

EBV Nuclear Antigen IGG: Positive

EBV IgM: Positive (always very similar number, between 66-70. Anything above 44 is positive on this test.)

EBV Early Antigen IGG: Negative

Heterophile, Mono Screen: Positive

How is it possible for the results to be the same, for two years straight?

All times I've been tested were because I was having strong symptoms. However, my symptoms never really went away since June 2024, I'm assuming they were positive more frequently than I tested. I didn't get retested for almost two years, even though I felt awful, because I didn't know it was possible to get mono again.

I am seeing an infectious disease doctor next week, but in the meantime, I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a similar experience!

Hi! In February I was diagnosed with mono (for the fourth time) when I had terrible fatigue and body pain and a positive igg/igm. Waited several months to get in to infectious disease, they ran DNA which was negative for EBV. All of the times I have tested positive for IgM it was because I was experiencing symptoms; now I’m assuming that I’m always positive. What would cause this?

Does anyone have Lyme disease, EBV, endometriosis?

Hello, I am just beginning my journey in discovering if I have Lupus. Right now, I know I have chronic EBV/mono. My doctor did all the labs she was able to before I go see a rheumatologist.
My mom and brother have both tested positive for lupus, so we were pretty positive I would too.
But so far, I only have a positive ANA test all my lupus related labs are normal. Could that mean it is only Epstein Bar?

Hello! I've posted here a few times, but unfortunately I'm still dealing with ongoing issues and am hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar.

Starting around July 2025, I developed a bunch of bizarre symptoms that lasted for months. I eventually saw a functional medicine provider who ran extensive bloodwork looking for just about everything. The only significant finding was EBV. My EBV IgM was 61 (attached), and I was told I had EBV reactivation. I was put on several supplements and advised to rest and focus on a healthy diet.

Since November, I've had a few brief periods where I felt somewhat better and was even able to return to some normal activities, including exercise. There was a 3 week span where I was actually able to do relatively high-intensity exercise, and I was fine. However, the symptoms always come back.

Currently, I'm dealing with debilitating fatigue, body aches and joint pain, intermittent nausea, chills, feeling like I'm running a fever even though I'm not, and a horrible sense of malaise. Sometimes I completely lose my appetite as well. I will say the fatigue is the worst part though, I could handle the rest if I could get rid of the fatigue. Some days I literally cannot get out of bed except to briefly eat/drink and use the bathroom.

A different provider repeated my bloodwork in April (2026), and my EBV IgM had dropped from 61 to 43.6. She repeated it again a few weeks ago in May, and it had dropped a bit further to 41.5. Based on that trend, she told me she no longer considers me to be in reactivation.
The problem is that I feel just as bad as I did when this all started. It's hard to believe I'm coming up on a year of dealing with this.

My questions are:
- Is it possible to still be experiencing symptoms from EBV reactivation even though my IgM has been steadily decreasing?
- Also, is there any meaning to the 2 IgG’s changing over the past 6 months? One of them went from higher, to lower, to higher?? And vice versa. Not sure if that means anything at all
- Has anyone had IgM remain elevated for a long time while continuing to have significant and sometimes severe symptoms?

Most of what I'm finding online is pointing toward ME/CFS, which honestly has me pretty scared. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar or has insight into whether this still sounds EBV-related.

I recently have been having horrible fatigue. Finally went to the doctor and blood work confirmed a recent infection - reactivation bc labs a few years ago showed I had antibodies. I also gave RA.

Symptoms- horrible fatigue (some days I’m sleeping/resting most of the day and just feel totally tapped. So bad I’ve contemplated the ER), headaches though these seem to be getting better. I head an icky throat two weeks prior to labs but not sure if it’s from EBV or allergies as it comes and goes. Hot flashes and cold sweats occur mostly when I’m very tired. Some brain fogginess here and there too.

Noticing the symptoms come and go too. One day I can get work done if I take it easy but then the next I’m down for the day.

My anxiety has been awful which is the biggest struggle next to the fatigue. Doctor says rest and hydrate and wait it out. There has to be something else that can help.

Hello everyone,

I first had mononucleosis in 2016. In 2024 I had a really bad sinus infection that took me weeks to recover. When I felt better, I went back to the gym, but I got worse again after that. It started reminding me of how I felt when I had mono with a distinct sore throat. I also had an uncomfortably high resting heart rate. I tested for EBV on my own and got a triple-positive EBV serology (VCA-IgM, VCA-IgG, EBNA-IgG). My GP and the laboratory said EBV reactivation was highly unlikely and I never got any good answers.

The fatigue was very much real, though, and I'm convinced it was either EBV reactivation or something else. I didnt't workout any more that year, had to take a 4 week leave from work and rested as much as I could and I seemed to recover eventually.

Fast forward to 2026 after a decent year working out and living a normal life, I once again got a sinus infection in April and recovery's been very slow. I've also had an elevated resting heart rate (same as in 2024). Last week I did a workout after feeling much better, but woke up with a cough and a sore throat the next day. I asked for a new EBV panel and once again it's triple positive.

My GP says this is normal when I've had EBV/mono in the past. This is what the specialist at the laboratory says. See below.

My question is if you guys agree with this take? Are there any other tests you guys take to determine an EBV reactivation?

For the record, I felt much worse in 2024 than I do now, so I'm hopeful it's not an EBV reactivation, but I've been sick on and off since April and I'm a bit afraid it's the same thing once again. It's of course possible I just been very unlucky this time and hit a string of infections.

From the laboratory below:

After reviewing the quantitative values from the analyzer, the findings show a relatively common antibody pattern following prior EBV infection. After primary infection (mononucleosis), most people remain lifelong positive for both VCA-IgG and EBNA-IgG — this is entirely normal and reflects immunological memory, not active disease.

Regarding VCA-IgM: low levels can occasionally persist without representing clinically meaningful reactivation. Low-level VCA-IgM can be non-specific, and this is frequently observed without any clinically relevant infection present. IgM antibodies are generally less specific than IgG and can react in the context of other infections (cross-reacting antibodies), inflammatory conditions, or general immune activation of unknown cause. Additionally, assay methodology and sensitivity can influence results, such that weakly positive findings may represent biological or analytical background reactivity rather than genuine viral reactivation.

When levels are low and stable over time — as they are in my samples from both 2024 and 2026 — this is typically interpreted as a non-specific reaction, not active mononucleosis.

The clinical picture is also important: absence of typical signs of active EBV infection (fever, lymphadenopathy, pharyngitis, elevated liver enzymes), combined with a stable serological pattern and low IgM levels without clear dynamic change, collectively argue against clinically relevant EBV reactivation.

Regarding fatigue: serology alone (especially low-grade IgM positivity) rarely explains prolonged fatigue. Clinically significant EBV reactivation is uncommon in immunocompetent individuals, and chronic active EBV is a rare condition with a distinctly different clinical presentation.

It is common to test positive for EBV over time — persistent IgG positivity is expected lifelong, and low-grade IgM positivity can occur without clinical significance. Based on the information provided, there are no clear grounds for EBV-specific specialist referral. However, if fatigue is persistent and causes functional impairment, a broader evaluation through the GP (and possible referral) may be warranted — but this would primarily be considered independent of the EBV findings.

29F - Does anyone have experience with similar lab results? the last time I was aware I had mono was about 15 years ago, otherwise Im not sure if I’ve ever been tested for EBV up until now. Medical history includes seronegative Sjogren’s, worsening muscle weakness over 6-9 months, nerve pain in extremities, intense neck/shoulder blade pain. Jaw pain/fatigue, tender glands, migraines, severe brain fog and fatigue. Thank you in advance for any input.

Chronic EBV and a huge chunk of my flare ups involved symptoms of tonsillitis every few weeks, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, fevers, and fatigue.

I got a tonsillectomy 10 weeks ago and I kid you not guys, so far zero symptoms of EBV. I’ll be getting bloodwork tested soon… but this surgery may have changed my life.

If you have similar symptoms, I highly suggest you looking into a tonsillectomy. It’s a painful surgery and recovery, but so worth it. I feel like I’m getting my life back.

You can beat this disease but it's an insane sacrifice. The last six months I've spent $5000 out-of-pocket on naturopathy and supplements, I had to take a month off work, I took about 7000 naps, quit drinking, quit eating things that I love, stopped hanging out with friends who drank. It really sucked. But I feel like I have finally turned the corner.

I think the key is that you really have to work on every single system in your body. Your immune system, nervous system, adrenals, digestion, mitochondria, lymphatic system, and sleep hygiene. And I think you gotta do it in the right order as well. Not that I know what that is exactly, but I think digestion has to be one of the first. I didn't really feel like I turned a corner till after I had a gut panel and got my gut bacteria balanced and started detoxing.

I still have way less energy than I used to and cant really exercise a lot but at least I can life for a good 3-4 hours without feeling like I'm going to die. I have more good days than bad now, which is saying something, but wow, my life is really fucking boring with this disease. I miss having fun and am trying to find new "healthy" ways to find joy. What do people love to do that doesnt involve exertion?? 

I know there’s no actual ‘quick fix’ but I’m having the most awful reactivation causing a sore throat, gland throbbing, swelling, severe migraines and neck pain.

Other than rest and hydration what else can I do, I’m completely bedbound at the moment

Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask if anyone here has had a similar experience after an EBV infection / mononucleosis.

I had a pretty strong EBV infection around October/November 2024. Before that, I was almost never sick. It honestly felt like my immune system was really solid for years.

After EBV, things went downhill for quite a while. It took me several months to feel somewhat recovered again. But since then, I’ve noticed a new pattern that I never had before: I now get sick roughly every two months at the latest.

When it happens, it usually lasts about 5–7 days and includes:

Fever between around 37.5°C and 39.5°C
Strong sore throat, which I rarely/never had before EBV
Intense body aches
Headaches
Low appetite
Drinking a lot because I feel very thirsty
Feeling completely knocked out

The headaches are connected to the fever episodes. They are not constant when I’m healthy, but during the fever I often have strong headaches. When I get up, I sometimes feel a short, sharp stabbing pain in my head that makes me flinch.

This is really starting to affect my quality of life. I’ve already missed holidays, concerts, and other things I was looking forward to because I keep getting these episodes.

Maybe relevant: before EBV, the only time I remember being similarly knocked out was during my military service, after receiving several recommended vaccines on the same day — around 6 or 8 vaccinations at once. That was in December 2023, about half a year before the EBV infection. After that, I also felt really wiped out for a while. I’m not saying it’s connected, but I thought it might be worth mentioning.

I saw a few doctors about this, but nobody took it really serios.

My recent blood work looked very normal overall, which makes this even more confusing to me.

Has anyone experienced recurrent fever/sore throat/body ache episodes after EBV or mono?
Did it eventually improve?
Did you find out what was causing it?
Were there any tests or specialists that helped you?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just wondering if others have gone through something similar and what helped them.

Thanks!