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Has my immune system become weak?

Dr Irwin Ziment
Professor of Medicine,
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA

Q: I am 23 years old, and am having various symptoms for past three years - sore throat, mild fever (99.4 degree F) which is not there in the morning but comes back as I start doing something; headache, feeling sick (nausea) after having meals. I have done a lot of tests like, HIV, CT scan of brain, stomach they found a lymphangioma in my stomach next to gall bladder my doctor says it won't harm, but my problem is that there is always something going on with me, I think that I have a serious disease, I think that my immune system has weakened, but I haven't lost any weight - instead I have put on few kgs. My doctor says that there is nothing wrong but I don't believe him. Its me not him in pain, please help.

A:Chronic sore throat and swollen lymph nodes sometimes follow viral infection, such as the one that causes infectious mononucleosis. There is no established effective treatment, but one or more of the following may help: Guaifenesin, 200-600 milligrams 3 or 4 times a dayEchinacea, 3 or 4 doses a dayCodonopsis twice a dayIt is advisable to increase daily exercise activities and to take a multivitamin with anti-oxidants daily. Usually the condition resolves after many months but symptoms are likely to recur with excessive stress. Thus, stress reduction or improved coping techniques will be important requirements to maintain freedom from incapacitating symptoms.