Mono test affected by antibiotics?

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5/1/2008 - 5/1/08

Question: I am wondering if the mono testing can be messed up by taking three days worth of antibiotics? I had headaches, lymph nodes were swollen, sore throat, fever, muscle aches, and I slept a lot.

Answer: Antibiotics should not affect mono testing since infectious mononucleosis is caused by a virus. Antibiotics that treat bacterial infections (like strep throat) do not affect viral infections. However, if you did have mono, it may take up to a week or two AFTER the onset of symptoms for the mono test to become positive. The test may remain positive for up to a year, even after full recovery from the infection. Your symptoms do sound like mono, but they could also have been caused by other viruses as well.

Remember that antibiotics CAN affect the results of a throat culture for strep infection (that is, they can make the culture test negative even though a strep infection is present). Antibiotics should never be started without the advice of your physician. Also, when antibiotics are prescribed, it's important to complete the entire prescription, even if you are feeling well, both to prevent recurrence of infection and to prevent the development of resistant bacteria.



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