Treatment

There's no specific therapy available to treat infectious mononucleosis. Antibiotics don't work against viral infections such as mono. Treatment mainly involves taking care of yourself, such as getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of fluids. You may take over-the-counter pain relievers to treat a fever or sore throat.

Medications

• Treating secondary infections and other complications. A streptococcal (strep) infection sometimes goes along with the sore throat of mononucleosis. You may also develop a sinus infection or an infection of your tonsils (tonsillitis). If so, you may need treatment with antibiotics for these accompanying bacterial infections.

  Severe narrowing of your airway may be treated with corticosteroids.

• Risk of rash with some medications. Amoxicillin and other antibiotics, including those made from penicillin, aren't recommended for people with mononucleosis. In fact, some people with mononucleosis who take one of these drugs may develop a rash. The rash doesn't necessarily mean that they're allergic to the antibiotic, however. If needed, other antibiotics that are less likely to cause a rash are available to treat infections that may go along with mononucleosis.