Yes, you can, but very few people do.

Mononucleosis is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Symptoms usually include fever, swollen and painful tonsils, and enlarged lymph nodes. Fatigue and low energy can last for weeks or months. More than 90% of us eventually catch EBV, usually during adolescence or early adulthood. In many people, the illness is mild, and may never be diagnosed as mono. Infection by EBV generally results in lifelong immunity—you can only have EBV mono once.

There’s also a less common form of mononucleosis, caused by infection by cytomegalovirus (CMV). In one study of people with mono, about one out of seven had mono caused by CMV; the rest had typical EBV mononucleosis. Catching and recovering from EBV mono offers no protection against CMV mono, and vice versa.

Few people get mono from CMV. Most people are infected with CMV at some point in life, and experience only mild, short-lived symptoms. After that, they are generally immune to CMV mono or other illnesses caused by CMV.

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I have had mono three times. All three times were medically confirmed by a doctor upon analysis of a blood test. I was shocked because I was under the impression you could not get it more than once. I told the doctor that I had already had it once so if possibly that's what was showing up in my blood test. She said they test for the active form and I 100% had it. Either I am a medical mystery, or you can definitely get mono more than once, even more than twice!

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My daughter is 31 yrs old and has had mono confirmed 4 times. The first time she was 15 and was just confirmed today for the 4th time. We were told that it stays in your system forever and when you get stressed, don't get enough sleep or if her immune system is low it will come back. It is hard to get some people to understand that she can't run all the time like most 31 yr olds. The Doctor told her she is to just to go to work and rest as much as possible.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the User.The opinions expressed here are solely those of the User.
User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.