Mono usually takes care of itself within two to four weeks without medication although sometimes it takes more than a month. There is nothing you can take that will shorten the course of the disease, so treatment mostly involves bed rest and getting adequate fluids.

Antiviral medications do not help against mono and antibiotics don’t work against viral infections. In rare cases, strep throat can accompany mono and in these cases an antibiotic should be prescribed to treat the bacterial strep infection. Certain antibiotics such as amoxicillin and ampicillin can cause a person with mono to develop a non-allergic rash and so should not be used in people with mono.

To help relieve typical symptoms, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be taken to help relieve pain and reduce fever. To help with sore throat pain, you can gargle with warm salt water. If the swelling in your throat is severe, your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid medication such as prednisone to reduce the inflammation.