4. Lethargy or fatigue
This can be one of the earliest symptoms that a person may experience with rheumatic fever, with lethargy kicking in a good while before other symptoms start to develop. A person struggling with rheumatic fever could end up feeling low and even depressed, due to the huge change in their energy levels, drive, and motivation.
Remaining in employment or continuing to take an active role in society can become virtually impossible, as the desire to do these everyday activities is outweighed by an overwhelming and powerful sense of fatigue. Remaining in bed for a few days at a time is not uncommon for people feeling this lethargy and fatigue whilst recovering from rheumatic fever. This can work in two ways. Either the bed rest is just what the doctor ordered, and the person emerges like a butterfly from a chrysalis a few days later, or the room becomes a mental prison, making the endurance of the illness ever more complicated.