Body Temperature

[Noreen]

I have been charting my temperature along with a bunch of other things for a while. I hadn't been methodically charting but it was elevated at 101 for a few weeks and then reset itself to 98.4. After a few days of this new weird number, I started charting. April 7 through evening of the 9th it was at 98.4, no matter the time of day. I missed taking it on the 4/10 and 4/11, on 4/12 my temperature went to 99.7 and stayed there through the morning of May 16 - middle of the night, first thing in the morning, noon, dinner time - always the same. Last night I was actually surprised when I got a different reading - 98.2. This morning 98.2 - noon 98.2 - 2PM 98.2 - 6 98.2 - 8 - 98.2. So now I guess 98.2 is my new normal and time will tell whether it resets after 5 weeks.

From Wikipedia:

The time of day and other circumstances also affects the body's temperature. The core body temperature of an individual tends to have the lowest value in the second half of the sleep cycle; the lowest point, called the nadir, is one of the primary markers for circadian rhythms. The body temperature also changes when a person is hungry, sleepy, or cold.

Temperature control (thermoregulation) is part of a homeostatic mechanism that keeps the organism at optimum operating temperature, as it affects the rate of chemical reactions. In humans the average oral temperature is 36.8 ?C (98.2 ?F), though it varies among individuals, as well as cycling regularly through the day, as controlled by one's circadian rhythms with the lowest temperature occurring about two hours before one normally wakes up.

Body temperature normally fluctuates over the day, with the lowest levels around 4 a.m. and the highest in the late afternoon, between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.[1][5] (assuming the person sleeps at night and stays awake during the day). Therefore, an oral temperature of 37.2 ?C (99.0 ?F) would, strictly speaking, be normal in the afternoon but not in the morning. An individual's body temperature typically changes by about 0.5 ?C (0.9 ?F) between its highest and lowest points each day.[1]

Temperature is increased after eating, and psychological factors also influence body temperature.

Does anyone have any experience with this or any wisdom to lend?

[sue1234]

I don't have any pearls of wisdom, but just what I've experienced. Before POTS, my normal afternoon temp used to run close to 99F. I tolerated our southern heat just fine. After POTS, now my normal is in the 97 range, and I am so heat INtolerant! I don't understand why. A few months ago, in the hospital, my temp was 95.5 and I was complaining how hot the hospital was--they had to find me a fan. It almost seems the lower my temp is, the hotter I feel.

You getting into the 100s sounds too high for normal, but then again, there is nothing normal about POTS!

[Simmy]

The only temperature related oddities I've found were when I first experienced symptoms two years ago, before I knew what I had and before I started documenting blood pressures and heartrates. Back then the only "medical tool" I had at my disposal was a thermometer, and I noticed my temperature rise rather dramatically, as high as 2.5*F in a few minutes, when I had episodes, which included runaway heartrates and profuse sweating. It took 1-4 hours after the episodes to go back down to my normal of 97.6.

I now recognize those episodes to have been caused by nothing more than standing and not knowing any better, but having those experiences leads me to believe that body temperature can vary wildly and change faster than we think, especially with us, depending on many factors including sleep, food, activity... posture?

[Troy]

Temperature regulation is my worst symptom, I have been battling with daily temperature problems for the past 10 years, the only thing I can do is to constantly adjust my environment to balance the wild fluctuations I experience, I have a cooling vest, a pump spray water bottle that goes everywhere with me, a ceiling fan, a wall mounted cooling system and a heater in my room, I contantly alternate between all of them to stay comfortable.

What makes it even worse is that I get different temperatures throughout my body, often when I start to get feverish my hands and feet become icy cold and at other times my hands and feet are burning hot, so bad that I have to constantly stop and take my shoes off when Im out walking. I often experience hot and cold sensation at the same time, especially when I go under the shower and find that the water always feels icy cold on my scalp because my head is so hot but the same water feels extremely hot on my fingers toes and other cooler areas on my body. For the past 10 years every night I have to wear head warmer because the crown area of my head gets icy cold at nights but during the day I have to constantly spray that exact same spot to cool it down.

On a bad day I have even developed hyperthermia and ran for the cold shower, then sat in front of my cooling system with a wet towel but then an hour later I start shivering and go under the blankets and switch the heater on only to find myself feverish all over again, I have even at times gone outside in the middle of winter and sat outside trying to cool down. I put clothing on as fast as I take them off, its crazy. My thermoregulation is totally messed up.

[Noreen]

I now recognize those episodes to have been caused by nothing more than standing and not knowing any better, but having those experiences leads me to believe that body temperature can vary wildly and change faster than we think, especially with us, depending on many factors including sleep, food, activity... posture?

Exactly Simmy. I was casually noting low grade fevers to tell rheumatologist as part of autoimmune issues. I actually did a science project when I was in 8th grade where you took your temperature every hour over 24 hours (okay I cheated - it took me almost a week to fill in all the hours but I wasn't sick - back in the dark ages you had to use an oral mercury thermometer for 5 minutes). The results, as my feeble mind recalls, were as stated in the Wikipedia excerpt - a variation of half a degree over the course of a day.

What is crazy is that there is NO variation. Still at 98.2 last night at 2 AM, this morning at 7 AM and 9 and 9:52. Did some housework between 9 and 9:52 - should be a rise in normal people I would think.

[Simmy]

I would think a rise would be normal too. Do you have another thermometer you can use to test? Perhaps the one you've been using is somehow defective. Or try the one you've been using on someone else and see if the results are identical. Sounds very odd.

[Noreen]

I would think a rise would be normal too. Do you have another thermometer you can use to test? Perhaps the one you've been using is somehow defective. Or try the one you've been using on someone else and see if the results are identical. Sounds very odd.

Tks Simmy-

Have used more than one. Both of these are ear digital types

Have used the thermometer I usually use on my son and it registers fine. Have changed the batteries in this one and it has not altered the results

The only other kind I have in the house is an oral digital. Due to my dry mouth issues, I can't get a consistent reading one minute to the next.

[Noreen]

Endure_

Your wild fluctuations sound incredibly hard to live with - I am so sorry.

How in the world do you keep track? You have such experience with this - do you just know by now?

Do you find it harder to think when your temp is elevated?

Sorry for the barrage of questions but I am desperately trying to piece things together.

noreen

[Simmy]

The only logical explanation I can come up with is, if you're using an ear thermometer, if you have a buildup of wax inside the canal it can block the infrared light from properly reading your temperature, while working correctly on others.

Other than that I got nuthin.

I think your last group of questions were for Endure?

[Noreen]

The only logical explanation I can come up with is, if you're using an ear thermometer, if you have a buildup of wax inside the canal it can block the infrared light from properly reading your temperature, while working correctly on others.

Other than that I got nuthin.

I think your last group of questions were for Endure?

yup the questions were for Endure.

Eureka - a way to afford all our medical expenses - we grow fabulously insulating ear wax!

Industry is always looking for something to keep machinery at a constant temperature - the applications are endless.

Oh wait - I clean my ears periodically with hyrogen peroxide.

[Troy]

Endure_

Your wild fluctuations sound incredibly hard to live with - I am so sorry.

How in the world do you keep track? You have such experience with this - do you just know by now?

Do you find it harder to think when your temp is elevated?

Sorry for the barrage of questions but I am desperately trying to piece things together.

noreen

Elevated temperature always has a huge effect on my thinking and mood, I find that my mind goes into a chaotic state and I cant seem to focus on anything or think straight, I usualy act on instinct when I'm like that and immideatly go for whatever quickest method I can find to cool myself down. Its easier to manage at home of course but those times when I overheat whilst out are the worst, it sends me into a panick mode and I run around like a headless chicken trying to find a way to cool down, often I have ended up in the ER from these temperature problems and even confused the doctors there as to how elevated my temperature gets without any sign of infection or other factors. In summer I usualy cover the car windows with sheets when going to doctors appointments, its so bad that even a little bit of sun on my skin is absorbed like a sponge making me feel sick.

Heat can be such a horrible element, as worse as the cold is I would much prefer freezing then overheating, at least when your cold it is easier to find ways to warm up but cooling down or reducing a fever is much more challanging. The heat sensation feels almost sufficating when it encompasses you, and unintentionally every time I get feverish I become easily irritated at everything. Its like when people get really upset and angry they may feel hot however with me its vice-versa, its like the heat sets off emotions that are associated with it, so you end up beacoming angry and irratable without wanting to just beacuse of the fevers.

For the first few years I also kept a diary of my temperature abnormalities, I found there were gradual shifts and changes that would occur over longer periods and even temporary miracle cures where a sudden onset of the flue would further elevate my fevers and just when it felt like I wasnt going to make it through it would suddenly reset my thermoregulation back down to a normal level better then previously, but the cure only lasted a week or two until the next flue set in.

Unfortunetly even after 10 years of daily temperature problems it doesn't get much easier, you learn to live with the mild fluctuations and mild fevers and use whatever immediate fixes you can find but those larger spikes and drops still feel as horrible as always.

Although your temperature seems to have changed from previously what causes you the most discomfort now, is the the heat or the cold?

[Noreen]

Unfortunetly even after 10 years of daily temperature problems it doesn't get much easier, you learn to live with the mild fluctuations and mild fevers and use whatever immediate fixes you can find but those larger spikes and drops still feel as horrible as always.

Although your temperature seems to have changed from previously what causes you the most discomfort now, is the the heat or the cold?

I am petrified of the upcoming summer months. After 2 years, I knew I was heat intolerant but I did not put together low grade temps and smush brain with everything else going on - no real support here to bounce things off.

I'd much rather freeze - Raynaud's be darned - eventually you warm up. The weird thing is even with chills there is no alteration in body temp during this period.

[sue1234]

I am petrified now that summer is here, also. It gets 95ish all summer here, and I worry about the car breaking down and me not having a/c!!! I bought a cooling vest, but it doesn't help at all in the face of 90 degree heat. I am literally afraid for my life if I end up with no a/c in the high heat.

As far as the car, I will not travel our local interstate, as I am afraid there could be a wreck that we get stalled behind,and then how we will have to sit in our car and worry about enough gas to keep the engine running....

As you can tell, I worry so much about heat!!! I would love winter all year.

[Noreen]

I am petrified now that summer is here, also. It gets 95ish all summer here, and I worry about the car breaking down and me not having a/c!!! I bought a cooling vest, but it doesn't help at all in the face of 90 degree heat. I am literally afraid for my life if I end up with no a/c in the high heat.

As far as the car, I will not travel our local interstate, as I am afraid there could be a wreck that we get stalled behind,and then how we will have to sit in our car and worry about enough gas to keep the engine running....

As you can tell, I worry so much about heat!!! I would love winter all year.

Have you seen these active cooling vests sue?

http://www.msolutions.org/Softiceactivevest.html

Out of my price range but if the neuro will write a script I will go for it over the coolsport type - I am so afraid of the brain mush from heat and I think I may be be in need of big guns now.

the cool thing about this one is they have add'l pieces to attach like a hat, your wrists, ankles, etc. Since it has been over 2 minutes, I have forgotten but I think there is a car adaptor for the rolling ice chest.

[Chaos]

So here's another weird temperature thing... I recently bought one of those temporal scanner thermometers. It's a rare day when both sides of my forehead read the same temp. They may register anywhere from .2 to 1.4 degrees different, even though I haven't been doing anything that should account for one side being warmer than the other. Can't blame it on earwax either.

[mvdula]

Sue,

Don't know if our symptoms are really the same or not - but I have had that extreme fear of the heat - after my first summer w/ heat intolerance (last year, had a nice remission period and I was ok w/ the heat - but I do live in Chicago, where 95 is considered pretty hot and is not that common). I almost think calling it heat 'intolerance' is really not strong enough - the episodes I had were extreme - tho I never went to ER or even took my temp - why didn't I think of that then???!!! Anyway, once I got too hot, I would actually stay that way - felt like I was dying of heat stroke - for a good hour or so - some of the episodes I could not escape the situation - ie very hot weather on vacation and hot car - the AC seemed to cool everyone else down, but not me - I was spraying (soaking!) myself w/ a mister water bottle and AC on high/cold blowing all over me - it did nothing, I really thought I was going to die there in the car on the backroads of KY. I felt like I might get a tiny bit of relief from climbing into a meat freezer. It was pure ****. So, I was terrified of driving around w/ my 4 kids in the car and having this happen during summer - it did happen (1st time!) on way to communion practice - incl other peoples' kids! - and I ended up in front row...dying, hot....running to bathroom while someone held my baby - then finally just had to leave - drove home w/ baby.....in a very hot panic - and sat in front of AC until it subsided (kids carpooled w/ someone else). "Not fun' doesn't even begin to describe it. I SO wish I had taken my temp....don't remember if I was sweating or not, the heat came on me so fast and it was as if the thermostat was stuck inside. Last year I was ok, and also noticed that I sweated just fine in hot weather - thank God for that improvement...we shall see how it goes this year.

Would anyone else describe their 'heat intolerance' like this?

[anna]

My twin boys have been having odd bouts of feeling very hot inside but being cold to the touch, it tends to come on when other POTS symptoms are bad. Also when they have hot (temp) food they start to get very itchy manly head down to shoulders it is so odd, they look like a couple of monkeys, sizzling hot ribs in one hand and scratching with the other, we do get some odd looks!!!

[Noreen]

So here's another weird temperature thing... I recently bought one of those temporal scanner thermometers. It's a rare day when both sides of my forehead read the same temp. They may register anywhere from .2 to 1.4 degrees different, even though I haven't been doing anything that should account for one side being warmer than the other. Can't blame it on earwax either.

Thanks for posting about the temporal scanner therm. I had been reading up on them and thinking of getting one but was wondering with our issues what would happen. I thought I had a fever last night but nope - 98.2. I took it with the oral digital thermometer and was able to get a reading 97.9 - same reading I got with it Monday morning. While I can't always get a consistent oral reading - it can start to vary widely if my tongue moves at all - generally the oral runs .3 degree less than ear.

This is more than I ever wanted to know about temperatures. I want a life.

noreen

still at 98.2

[Noreen]

Sue,

I almost think calling it heat 'intolerance' is really not strong enough - the episodes I had were extreme - tho I never went to ER or even took my temp - why didn't I think of that then???!!! Anyway, once I got too hot, I would actually stay that way - felt like I was dying of heat stroke - for a good hour or so - some of the episodes I could not escape the situation - ie very hot weather on vacation and hot car - the AC seemed to cool everyone else down, but not me - I was spraying (soaking!) myself w/ a mister water bottle and AC on high/cold blowing all over me - it did nothing, I really thought I was going to die there in the car on the backroads of KY. I felt like I might get a tiny bit of relief from climbing into a meat freezer. It was pure ****. So, I was terrified of driving around w/ my 4 kids in the car and having this happen during summer .... I SO wish I had taken my temp....don't remember if I was sweating or not, the heat came on me so fast and it was as if the thermostat was stuck inside. ....

I find it impossible to think and ended up having no idea why I could not do things. I call it brain smush. Once you are in that I don't know how you have the presence of mind to go to the ER or take your temp. It was only after 2 summers, finding this forum which discussed cooling options, and having a new neurologist appt. that I actually started keeping track of things. I would take my temp occaisonally but with not memory not keep track of it or not remember to bring it to docs.

I wonder if our panic attacks get diagnosed more in the hot months? Basically we can't describe what is going on and are acting on survival instinct yet we may describe being totally freaked to docs

If I were in your shoes, I would check out the post on cooling vests and or the link I posted here. Just as a precaution because I could not imagine having children that young and it hitting you.

hope everything stays cool for you

noreen

[mvdula]

Reen,

That so rings true for me - during these heat episodes - or any bad pots episode for that matter - it's like i am just out of it - terrified but out of it. I don't talk much - not typical for me at all. I always thought it was because I am so scared it is all I can think about....but maybe there's more to it.

[kayjay]

I also have trouble regulating my body temp- I always have a low grade fever (about 99.5 to 100). Mayo clinic told me that my body temp was high and when I had my sweat test they made me stay in longer b/c I started with a hight temp- they wanted to increase it a certain amount.

I do think POTS is the issue for me but there is some variation in "normal people" too.

A good thing for those of us with cold hands... that is a key trait for a good pastry chef!