Low Body Temperature-Fevers

[friday7]

I was wondering if anyone else here has a low body temperature? My normal temp is about 96.8 So when I get a temp at 98.8 I feel like it's a fever. And I feel sick. Well it's about equal to a person with a 98.6 temp getting a fever of 100.6

The problem is if I go into the doctor with a temp over 100 they will treat it as a temp but if I go in with a temp of 98.8 they say it's fine. I explain that I have a normally low body temp. They listen , nod and then continue to tell me I don't have a fever. A fever is 100 plus..This doesn't make sense to me . If everyone has a different body temp(true most have a temp of 98.6 but not all) they say that only a temp of 100 or more is a fever. It's seems common sense to me if you have a lower normal temp then your fever would occur at a lower level too. but yet they continue to say a temp is 100 plus. Does this make sense?

Meanwhile I've had a fever every day. I feel sick every day. I walk around with a wet cloth around my neck to keep it down, but I can't get any help. My doc just said take Tylenol to help keep it down..I feel like she was humoring me. I mean if I have a fever shouldnt' a doctor be trying to find out why, not just covering it up? What do you do when you have a normal body temp that's low and you have a fever. How do you get anyone to take it seriously.

[Lovebug]

I can see where it would be difficult to convince your doctor to be concerned about this. The main reason is b/c our body temperature fluctates so much during the day, as well as the month. This means on any given day we can have a temp up to 99 or 100 without concern from a doctor. It isn't until a temp gets high enough to indicate an infection that a doctor would be concerned. Even a temp of 101-102 isn't a "huge" concern. I think the reason "we" feel bad with even a slight temperature rise is due to the Dysautonomia....our bodies just do not handle things correctly. Get this: I have small blisters on the back of my throat and constantly swollen lymph nodes in my neck that no doctor I've been to seems to care about. With high EBV levels, I thought surely there would be some course of treatment but to no avail...?

I hope you get to feeling better!

[autumn]

I usually test about 97.3, but when nurses were coming in the morning for my IV, they were getting me at 99.7. That shocked me!

I hardly get fevers, though. A couple of years ago, I was so, so sick, and I went to the doctor practically in tears. He said there was no sign of any illness -- no fever, no swollen lymph nodes, nothing. He ended up sending me for bloodwork and called me as soon the numbers came in the next day, telling me I had to come down IMMEDIATELY. Turns out my white count was really high, indicating that I was "really, really sick" -- his words. But my body temp at the time was in the 97s.

I know now that it's likely dysautonomia that keeps me from getting a fever even when I'm sick. I had a similar situation earlier this year, and my doctor, who's really knowledgable about POTS, didn't think it was at all strange when I came in horridly sick with no fever. I hope you can find a doctor who understands you better.

[potsgirl]

Hey Friday7~

I also run a very low body temp. I'm usually around 96.8. Luckily, I have a doctor who knows that if I have a temp reading of 99, that it means a fever with me, but it usually isn't a big deal because it would equate to around 100-101. This is rare for me, however. Usually I'm on the low side, and get cold very easily, although I don't know if the two are related.

I'm sorry you're feeling so badly so much of the time. Perhaps a specialist might be able to respond to you in a more knowledgeable fashion.

Cheers!

Jana

[rach73]

Hi,

I also have a low body temperature I run at 35.7 degree's C ( USA 96.3 ) to 36.5 (USA 97.7). I pretty much always feel cold in the summer I am the one wearing gloves and a sweatshirt when everyone else wears a t-shirt!

I feel ill as soon as my temperature hits 37 (USA 98.6) if it gets as high as 37.5 (USA 99.5) I can start to hallucinate. If its gets to 38 (USA 100.4) my skin feels like its burning off me and I am well and truly out of it. The problem I have is unless you have a temperature of 38 in the UK a lot of Dr's don't think you are ill. Some Dr's (in the UK) are taught 37.2 and above is a fever, some are taught only 38 and above is a fever.

My mum and sister are the same and run low body temperatures. My sister was recently hospitalised with a severe infection - no temperature a minimal rise in white cell count. Many years ago I had a bowel obstruction and was really poorly again no temperature and minimal rise in white cell count.The whole time I was in hospital my temperature never went above 37 - which is classed as the normal body temperature.

I know other people with POTS / ANS issues and they all have low body temps.

(sorry if my conversion temps are out I had to use the converter on my mobile phone so that I could work out what the temps were in Fahrenheit!)

Rach

[friday7]

I can see where it would be difficult to convince your doctor to be concerned about this. The main reason is b/c our body temperature fluctates so much during the day, as well as the month. This means on any given day we can have a temp up to 99 or 100 without concern from a doctor. It isn't until a temp gets high enough to indicate an infection that a doctor would be concerned. Even a temp of 101-102 isn't a "huge" concern. I think the reason "we" feel bad with even a slight temperature rise is due to the Dysautonomia....our bodies just do not handle things correctly. Get this: I have small blisters on the back of my throat and constantly swollen lymph nodes in my neck that no doctor I've been to seems to care about. With high EBV levels, I thought surely there would be some course of treatment but to no avail...?

I hope you get to feeling better!

Hi, Yeah I know it fluctuates. But this definitely is a fever. I can feel it. And most of the times when I get a temp of 98.3 or above I feel it. I agree that with the Dysautonomia we probably are more sensitive to it . That's 'the problem is trying to get a doctor that understands this. I do think I have a low grade infection. I often get infections that just linger for a few months. I feel lousy get slight fevers and yellow gunk coming out form my sinuses on and off but doctors don't "see" it till it gets so bad that I feel like dying that's why it would be helpful to have a doctor that understands POTS.

[friday7]

I usually test about 97.3, but when nurses were coming in the morning for my IV, they were getting me at 99.7. That shocked me!

I hardly get fevers, though. A couple of years ago, I was so, so sick, and I went to the doctor practically in tears. He said there was no sign of any illness -- no fever, no swollen lymph nodes, nothing. He ended up sending me for bloodwork and called me as soon the numbers came in the next day, telling me I had to come down IMMEDIATELY. Turns out my white count was really high, indicating that I was "really, really sick" -- his words. But my body temp at the time was in the 97s.

I know now that it's likely dysautonomia that keeps me from getting a fever even when I'm sick. I had a similar situation earlier this year, and my doctor, who's really knowledgeable about POTS, didn't think it was at all strange when I came in horridly sick with no fever. I hope you can find a doctor who understands you better.

Isn't that the worse thing. You were so sick and yet they look at you examine you and say you're fine!It's great that you found a doctor that understands. What I don't get is when you have something like POTS why doctors that have you as a patient won't do more research on it. You'd think they'd want to understand their patient..I understand they're busy but it's not that much trouble come here and do a little reading.It's just so frustrating.

[Friedbrain]

I also have a low body temperature. One theory is that I have (Hashimoto's) hypothyroidism. I take thyroid medication, but since I still have some of the 'typical' symptoms of hypothyroidism (like being cold easily, etc), I'm not surprised or overly concerned about it generally. But, like you, I feel feverish periodically but am rarely if ever running a fever per my temp.

A few things that I've noticed that can exacerbate or bring on the feeling of feeling feverish:

a) sugar. Although my usual reaction to sugar is fatigue or shakiness, sometimes it's a feverish (in my head) feeling, and salt can sometimes reverse this.

b.) OVULATION! For a few years, I would feel awful during ovulation. My best guess (this was about 17 ys ago, so a long time ago) was that it was an autommune reaction so I wanted my rheumatologist to do the blood workup when I was feeling bad (I was followed for a while because of some positive, lupus-like results). Nope. Nothing triggered his alarms, so I never did figure out why I often felt feverish during ovulation (but I have all sorts of symptoms come and go, specific for a certain "time of month", so I'm sure it was related to hormones, just don't know what) OH! But I did discover (much later) that increasing my cortef by half (which I'm supposed to do when sick or under a lot of stress) reduces the flu-like feelings, so maybe it IS an immune reaction but he just didn't know what to look for?

c) PROGESTERONE plus ovulation! The absolute worst. My OB wanted me to get off bcp cuz I'd been on them so long, and because I had the autoantibody that can cause clotting, so he'd suggested the progesterone ring. I was concerned about adding a hormone, but he promised there were no side effects. Not long after, I started feeling like I had a horrible flu during ovulation, not just feverish but terribly achy all over. I called and asked about it, but was again told it would not be related. The last month I had it (don't remember how many months in), I thought I wanted to die rather than keep it in one more day. I was so sick I could barely move because I ached all over and felt so feverish. I was in tears over the phone begging a doctor to see me that day and take it out. My doc was busy, no other OB would see me as I would be a new patient. I remember my distress but not exactly how I resolved it-maybe I went to urgent care, or my FP doc did it. I felt MUCH better the next day, not surprisingly. I did call the manufacturer to report an "adverse side effect", and they said they would take down my info and call me back. Uh huh. NOT. I guess when reporting an adverse side effect, you don't call the company making money off of it......doh.

My worst times were a long time ago, when I was in my mid-20s, although I still feel flu-like at times (like today, as a matter of fact; kept feeling my face all day but it wasn't hot).

Sorry. If it's not in the cookbook.....

edited because apparently a 'b' with a side parenthesis turns into a face.....

[tinkerbella]

I also deal with low body temps...97 and once it starts to climb I know something is brewing and I feel crappy. Chills and then the fever starts lately as high as 102.8. Thankfully, I was in the hospital and they were able to wash me down with alcohol and place ice packs all over my body. I'm noticing I'm getting higher and higher again like i did a few years ago. Back then I would only get to 100 and the ID doc said it was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This was before my layer of pre-pots dx.

I'm so tired from all these body changes... I really would like to go away for the weekend, but have no energy. I'll just turn on the sound machine of the ocean, put on my shades and pull up the shades and dream ~

Bellamia