Do We Get A Fever When Sick?

[sue1234]

I've had POTS almost 10 years, and I haven't had a virus or bacterial infection in this time. In the last few days, I feel like I am sick. I feel like I have the flu, but with no respiratory symptoms. I just feel that severe malaise and heavy, weak muscle feeling. I don't have a fever, but know back when I was a "normal" person, this is what I would feel like if I had the flu or some heavy virus.

I went to the doctor and am having labs in the morning. My doctor is testing me for mono and seeing what my morning cortisol is. I didn't know with our systems not working properly if we get fevers?????

[Guest ANCY]

Sorry you are not feeling well. Being sick on top of chronic illness is hard.

I usually get fever spikes when I have major infections going on. Typically go either extremely high (104+) with an infection or sometimes my temp goes down to around 93. I try to look at everything else that is going on at the time when I suspect an infection because I have a wide range of fluctuations regularly.

When I've had blood infections there are times when I feel like I should have a fever but dont... Sometimes only had a fever for an hour or two while I had a raging infection. I guess my point is that though I spike high, I just don't maintain fevers.

Additionally my normal infection markers (WBC count etc) are often in normal range even with a confirmed blood infection.

Hope you feel better soon and figure out what is going on! God bless.

[SarahA33]

Hi, Sue.. Sorry you aren't feeling well. Mono is terrible, I've had it before I got sick. Couldn't image having it now. I really hope you don't have it!

I can often have a low grade fever and not even know it because of the temperature fluctuations that I have on a daily basis. Does that make sense?

I normally run around 97.3, so when I have a temperature of 99-100, I feel really yucky, like someone ran over me with a truck. I hope you feel better soon. Take good care of yourself! Sarah

[Katybug]

I'm like Sarah. My new normal is pretty consistently 97.1. So, when I feel like crud like I have since Friday, I might get up to 99.0. While my docs acknowledge it's elevated a bit for me, they don't call it a fever.

When I questioned my PCP on this phenomenon, he said that it wouldn't be considered a fever because metabolically, no bad things start to happen until the body temp gets over 100.

My POTS neuro, when presented with the same question, said that he feels like it is a valid question and that there frankly isn't research on it. That because my normal is lower than a healthy person's, we really don't know how an elevation to 99 is effecting my body. He said medically, it's not considered a fever but that it clearly coincides with my flu/infection symptoms so there must be something going on.

Hope you feel better! I'm now on antibiotics.

[sue1234]

Thanks everyone! My normal temp also runs in the low-mid 97F. I temped this afternoon and one was 99F and the other was 98.5F. Definitely above my normals, which have even been in the 95F range on a few occasions.

I took a half of a Tylenol, and I actually felt somewhat better within an hour! That kind of makes me think I have some illness.

[Chaos]

Hi Sue, Hope you are feeling better by now.

I found that even when I had pneumonia a couple years ago and was really sick, my temp never went over 99. In Sept this year, I had bronchitis and was really sick again but didn't get over 99.3 that time. Like others are saying, my normal temp runs in the 96.4-97.4 range

Apparently, checking your labs is the reliable way to look for an infection when your temp doesn't do normal things.

Or trying tylenol to see if it helps your symptoms.

[sue1234]

Thanks everyone! I am finally rid of that malaise feeling. It lasted a good two weeks. I was soooooo worried I was getting a permanent case of CFS or something similar!!

Interesting that it seems some of us don't get true fevers. That would make sense, if our vessels are having issues with constricting correctly.

[fitnesskelly]

I get the fake fevers a lot (feel feverish, but normal temp). However, i get real fevers too, but I have to be pretty sick. Had the flu in February (which I later found out was actually Listeria) and I had a fever of 102.5.

I can sympathize with feeling sick lately without having the actual illness. I've felt for weeks like I have a mild sinus infection, but I checked out fine at the doc's office. I think it's all part of a flare that's lasting weeks.

Have you all had your thyroid checked? Low temp is a sign of hypothyroid.

[sue1234]

I'm on thyroid meds and have them checked a few times a year. My levels are in a good zone. I remember before POTS, and before being on thyroid meds, my normal daily temp would be in the 99F range.

[Heartandsoul]

Sue1234,

I'm glad you are feeling much better!!!

I've not posted for a while as that head cold I spoke about way back went into a sinus infection and I had been very ill while caregiving a family member. I also had a very bad sore throat which popped up along the way. I felt so sick with extreme malaise and all the "feeling sick" stuff. went to PCP, got penicillin and the malaise lifted.

Meanwhile all this time. I never had a fever. Pre-POTS I got fevers.

Meanwhile my white blood count and other indicators of being sick like sed rate, and C-reactive protein don't ever budge from lowest point on ref. range. The jaw infection (osteomyelitis which gave me POTS) didn't raise any of these indicators one iota. I was very, very sick yet again had no fever. Osteomyelitis is very serious yet there was NO lab sign of me being ill. What preceded the jaw infection (what preceded was a series of root tip infections from one molar proven by X-rays) is why the ID doc put me on 6wks IV treating me for osteomyelitis as a clinical dx. The severe jaw pain was slowly abating as the 6 wks if treatment moved along.

My feeling is that adrenal insufficiency is related. Still working on that.

Best,

heartandsoul

[stellaluna]

Lately, I too rarely get a fever when sick. I typically run low normal 97.5. When I am sick and feel feverish/chills might be 99.5 but often like you sue1234, might be just terrible malaise if I am fighting a virus.

Interesting HeartandSoul, that prePOTS, you got fevers...

Glad you are feeling better, sue1234.

[RichGotsPots]

Sounds similiar what im dealing with the past 3 weaks. My weakness has hit like a mack truck, i feel feverish with no fever but ice packs help, tylenol seems to help. Blood was normal except high basophil white blood cells. Mine just isnt passing

[Finnmin]

I'm surprised to find this thread!

My husband used to get high fevers and strong symptoms whenever he got a cold or a stomach bug BEFORE POTS. But after POTS he doesn't get fevers and all infection symptoms are mild. We don't quite understand why.

But today he finally got down with a stomach virus and developed a high fever! He suffers from a severe case of POTS, so now he feels like he's at death's door. Yet he also hopes that this fever will cure his POTS... It breaks my heart and I worry what will become of this.

[Steph89]

So glad I found this!! I normally run right around 97.7 and start feeling like I should have a fever around 98.5. I don't think I've gotten any higher than 99 since I was a kid (pre-dysautonomia).  I went to WIC today got a dx of a uti with a 98.6 temp (felt nauseous and crummy). Much later after getting home and ~getting sick~ I was shaking so hard I took my temp again and it said 95.9! Has anyone had their temp tank instead of rise?

[Guest KiminOrlando]

Yes! Mine drops. I thought I was the only one. I rarely run a fever, but if it gets to 100.3, I feel like I used to at 104. I NEVER have a fever with a UTI and ended up borderline septic because nobody thought it was that bad because of no fever, until I ended up in the hospital - still with no fever, but multiple rounds of IV antibiotics. I couldn't hold food or fluids down. You should have seen the look on the ER docs face when he saw the lab work. The fact that he was so shocked and serious was a little scary.

"But you don't seem sick..."!!!!!!

Hope you feel better soon.

Kim 

[vtpixie]

Glad you are feeling better. Just to let you know the morning cortisol levels are to see how you adrenal system is functioning. The levels should be higher in the morning and lower in the evening, but with people with CFS or POTS the levels tend to be lower all day long with no relief. Just one of the tests that shows a possible reason for being tired. I have lower cortisol levels, but also lower vit B12, vit D, iodine, and several pathways are lower that are necessary for energy levels. I currently take licorice solid extract and it helps somewhat, but I need to start taking it twice a day.