HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Low Temperature

Support Forums
>
Lupus
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/15/2010 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
I've had a sore throat and felt under the weather for a few days -- but of course any doctors first question will be "Do you have a temperature?"

Well, despite using 2 electric thermometers and 1 mercury, my temperature measures about 97. Even in my regular doctor visits my temp hasn't been over 97.5 in at least a couple of years.

I know some of you have a similar problem with normally low temperature. Do you have any tips or information about this from your doctors? Guidelines on when to see a dr? Anything?

All I've ever heard is wait till it's almost 100 or over 100 -- for me that might be a very very long wait till I'm very very ill.

Would love to have a better answer!
Thanks
Posted 3/15/2010 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
are you on plaquenil? plaquenil lowered my body temp as well..my normal is 97.9..i had the stomach flu and my temp was 103 and i didnt go i took meds and went back to sleep... found out later that was a big nono since im on cellcept... hope this helps ease things for you
Posted 3/16/2010 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
Great question, Lynnwood, and I'd love to get an answer to that too. Amy, I don't remember whether or not my temp ran low before I started taking plaquenil, but it does now. It's typically 97.5, and by the time my temp gets up to 99 (which should be no big deal) I can tell that I have a fever.
Posted 3/16/2010 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
If I get to 99 me and my docs worry because I run a degree or two below normal and usually 99 means I am pretty sick.
Posted 3/16/2010 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Lynnwood. I'm sorry you're sick. Since my normal temp is 97 my most important indicator is chills. Sometimes I'll even get chills and sweats with a 97 temp. My rheumy and internist both remember this about me which makes it easier. Also my white blood cell count is never over 10.0, no matter how bad a bacterial infection I have. I've gone to my internist a couple of times with the symptoms of chills and feeling ratty. I hope you feel better soon! Love ya, Donna
Posted 3/17/2010 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
Lynnwood, I hope you start feeling better soon! I too have a low body temp, around 97. I don't remember when this started for me, but I did start taking plaquenil in 2004. Hmmmm.... very interesting topic.
Posted 3/17/2010 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Lynnwood. My body temp has always been around 97, even before I started taking plaquenil. My rheumatologist says this is common with lupus patients. The sucky part is that most drs dont think anything about it if you go in with a 100 degree temp, and you're right, we could actually be very sick by that point. I guess I don't really have any advice for you, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Hope u feel better soon!
Posted 3/17/2010 6:36 PM (GMT 0)

Hi! Everyone,

Yep, that's one of the first questions. I teach nursing, and now we look at a fever as a good thing, the body's first natural defense against a foreign, disease producing, invading organism. We teach that a fever needs to be assessed in view of the pt's. normal, healthy, baseline number. So that a person with a normal temp for them of 96, could indeed have a fever at 98 or 99. But, many of our meds are immunosupressive, which can stop our body from recognizing, (on an immune system response level), the infection, so then the immune cells don't tell the brain to shiver and shake the muscles to directly add body heat to heat up the blood, which is then evidenced  as a fever. So, people on prednisone, NSAIDS, cellcept, etc. have to be extra vigilant about signs of systemic illness, and see the dr. asap.

hugs,

suetoo

Posted 3/17/2010 8:02 PM (GMT 0)

suetoo said...
We teach that a fever needs to be assessed in view of the pt's. normal, healthy, baseline number. So that a person with a normal temp for them of 96, could indeed have a fever at 98 or 99.

Any idea when that started being taught? 'Cause I haven't yet run into a doctor or nurse who says that -- only ones who say "don't bother me till it's over 100".

Fun, fun...slept 16 hours last night, through 3 phone calls...think I might be sick? lol
Posted 3/18/2010 6:09 AM (GMT 0)
Well that's not a good thing. I usually run around 97.3 or so. My dr. says she wants to see me if I hit 100.4. but the last time I talked to the nurse it was 99.9 and they immediately put me on antibiotics. When I'm really anemic I get the chills. Hide under the covers and sleep sleep sleep.

get better or get to the doctor.
hugs
carol
Posted 3/19/2010 8:07 PM (GMT 0)

Hi! Everyone,

I am still teaching, but the concept is a relatively, past few yrs, new one, that goes for b/p and pulse, too. Nurses, especially those around my age, 54 'ish" are tough nuts to teach new fundamentals to, but we keep trying. So a "my temp is usually around 95 cause I'm on ______ (fill in the med)" is a good and tactful way of saying to the person who says "have you had a fever?" when you are being evaluated.

suetoo

Posted 3/20/2010 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
This is really good stuff to know. Thanks gals/guys. I have been asked many times if I've had a fever. My answer is always no, as I really don't think that I've had them. I'm more often than not cold. Especially when I'm not feeling well. This helps things make a lot more sense to me. I've often thought it weird that when I feel the worst I am freezing...I too can relate to the shivering under the covers. It's like my bodies circulation's not working properly when their is flaring happening in me.

-Ellie
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply