What temp do you consider a fever?

Maty Ann, I had this same conversation with my old rheumy and she told me the same thing your doc told you, but I personally think it's a load of bull... I also run a pretty low normal temp, so when I get to 99 or above, I feel miserable and feverish. I think the medical community has set certain cut and dry guidelines for this and don't look at it on an individual basis. However, my old pcp recognized that anything over 99.5 or so was a fever and documented it as a fever. I've heard different things like your temp has to be one degree about "normal" to be considered a fever, but your temp was a degree over normal, so your doc was going on something different. Other people here have said that docs only consider a temp of over 100 a fever. It's all kind of confusing and doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Hi there

You know I take temperatures all day long hardly anyone runs 98.6.  I myself run 97.4 but when I am flaring I run 98-99.  Everyone has a baseline and when that baseline changes and you feel terrible, yes you have a fever.  Don't let anyone even a doctor tell you what you already know which is that you feel terrible and you should be treated not ignored.

Candace

Lupus, Raynaud's, APA