OHGrandma Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I felt bad yesterday with GI symptoms, sore throat and a temp 2 degrees above normal. But for me 2 degrees above normal meant my temp was 98.8, I would have felt foolish to call the ER about the possibility of this being H1N1 & getting a Tamiflu shot! I decided to wait it out since the GI symptoms could have been due to eating at a new restaurant, the sore throat could have just been sinuses, and the temp? I always feel miserable if my temp gets above 98, so that could have been anything. By the evening my temp was dropping and now it's down to 96.6, that's my normal temp. My regular dr knows my temp runs low, so if it hits 99 he knows I'm miserable. At 102 I'll start hallucinating. Does anyone else have low body temps, and have trouble convincing medical personnel that 98.6 is a fever for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My regular body temp is 97.5 or thereabouts. Doctors never think I have a fever...or that it's very low. It's annoying, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My son runs low and it drives me nuts when we (occasionally) have to see a pediatrician and I try to explain he's really running a fever. Is your thyroid ok? My sister ran low with low thyroid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Always. My mom is the same way. Do you have low blood pressure, as well? My mom and I do, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My regular body temp is 97.5 or thereabouts. Doctors never think I have a fever...or that it's very low. It's annoying, isn't it? Similar situation here - normal is 97.1. There has been no time (when I'm feeling well) that my temperature has not been 97.1. Even my regular dr. - while looking at my chart - refuses to call it a fever when it hits 98.6. Fortunately, I have almost never run a fever - I can think of 3-4 times in my adult life. But I have felt awful with it long before the dr. will acknowledge it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 For years my normal was 96.8. I haven't taken my temp in ages but the other week when I was ill I felt very feverish. The highest it got then was 100. eta: yes my blood pressure has always been on the lower end of normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Always. My mom is the same way. Do you have low blood pressure, as well? My mom and I do, too. Yep - this, too. (And my mom, too.) One time I gave blood and the technician took my bp three times because she though she was doing something wrong. She wondered aloud how I could be walking around with it that low? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Actually, what you describe *is* what I'm reading about H1N1: *low* or non-existent fever in at least half of patients (and yes, I believe you about your temp -- 99 for me *absolutely* only happens when I'm sick, and I honestly don't think that's that unusual for a lot of women), GI distress (atypical for seasonal flu), and sore throat plus exhaustion and body aches... On the other hand, a lot of people have very mild cases, so hopefully you're recovering already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria from IN Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Mine usually runs around 97.5...I always wondered if it was related to having Reynaud's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pajama Mama Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Yep, mine runs around 97 normally. I have low bp and hypothyroism. When my temp hits 100, I'm usually pretty sick. I had a temp of 102 last year. It felt like my brain was boiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I have the opposite issue. Normal is 98.6, but my temp goes down instead of up when I'm sick. One of my sisters who is a nurse said she's encountered that before; any abnormal temp is a symptom and although it goes up for almost everyone, it does go down for a very small percentage of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My regular body temp is 97.5 or thereabouts. Doctors never think I have a fever...or that it's very low. It's annoying, isn't it?Me too. And when I try to explain my low body temp, they brush it off as if that's not something they've ever heard of before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 My son runs low and it drives me nuts when we (occasionally) have to see a pediatrician and I try to explain he's really running a fever.Is your thyroid ok? My sister ran low with low thyroid. My thyroid is OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My thyroid is OK.Mine is too (had it tested many times). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Always. My mom is the same way. Do you have low blood pressure, as well? My mom and I do, too. No, my blood pressure has always been borderline high. My dr never prescribed anything for that until I pointed out my mom, her mom, and her mom's sister all died from strokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Does anyone else have low body temps, and have trouble convincing medical personnel that 98.6 is a fever for you?Yep. Do you also have low blood pressure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Me too. And when I try to explain my low body temp, they brush it off as if that's not something they've ever heard of before. Yeah - me too! It seems there are at least a few of us out there, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Yeah - me too! It seems there are at least a few of us out there, huh? Sure sounds like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I run at about 97.5...but 98.6 is not really a fever for me either...I kind of go back and forth. My youngest son runs at 97.0 and 98.6 is a lowgrade fever for him. Anything about 99.0 and he starts to feel it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I'm so glad you started this thread! Yes, my body temp is low (97ish) and my blood pressure is also low. I'm glad to know there are others out there like me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 That's the flu? Oh my gosh... my dh and I had it two weeks ago. I was annoyed, because I wasn't "sick enough" to stay home, but felt achy and had a sore throat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My normal body temp is around 97 also. I also have low blood pressure. Every time someone new takes it, they ask me if I'm feeling faint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 That's the flu? Oh my gosh... my dh and I had it two weeks ago. I was annoyed, because I wasn't "sick enough" to stay home, but felt achy and had a sore throat. What I have, I wouldn't call the flu yet. I have sinus drainage on the right side of my head, that can trigger a sore throat & fever for me. And any fever will make me feel achey. I think there will be a lot of illnesses people suspect is the flu, and is not; there always are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Mine runs as low as 95. My blood/pressure is high but I take meds for that. My pulse also runs about 115-120. I think my doctor have given me up as medically anonamy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Normal can be anywhere from 97-99 depending on time of day. 97 isn't low according to my doctor. Lower than 97 can be hypothyroid. That was one of the clues when I was diagnosed. I was charting my temps to try to conceive and it would be 96 in the morning. I found out that the ranges for thyroid have been changed and what some doctors still call normal really is out of range and on the way to hypothyroid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Yep, normal for me is 96.9, so by 98 I am feeling icky. When I was a kid my doc joked that I had the body temp of a lizard lol. Hope you feel better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Always. My mom is the same way. Do you have low blood pressure, as well? My mom and I do, too. Interesting. My bp is always low too except when I was preggers with dd, and my ob was even scared and nearly did a c-section. Ironically it was low with my 2nd and I passed out a couple of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Yep, normal for me is 96.9, so by 98 I am feeling icky. When I was a kid my doc joked that I had the body temp of a lizard lol. Hope you feel better soon. Haha, that's what I always said about myself. Unfortunately my temp returned this afternoon and it's 99.3 now. And even though I ate breakfast 9 hours ago, it's sitting there and starting to make itself known. I think I'll have my daughter ask her OBY/GN tomorrow about getting Tamiflu as a preventative. She's going in to have the dr try to turn the baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My normal temp is 97.5 as well. I feel achy if it hits 98.6. Just last week, I had a sore throat and slight nasal congestion. I felt tired and sluggish and I ached all over. My temp never got higher than 98.8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prudent Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 DD and I are both at 97.0 usually, she's even registered at 96.9 at the pediatricians office. I've never had a problem with Drs believing me when I say 99+ is a fever for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGin Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 YES! I do and so does my oldest dd (she's adopted though, so it's not my genes). I went through about 5 years of taking my basal temp every day and so I know for a fact that my normal temp is between 96 & 97. If I get a temp of 98 - 99 that's a low grade and 99+ I am sick! I also have blood pressure that is super low, just barely in the normal range. I can't count how many times I've had a nurse say "is your bp always this low?". LOL Yes, it's has been hard at times to convince medical folks that a temp of 100 is not a good thing for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 YES! I do and so does my oldest dd (she's adopted though, so it's not my genes). I went through about 5 years of taking my basal temp every day and so I know for a fact that my normal temp is between 96 & 97. If I get a temp of 98 - 99 that's a low grade and 99+ I am sick! I also have blood pressure that is super low, just barely in the normal range. I can't count how many times I've had a nurse say "is your bp always this low?". LOL Yes, it's has been hard at times to convince medical folks that a temp of 100 is not a good thing for me. :iagree: I am running a fever if my temp goes above 97. I actually ran a fever of 103 a couple of montrhs ago and it was excruciating -- I started taking my temp when I felt feverish at 97, and then it just kept rising. It turned out to be a 24 hour bug, but it was no fun at all. After I had ds via c-section, my temp dropped below 94 in post-op, and everyone started to panic as DH tried very calmly to explain how low I usually am. And I also have low blood pressure. In my case, I am hypothyroid, but even when I have my thyroid levels in the normal range, my body temp and bp stay low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Similar situation here - normal is 97.1. There has been no time (when I'm feeling well) that my temperature has not been 97.1. Even my regular dr. - while looking at my chart - refuses to call it a fever when it hits 98.6. Fortunately, I have almost never run a fever - I can think of 3-4 times in my adult life. But I have felt awful with it long before the dr. will acknowledge it. Me too. And when I try to explain my low body temp, they brush it off as if that's not something they've ever heard of before. What's really annoying is when you go to your doctor, the nurse takes your temp and writes it down as 98.6 even though you (and she) can see perfectly well that it is not. Urg! It's been driving me nuts for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Mine is always low except when I am sick. My normal is 96.5 to 96.8. I feel feverish at 98 and anything. I feel extremely sick at 100. THe two times I had 102 as an adult I had pneumonia. I supposedly do not have low thyroid and they keep checking but I have another condition that makes autoimmune thyroid problems happen about 50% of the time and I have lots of symptoms of low thyroid, too. Oh well, it isn't getting any worse and when they do figure it out one day, maybe some of my other stupid problems will disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 What's really annoying is when you go to your doctor, the nurse takes your temp and writes it down as 98.6 even though you (and she) can see perfectly well that it is not. Urg! It's been driving me nuts for years. Isn't that the truth!!! That bugs me to know end. My favorite though is with my youngest son. He is on chemo, and when he takes steroids his body temp is 94-95, and the nurses will take his temp, say it is too low, and come back to take it again until it is 'acceptable to write down'. Seriously, what's the point. They eventually make it up, because it is never above 95 during that week of the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 My 17 year old dd and I am both this way. Last spring my dd and I were both feeling miserable. Since it was in the afternoon it was too late for us both to see different doctors (my doctor and her pediatrician) so we both just went to my doctor. My dd has a usual temp of 97 so if she has 99-100 she is pretty miserable. I tried to explain that to my doctor who was very rude to me and said that no way was anything under 100 a fever. She said that just had a cold. The following day dd was still feeling miserable and her temp was about the same. I took her to the pediatrician. It turns out that she had bronchitis and laryngitis. She was pretty sick and needed an antibiotic. I'm pretty much the same way. If I have a temp of 99 I know that I am sick and over 100 I'm really sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I once went in early in the morning to have blood drawn, and the nurse told me that if I were not sitting in the chair talking to her, she'd be calling for help to have me checked out since my temp and BP was so low! Mine runs esp. low in the early morn. Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I supposedly do not have low thyroid and they keep checking but I have another condition that makes autoimmune thyroid problems happen about 50% of the time and I have lots of symptoms of low thyroid, too. Hashimoto's Disease? Antibodies? I once went in early in the morning to have blood drawn, and the nurse told me that if I were not sitting in the chair talking to her, she'd be calling for help to have me checked out since my temp and BP was so low! Mine runs esp. low in the early morn. Jean You sound like me. My temp runs around 96.2. One time I had an appointment with the chiropractor right after work, and this particular chiro's office checked blood pressure (not temp or anything else). Well, the lady checking my BP said, "I'm glad you teach school!" I said, "Why?" She said, "Well, they say that teaching school raises your blood pressure. I guess you'd be dead if you didn't teach." :p Oddly enough, my first orthodontist was the only doctor who has ever been concerned about my having a low temp. I got an infection from wearing my braces, and he told me that I was the first patient in his 16 years of practice to ever get infection from wearing braces. He said that while most people think running a fever is bad, it's actually good because it means you're fighting the infection. In my case, even with infection, my temp was barely over 96, and he was concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 You know, I was thinking about this and I was wondering if it has something to do with time of measurement. I know from personal experience that my basal body temp is between 95 and 97 but I never go to the dr. at 6:00 am. If I go to the doctor it is much later in the day, usually afternoon if in any way possible. Of course, my temp is higher then. Since the majority of norms were figured out on men probably early in the morn they may have come up with an artificially inflated number or one that only applied to men. It is possible that women's natural basal body temp is somewhat lower and many women are aware of this due to NFP. This would make sense being that we are smaller and have a lower metabolic rate not to mention fluctutations due to hormones. On the other hand, I don't think it stands to reason that that means you have a temp at 98-99 degrees because pathogens, viruses, and bacterials are still affected by a set temperature that is dnagerous to them and that is usually higher, still in the 100+ degrees area. It just means that we have a greater range of normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Knoll Mom Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Always. My mom is the same way. Do you have low blood pressure, as well? My mom and I do, too. This is me. Low temp and low blood pressure. My dad is the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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