wild temperature fluctuations

[nigeldodd]

Starting 10 months after beginning Venetoclax / obinutuzamab I started to suffer fever of some kind. My temperature would spike and then sometimes reduce to around 34.5.

Only intravenous antibiotics seemed to correct this.

After discharge from hospital and now having finished Venetoclax I still suffer these temperature fluctuations at a chronic level and sometimes at an acute level.

Yesterday my doctor measured 39 deg C.

I asked if it was ok to take paracetamol. I took 500mg before bed and at 4am my temperature was 34.4 deg C.

I don't know if I am fighting a real infection or if somehow the CLL has changed to some kind of autoimmune condition.

[JigFettler Volunteer]

If I was in your situation I would want to know if it was an infection, for certain.

A Fbc and CRP will help! If the CRP normal unlikely infection. If the CRP is raised, you need an infection screen, that's usually hospital work. Blood cultures, urine, chest xray etc but your Dr will know all that, I hope!

Episodic spiking fevers can mean an infection collection somewhere. Like an abscess.

Jig

[nigeldodd in reply to JigFettler]

Thanks, jig. Good thinking. Indeed when I was admitted to hospital. on 24Mar, my CRP was in the low hundreds. After iv Tazocin for 5 days it was back to normal and I I was discharged.

Unfortunately, after a few days the temperature fluctuations returned.

I also had and have a residual cough and after a week or so I was put on oral Ciprofloxacin by the gp who felt that the iv antibiotics had been for too short a time given I hav CLL.

After a couple of days the temperature fluctuations had become so extreme I was admitted and given a single dose of Tazocin as a precaution against Neutropenia. After a couple of hours I felt better and was discharged.

The next day I was back and put on Co-amoxiclav.

Neither oral antibiotic has made any difference. After a while on Tazocin I seem to get better but not on its oral equivalent (I think) Co-amoxiclav.

Then I relapse.

Sputum tests reveal little. Only the CRP correlates with spiked temperature and feeling awful.

Paracetamol stabilises the temperature, but may mask the underlying condition.

[JigFettler Volunteer in reply to nigeldodd]

Its good you have been in and thru the system. Sounds infectious - doen't it? Taz seems to work... I wonder if they will scan you at some point? I assume CXR and urine werenormal. Did blood cultures grow anything? Of course antiobios will spanner the works to try and culture a bug.

I hope your are persisting with your GP and the hospital.

Jig

[nigeldodd]

I assume there is some component in Tazocin but not in Co-amoxiclav nor Ciprofloxacin that works for whatever infection (?) I have. However it takes 4 days of 3 doses/day. I don't want to be in hospital due to infections going around.

Urine was taken yesterday but not in the hospital. CRX was normal.

I do not think they tried to culture the blood.

thanks Jig