Having no temperature

[Zainy10]

Hi, having lupus, we are prone to having lots of infections. I do not generally get a temperature with an infection as body does not fight it off. Is there anyone who does get a temperature when they are ill? I’ve currently got the flu and chest pains with a chesty cough. I have feverish symptoms with the chills and sweats but no fever. Am I the only one?

[StriatedCaracara]

When I got swine flu and later when had covid my temperature did not go up much.

(Later heard with swine flu one in ten did not get temperatures going up to the required criterion level - 37.5 dgrees centigrade)

Think our immune systems and responses to infection, (and also inflammation with ESR and CRP) vary more than some medics understand or are willing to acknowledge.

It would be a great area for research 👩‍🔬🔬🧪🌡🤒 so there is a better scientific understanding and published material on the subject.

My temperature did go up once, when I had pneumonia, so know it's possible. Things just have to be really really bad.🤔

[Zainy10 in reply to StriatedCaracara]

I agree. It’s so hard to explain symptoms to a GP and explain that I don’t get a temperature. To obtain antibiotics is so hard too. They say viral but I know without meds it’s impossible for me to get better. They think I don’t know what I’m talking about. I haven’t had a temperature since I’ve had Lupus. It’s hard sometimes to explain all the symptoms. Does anyone take vitamins to support immunity as our immune systems are suppressed? I’m a teacher so I catch most things. I’ve taken vitamin C in the past which has helped but then I’ve stopped. Need to re start.

[IsleofWight1 in reply to Zainy10]

I feel the same…it’s hard sometimes to explain all the symptoms. I try writing it down but I still can’t always explain how it feels.

[Occasion99]

I would have agreed totally until this Christmas when I caught the recent strain of Covid and my temperature registered 38.5C at its peak and didn’t drop below 37.8C.

I don’t remember getting a temperature with any other virus or infection in the time that I have had lupus which is over 35;years!

I mentioned this to my rheumatologist on Monday and he said it was some to do with the make up of the virus or bacteria itself ?? Also that it was probably nearer 39C due to the adrenal insufficiency I now have from long term steroids.

I thought I felt illl😂🤦‍♀️

[Potatoheat]

HiAlways, so frustrating, sweats and chills, headache but no temperature, in fact my temp is often only 36°. Even when I had pericarditis it didn't register. Felt vaguely pyrexial when I had Covid but it was only about .5 of a degree for one day.

Hope you feel better soon xx

[soul22]

Your describing myself

Mines can go to 37.4 my lupus low grade fever this Christmas I peaked at 38.3 with sinus,chest wound infection bronchitis.

So I can get fever not always unless very severe infection

[Lintilla]

You're very much not alone - I never get a fever when I get an infection. Very frustrating and quite frightening when I've been triaged as not requiring antibiotics because of it. I find it very difficult to stand up for myself when I'm feeling so ill. Just a waste of everyone's time, as I've always ended up needing them eventually.

I really wish this phenomenon was more widely known and understood. As StriatedCaracara says, research needed.

[StriatedCaracara in reply to Lintilla]

I could not get tamiflu when I had swine flu because temperature did not go up enough.

Another incredible thing is how much thermometers can vary. Some thermometers and methods are more reliable. If self-reporting this might be relevant.

[FredaN]

I don't think I've ever seen my temperature go up when I've felt feverish either, yet I think I've been having night sweats/chills for years from connective tissue disease.

I also have anorexia (fairly stable at the moment) and I remember at the start of the pandemic the charity BEAT were trying to make people aware that lots of people with anorexia (and possibly other eating disorders) wouldn't see their temperature go up despite being ill and that wasn't a reliable way of testing for them. I don't know exactly why, but I guess there are lots of conditions that can affect whether the body changes temperature or not.

It's difficult when most guidelines are aimed at people with no previous medical diagnoses.

[dancer44wolves]

My temperature is always low. When I feel like I have a fever it hovers a couple degrees below or above normal. I feel like my core temperature runs lower than normal?! I did have sepsis from a kidney stone and infection back in 1990, my temperature then got up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe this is why my temperature is always low?

[Zainy10]

I take vitamin D tablets regularly and just ordered c and B which might help more. I’ve also got under active thyroid which doesn’t help either .

[StriatedCaracara in reply to Zainy10]

Lupus Foundation of America, mentions Vit C under antioxidants (second expansion +) lupus.org/resources/lupus-n...

[Poshcards]

Hi, when I had double pneumonia I didn't have a fever either x

[Treetop33]

I don't get fevers, no. I do get chills though, and quite bad when I have caught Covid. The most I get e.g. with urine infection, is hot flushes.

[IsleofWight1]

I hope your flu is getting better now, there seems to be so much about atm.

I’ve previously had flares and felt very ill, hot and feverish and then cold and shivering but not run a high temperature.

I’ve also been hospitalised because my temperature has been ridiculously high. 210/ (can’t remember,!)

[Pi1410]

Hi, thanks for launching this topic. It’s the first time I learned of experiences that totally resonate with mine.

I often felt frustrated as I may feel ill, body aches, feverish, weak etc but my temperature very rarely goes up (mine is normally between 35.3 and 36); when it reaches 37ish I feel like I am dying. But since I kept being told that nothing below 37,6 is fever, I stopped measuring my temperature, got used to ignore my symptoms and carry on.

Thanks to this, once I was feeling quite poorly, started to have with mild spasms and hallucinations; when got home from work measured the temperature that had reached 41 C but, with 1g of paracetamol I got like new, which meant that I ignored the whole episode and carried on only to let the infection develop into pneumonia yet, did not have fever after that day. With covid my temperature also got up to 39.8 on the second day of symptoms.

Like @StriatedCaracara says, things have to get really bad for my body to go up beyond the traditional body temperature. It would be interesting to learn about scientific research about this.