[Roseanne]

Hello all,

I was just wondering if it is possible to have a flare of lupus without the high temperature? I get plenty of other symptoms, including joint and muscle pain, fatugue and swollen glands, but never the raised temperature, which I thought has to be there. Please let me know your thoughts as I am very worried about it!
Rx

 

[Katharine]

Hi Roseanne,

Yes, as far as I know, it is perfectly possible. Lupus is a very variable disease and different people experience different types of flare.

LOW grade fever is very common for people flaring with lupus but rarely high temperature. High temperature tends to come about when something more serious is going on, either that you are flaring very very badly or that there is also another complication such as an infection. Personally, I only ever get a slight touch of low grade fever. Not what most people would even consider a temperature but I just feel slightly off and get quite "hot" for the slightest thing.

Katharine

 

[BigSis]

Hi Roseanne,
There are a whole lot of symptoms for lupus and as far as I know not one of them has to be there for diagnosis. Though the joint pain and fatigue seem to be fairly universal.

I get the low grade fevers with only a slight rise in temp (rarely take it though) and feel flu-ish. Like Katharine says I feel hot at the slightest reason.
Only when flaring though.

 

[LolaLola]

Dear Roseanne,
If you take steroids your temperature will be a bit lower than it would without them.
May be an explanation.
x Lola

 

[cemc]

I always wondered about this too, as my body temperature is normally quite low. I seldom have a temp over 36.6, and to me a fever is anything over 37 degrees. By the time my temp gets to 37.2, I'm feeling really out of it. Oddly enough just recently when I have really felt myself to be flaring with something (may not be lupus as not diagnosed yet) my temp has been even lower than normal at around 36.1 to 36.3 degrees. The only thing I know that would cause this would be low thyroid, but I have had my thyroid tested so often and always been negative, that I wouldn't think it was this. Of course my GP things I'm really dumb and hypochondriac for even mentioning low body temp.

 

[pennylp]

Hi there,

I hardly ever have a fever when I am flaring... And I run a lower temperature than normal also...

Love Penny

 

[cispence98]

Hey there, I know that I check my temp when I feel like I have a temp, BUT a few yrs ago I monitored my temp for a month and I run a normal temp of 97.5 so when I get a temp like 99.1 I know that is a fever for me, I am hypo thyroid and that does affect my temp and I am on thyroid meds but my temp is still a base line of 97+
When you are feeling good or feel you have a normal temp it only takes a few minuted to take your temp every hour and write it down for a few weeks you will then see what your baseline temp is and then you will know how your body feels when it goes up, because if you have a temp of 99.9 for example but your base temp is 97.1 I would think you have a fever.
Its only a suggestion but I did that by recommendation of one of my health books yrs before diagnosed with lupus to support my arguement with my docs about hypothyroid but now it is showing up on my blood tests.
Good luck and its only a a suggestion but I would bet alot of people on this site if they took there temps for a month would find they probably run a low base temp,
GOOD LUCK!!

 

[LoopyLoo]

Hi Roseanne,

I've never had a high temperature with a flare but I too have a low core body temperature. I get the rash first then the all over aches and pains.

Hugz, :hug:

Pam xxx

 

[Jirel]

Dear Roseanne,
If you take steroids your temperature will be a bit lower than it would without them.
May be an explanation.
x Lola

Thanks! I wondered why my temperature was even lower than usual.

 

[krisperry]

Hey there, I know that I check my temp when I feel like I have a temp, BUT a few yrs ago I monitored my temp for a month and I run a normal temp of 97.5 so when I get a temp like 99.1 I know that is a fever for me, I am hypo thyroid and that does affect my temp and I am on thyroid meds but my temp is still a base line of 97+
When you are feeling good or feel you have a normal temp it only takes a few minuted to take your temp every hour and write it down for a few weeks you will then see what your baseline temp is and then you will know how your body feels when it goes up, because if you have a temp of 99.9 for example but your base temp is 97.1 I would think you have a fever.
Its only a suggestion but I did that by recommendation of one of my health books yrs before diagnosed with lupus to support my arguement with my docs about hypothyroid but now it is showing up on my blood tests.
Good luck and its only a a suggestion but I would bet alot of people on this site if they took there temps for a month would find they probably run a low base temp,
GOOD LUCK!!

So simple, but brilliant. I also run at a lower temp. I often feel like "I'm coming down with something" but then it passes. Wonder about my temp. I think I'll attempt to monitor myself for a couple of weeks and see what turns up. Thanks!