thyroid, low temp & getting sick

[LisaS]

here's a question I've not seen addressed - i do have some RT3 issues and am on Armour for that - but I still run a low body temp - mid-97F .

So, if I get sick - how do I interpret running a temp of say 99.5 F - to me it is more than 2 deg above "normal" but it is isn't that much above normal normal.

do you know what I mean?

Lisa

[Gaelen]

I know exactly what you mean, Lisa.
Although my thyroid on several different tests comes out just fine, I routinely run a body temp between 97.5 and 97.7. Not just my home thermometers--same at the various docs' offices.

The normal standard for fever for cancer patients (the temp above which they counsel you to call the doc) is 100.5. After discovering that I routinely run a full degree low, my docs wanted me to call them at 99.5. When I get to 99, I feel like I'm having a hot flash--and the couple times I actually hit 100 or 101, the docs got very very worried. That may have been just me, but body temp as 98.6, in my case, was scaled down based on my own version of normal...and fever was correspondingly lowered too. Talk to your doc; YMMV.

[LisaS]

thanks for the info. this was what I was thinking as well.
this is the first time I remember being sick since I started low carb - I felt like I was burning up at 99.8 - and was a little disappointed to see *only" 99.x and then I thought, well that is more than 2 deg over normal for me - maybe I should reckon as if it was 100.8 in my old mind (meaning, yes, you've really got something, take care of yourself)

[deirdra]

Yes, fevers are based on the temperature rise above what is normal for that individual.

How much fat are you eating? My temperature was 2 degrees below "normal" for 20 years until I upped my fat intake. More fat also naturally brought my thyroid levels into the normal range from borderline low. The added benefit is that I can keep my home 2 degrees cooler and save on heating bills.