[Stellatum]

Hey, everyone. I have had a lowish fever for four days with no other symptoms except body aches and a headache. No cold, no sore throat, no cough. I'm starting to get nervous. No one else in the house (there are 17 people living in my house, including 12 children) is sick. Could this possibly be related somehow to my MG (or whatever it is)? It feels ominous.

I'm only on Mestinon for my MG (plus HCTZ as a diuretic to prevent migraines, and PTU as a thyroid suppressant). I almost never get sick--haven't had a fever in a few years, I think.

I will call the doctor if I still have it on Monday. Meanwhile, is this a warning sign of something I should know about? Something about this is alarming me.

Thanks,

Abby

[AnnieB3]

Abby, You could be dehydrated. Drink some water, have a salty snack and see how you feel. If you continue to feel bad, do indeed call your doctor. Dehydration can cause a low grade fever and headache.

A diuretic for a migraine, eh? Who prescribed that for you? Did you know that diuretics can make MG worse in some people?

Do you have a blood pressure cuff? You could take your BP after lying down for a couple minutes. Then slowly get up and take your BP after standing for about 40 seconds. If the systolic number (upper) goes down 20 or more, you are probably dehydrated. If it goes up 20 or more, you could be overhydrated. There are other reasons for those things to occur but quite often it's a fluid issue.

And when was the last time anyone checked your potassium level? Hydrochlorothiazide is not a potassium-sparing drug. Do you take potassium daily?

I was dehydrated for four years from diabetes insipidus (water, not sugar, diabetes) before it was diagnosed so I know up close what dehydration feels like and what symptoms you can get. It's nothing to mess with.

Maybe you should rethink the diuretic and have a discussion with the doctor who prescribed it for you.

If you get worse, go in.

Annie

[Stellatum]

Thank you, Annie! You always take care of us.

According to what I've read, diuretics are not supposed to work for menstrual migraines, which is what I have, but the neuro who prescribed it insisted I try it. It rescued my life. I was getting about 15 a month (the first half of my cycle), some with delirium, fainting and vomiting. Now I almost never get them. Tried going off it, the migraines came back with a vengeance. So, getting me off my beloved HCTZ is going to be a tough sell!

I just had my potassium checked. Came back "a little low," which concerns me, because I've been eating tons of potassium-rich foods. I've added a daily potato to my diet.

I've been trying not to be dehydrated! The doctor just warned me about that. Mestinon makes me sweat. So I'm drinking a big cup of water with my Mestinon every three hours...I'll increase that. It's hot around here. This is the first time I've had the heat, the HCTZ and the Mestinon all together.

Thanks again, Annie. The more I think of it, the more I suspect you're right. I wouldn't have made the connection without you. Please put today in your "I did a world of good today" category!

Abby

[shalynn]

Abby,

I hope you get to feeling better. Could it possibly be that you have a low grade virus that maybe everyone else hasn't come down with yet? It's just another idea. Although dehydration does sound like a good possibility.

Get plenty of rest (if that's possible).

Shalynn

[teresakoch]

This isn't related to your fever, but I thought I'd throw it into the mix. If you have migraines and thyroid issues, PLEASE look into the possibility of Celiac Disease/gluten sensitivity. Sometimes switching to a GF diet can relieve, if not eliminate, migraines, and it can help with thyroid issues and vitamin/mineral deficiencies as well.

People with gluten issues don't absorb all of the nutrients they are eating - going on a GF diet may allow you to go off of the HCTZ altogether after about a year. Get tested for Celiac Disease before starting a GF diet, as you will need to have a baseline reading (my husband doesn't have CD, but after following a GF diet, he realized that he IS gluten sensitive).

Check out my other posts - I haven't been on here very long, as I just got diagnosed with MG, but I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 years ago, so I have been doing extensive research on that subject. Our youngest daughter has Down syndrome, and she was the first person in our family to get the CD diagnosis (that's why I did so much research initially; I later realized that I needed to be tested as well).

You can go to *edit* for a LOT more information - that's the "motherlode" site for most people with Celiac Disease! Click on the section about related conditions - you'll be amazed.....

As for your fever, it could be just a summer cold. I'd give it a few more days before worrying too much about it, but if you're still concerned on Monday, by all means contact your doctor.

And gracious! Seventeen people in your house, 12 of them children? That's gotta be stressful! Be very careful not to get overly tired - you have to conserve energy with MG.

[Stellatum]

Thanks, Teresa. I've been thinking about, and reading about, gluten. I now know that even though I have wonderful digestion and no obvious symptoms, that doesn't rule out gluten sensitivity. I also test fine for the vitamin levels they've tested me for, so I have no reason to think I have absorption problems.

Starting a GF diet--before you're used to it--is a big project (especially with so many people around my table), though I did it once, years ago, when I thought my nursing baby might have CD (she didn't. She had a genetic syndrome that included liver defects). I guess I'm just worried that it will be like everything else I've tried...I think it's helping...then I think it's not...then I think it is...then I get discouraged. This disease is so up and down that it's hard to tell.

Thanks for your help and your concern.

Abby