[Ellie]

I get a low grade fever several times a day (around 5 or so). Nothing extreme, it's typically between 99 and 100 - lasting 30 minutes or until I don't notice it anymore. Usually enough to make my face warm and eyes feel hot, but not enough to keep me down.

[Yes, my doctor knows]

Any easy way to knock this out without taking pills? I'd like to avoid putting cold things on my face (Trigeminal Neuralgia/Headaches). Maybe this sounds silly, but could I drink a bunch of cold stuff to knock it down some?

It's nothing major, more annoying than anything.

[Wittesea]

Ellie,

When my husband was going through chemo he used to have constant fevers and one of the things the nurses and doctor suggested we do to help bring the fevers down was to put cold packs on the back of his neck, in his arm pits, and behind his knees.

For his low grade fevers tylenol alone helped enough, but when he would spike to 104, the tylenol alone didn't help enough, but the ice/cold packs in his arm pits and behind his knees and on the back of his neck did help to bring him closer to normal....

Because of the TN and headaches, you probably want to avoid the back of your neck, but would putting cold packs in your arm pit or behind your knees help without causing headaches or additional problems?

Another spot the nurses initially suggested was the inner thighs, but that was right near the location of his tumor (testicular cancer) so we could not put ice/cold on his inner thighs - but maybe that area would work for you?

Have the docs figured out the cause of your low grade fevers?

Take care Ellie
Liz

[OneMoreTime]

For a considerable time now, we realize that elevated temps can help the body fight infection. Your level of discomfort seems minor.

After I had surgery that caused my ovaries to do some weird horomal things for more than a year in my early 30's (til I got given estrogen - went on, by the way, to eventually go thru menopause at 55)), I experienced a fever everyday in the late mornings - made my face redden, perspire, and caused my eyeglasses to fog up -- which was particularly upsetting and embarrassing in church. Course, maybe I felt hot at other times, too - but at home, it was cooler and there was moving air.

How many days or weeks has this been happening?

When I was in my twenties, I once had around a month of daily fevers (started at 101.something) that lasted for hours every afternoon. I didn't take anything for the fevers, just dressed very lightly and sat in front of a fan. It was uncomfortable, but I didn't feel really bad ill - just tired, worn out - all I could really do was sit in front of that fan. After 3 weeks I saw a doctor, but by the time I saw him, the fever was low, within "normal range" (tho still 1.5 degrees higher than MY normal temperature).

Regardless, it was all gone within another week. Have no idea what kind of bug I had, but it didn't last. Just started at its highest, then very slowly diminished as the weeks went by. I had gone in because there was always the chance, after so many weeks, that I had hepatitis or something.

Might be time to see your doctor? If you're still having fever by your appointment time, he will draw some blood and urine and do a workup on you.

Teri

[Ellie]

It's been like two years now. My doctor thinks it's in relation to the dysautonomic syncope (I could have butchered that name, so pardon spelling errors - it's a new word for me). I find out more info Wednesday at my new Cardiologist lady.

[ConsiderThis]

Hi Ellie,

I've had low grade fevers for several years... But recently when I had a lot of dental discomfort (I had dental implants but when I was so sick and could barely move, I unscrewed the little pegs because there was major swelling.)

The dentist took a look at my x-rays, looked worried and sent me to a respected Periodontist in town.

It turns out that even when I'm not aware of it there's an infection in the bone of my jaw. As I understand it, it's caused by the old type of implants I had which had a bumpy surface to promote the bone adhereing to them. Apparently the bumpy surface also is condusive to infection.

But, what was eye-opening to me, was that the bumps I tend to have on my neck are a sign of this kind of infection, and the fever is most likely related.

The bumps are like subcutaneous zits. They don't ever seem to come to a head, that's why I call them subcutaneous.

The Periodontist actually has them listed on his sheet of things to tick if you have experienced them.

When I was talking with the Periodontist, he told me that Ibuprofen, (I was taking 600mg three to four times a day for a very long time, and then more intermittently) is bad for bone.

But I failed to get clear whether he meant all bone, or just the bone by our teeth.

You may not have bumps on your neck... but if you do, you might want to have some dental x-rays... Maybe it's something a dentist could help with.

I was just very surprised that my teeth were having such a huge impact on all of my body... the fever, etc.