My Thermometer Done Busted

January 19, 2007 11:55 AM

Everyday, at random, I break out in the chills. It feels like I have a fever for a few minutes. It comes and goes. Some days it happens more than others. It's like my internal thermometer / hypothalamus goes wacky. I don't quite break a sweat but I get a little balmy. Does anyone else have this problem with regulating their temperature, and if so, what have you done about it. Is my thermometer busted, or is there something more sinister at work here.
posted by jasondigitized to health & fitness (14 comments total)

Malaria
posted by kimdog at 12:23 PM on January 19, 2007

Anxiety? Stress?
posted by 6:1 at 1:18 PM on January 19, 2007

Pre/post/peri- menopause? (your profile doesn't provide your gender)
posted by goml at 1:28 PM on January 19, 2007

I too wonder if it's anxiety. Maybe try talking your temperature when it happens and see if it's an actual spike or just a sweat thing.
posted by loiseau at 1:33 PM on January 19, 2007

A thorough blood panel would probably be a good place to start, just to make sure there are no obvious problems with various hormone levels, iron/blood sugar regulation, etc. You can get that from your GP or even one of those independent labs. If you have insurance, try an endocrinologist.

If you have cold hands and/or feet there might be some cardiovascular stuff that could explain it, but it doesn't sound like that's your problem.

My thermostat is busted as well, though, and my blood tests were unremarkable. The "hot flashes" got much more frequent in the few years since I've put on some weight, so I've chalked it up to that, mostly. But I still spend all day taking sweaters off and putting them back on. So hey, dress in layers! Just like Grandma always said.
posted by ultraultraboomerang at 1:33 PM on January 19, 2007

Could it be a symptom of mild exhaustion? Do you feel that you are getting enough rest each night? Have your sleep patterns changed some how?
posted by bkeene12 at 1:39 PM on January 19, 2007

Do you drink (alcohol) heavily?

When I go on multi-day binges, I get flashes like that for a day or two after I stop drinking.
posted by porpoise at 2:00 PM on January 19, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I get this sometimes when I eat less than 10 grams of protien for breakfast.
posted by Monkey0nCrack at 2:04 PM on January 19, 2007

Possibly a thyroid problem also. Worth getting checked out.
posted by dragonsi55 at 2:17 PM on January 19, 2007

I had the same symptoms with lower back pain - turned out to be a kidney stone. The best advice has already been stated - see a doctor.
posted by philad at 4:27 PM on January 19, 2007

You have enough recent travel history to the tropics to make malaria (kimdog's answer) worth checking out, Jasondigitized, as well as its mainly New World cousin, Chagas disease, which Darwin may well have suffered from.

Find a travel medicine specialist in your area and describe these symptoms to him or her.
posted by jamjam at 4:33 PM on January 19, 2007

I was going to say Malaria as well. Both times I had it I experienced the same symptoms. Have you traveled to Asia or Africa in the past year?
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:10 PM on January 19, 2007

I suspect a full blood test will answer your questions. See a GP first, and after that maybe a neurologist who will give your pituitary some thought.

Since I have experience with thyroid problems, it sounds vaguely hormonal to /me/. Our meat sacks behave strangely when a hormone is even slightly out of line.
posted by cmiller at 9:10 AM on January 20, 2007

Keep an eye out for drug interactions, or drugs plus alcohol, and don't forget it could take a few hours for it to show up. If you are female and getting long in the tooth, it could be peri-menopause. IANAD, and you should consult one. That's just a couple of things to watch for while you wait for an appointment.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 3:54 PM on January 20, 2007