Comments on: My Thermometer Done Busted

Question: My Thermometer Done Busted

jasondigitized — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:55:16 -0800

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.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:23:56 -0800

Malaria

By: 6:1

6:1 — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:18:10 -0800

Anxiety? Stress?

By: goml

goml — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:28:20 -0800

Pre/post/peri- menopause? (your profile doesn't provide your gender)

By: loiseau

loiseau — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:33:23 -0800

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.

By: ultraultraboomerang

ultraultraboomerang — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:33:47 -0800

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.

By: bkeene12

bkeene12 — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:39:06 -0800

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?

By: porpoise

porpoise — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:00:13 -0800

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.

By: Monkey0nCrack

Monkey0nCrack — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:04:28 -0800

I get this sometimes when I eat less than 10 grams of protien for breakfast.

By: dragonsi55

dragonsi55 — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:17:29 -0800

Possibly a thyroid problem also. Worth getting checked out.

By: philad

philad — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:27:05 -0800

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.

By: jamjam

jamjam — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 16:33:46 -0800

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.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:10:37 -0800

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?

By: cmiller

cmiller — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 09:10:46 -0800

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.

By: unrepentanthippie

unrepentanthippie — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:54:50 -0800

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.