I think I've been wrongly calling one of my persistent symptoms chills, when they're not really chills but something else.
Here's one definition from Uni of MD Medical Center:
"Definition: Chills are a sensation of cold from exposure to a cold environment or an episode of shivering with paleness and a feeling of coldness."
Well, I've been telling my doc for years that I have chills. The thing is that when I have been saying chills, I mean that my skin feels like it's HOT and goosebumpy at the same time with a 'hot flush' feeling on torso, sometimes with mild sweating.......the best way I could describe it is as feeling very hot and then someone puts an icecube to your skin making you feel 'icy-hot'......
Can anyone relate to that?
DLL
[ 01. October 2006, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: dontlikeliver ]
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
Yesterday, I was having a herx due to my recently started HBOT treatment. I had extreme fatigue, achey muscles, headache and the chills.
The chills hit me in the evening, in bed. I had gone to bed dressed in flannel jammies. I also had a comforter on my bed. I was too warm, and I knew it, but I didn't want to get out of bed and change. As I lay there with my nerves zinging (which is usual for me), I got cold and shivery. I just shivered and felt like my whole body was covered in goose bumps. I had the "chills." I wasn't hot, even though I started out that way when I got into bed. I had NO REASON to be cold, for I was overdressed and had an extra comforter on top of me.
I can only deduce that the chills were also a part of the herx. Later, around midnight, I got up and put on cooler jammies for I was hot (but I did not have a fever)....I was just overdressed.
So, I don't have the Icy-hot sensation that you describe...I just get cold and goosebumpy...when I have no reason to be that way...except for tick borne disease.
Timaca
Posted by Patrick (Member # 8108) on :
I can relate to that. I've had the same symptom for several years now. I call it the hot chills. It can happen if I go from the air conditioned inside to the hot outside, bam I get a wierd chilled filling with goose bumps and a hot flushing feeling. It seems to pass as I adjust to the temp change.
At other times my face feels so flushed and hot I think I'm going to explode but when I take my temp its low and I can get that chilled goose bump feeling then as well. The flushing can last a long while but the chilled sensation usually passes quickly.
Its been going on so long I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it. No one has been able to explain it to me yet. Hope this helps a little.
Patrick
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Good morning Liver-Lips,
I haven't experienced your particular definition of the chills...but I think I do know what you mean anyway ...wasn't that helpful?
For me...the chills consist of feeling very cold, I mean to the bone cold, no matter what the temperature is, or what my temperature is. This happens frequently...just last night actually, so let me explain.
The temp in my place was 76 degrees, but I felt like it was freezing cold in here. Both of my hands were ice cold, and I had goose bumps and multiple waves of shivers. My face however was flushed, as usual.
I can usually warm my cold hands on my hot face and neck to help a bit...but not with the ``chills''. I put on extra clothing, two layers of sweaters, socks, got under my down comforter, and pulled it up over my head, and still I was just too cold!
This usually occurs in conjunction with a feeling of being very fatigued, so at times when I get under the covers to try and warm up, I also fall asleep, BUT wake up sweating.
Last night, I just could not get warm, so I turned on the heat, and took a hot bath to try and raise my body temp a bit. That worked, cause after my bath, my temp went from 97.2 to 99.6. At last I was warm enough to turn off the heater, and go to sleep.
This has been happening to me for years, way before diagnosis or treatment, so I think it is a TBD thing. Which one, I have no clue. So, when you figure it out let me in on it too, OK?
Much love, Melanie
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Thank you everyone.
Patrick, you hit the nail on the head with the feeling of walking from a cold A/C'd inside to a hot outside. Until recently, I thought that is what everyone meant by chills, obviously not. It's a different thing, not really chills......but what? It's usually accompanied by fatigue (greater than normal fatigue).
As I've been in bed all day I've had time to try to analyze this chills thing...and I've realized I get both kinds.
I do also the get the cold to the bone feeling sometimes and can't get warm even when warm air inside/outside, with goosebumps. But, the icy-hot thing is more frequent.
Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :
Just thought I would throw this out there...
I used to get the chills after fighting thru fatigue to get things done...weakness(fatigue)along with the chills/cold sweats were the result.
Since I've recently been dealing with diabetes2 I have noticed a similar type of weakness hit me when I become Hypoglycemic...
Could be that the lyme bug is either messing with our pancreas or the ability for our cells to accept insulin.
Who knows with this crazy bug.......zman
Posted by strongerangel (Member # 10037) on :
I know the feeling exactly, and I think you guys are describing it well. Before I got lyme, I'd get the feeling a lot with the flu, usually when I had a fever. I have no idea why we have it so often now.
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Good thinking zman. I know I have insulin resistance, so perhaps there is some connection there also.
Although I was diabetic throughout my pregnancy (and on insulin) and had one hypo, I never had that feeling while pregnant.
DLL
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
From the definition I'd have to twist this to the cold environment being within, for it to work.
I usually get chills before a fever comes on. My skin and face feel hot, like now, and I'm starting to shiver from the inside out, sorta... getting goosebumpy.
Eventually (soon) I will get under the covers and be freezing, fall sleep and wake up either burning hot or drenched.
I find it's related to fatigue as well. Mid-afternoon is naptime. That's about all that helps.
I've been just calling this "alternating sweats and chills". I guess that's not accurate either. I almost alway have the hot under the skin feeling.
Posted by Mo (Member # 2863) on :
I spent a long time feeling hot and cold at the same time. "Icy hot" sensation.
Like the skin is hot, but with the sort of chill as per the kind your mouth gets when you have a strong Wint-o-green mint .. sort of a "mint chill" sensation layer just over the skin - all over body thing. Like a wood stove with a coating of ice.
As if that is going to make sense to anyone
But, it's the best I can describe it.
Mo
Posted by bettex99 (Member # 8109) on :
I know this, the "cold burn" or "cold fire" on my skin. My left leg is burning but its like absorbine has been poured on it.
Posted by hardynaka (Member # 8099) on :
Just measure your body temperature. When I feel the chills, I know my body temperature is low.
I touch other people, and they feel they got fever.
Now it's happening only after herbs, so I suppose it's herxing. But before, I think it was unrelated to herbs. It's getting better with treatment, but chills are my last symptoms to go. Even fatigue is much better, but I still get chills here and there.
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