!Welcome to LymeNet!
Yes, hypothermia is quite common with Tick Borne Illnesses. I know it isn't much fun, especially during the winter months !
I became quite attached to my heating pad and electric blanket. You might also want to try nice hot baths with Epsom salts, and keep some good teas handy.
Here is a link to a poll about temps:
Low Temperature Poll: http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001459.html
My best,
Melanie
------------------
C O L O R A D O * S U P P O R T * S Y S T E M
[email protected]
Melanie,
I've read 2x now that electric blankets are not good for us. As hard as I'm trying, I can not back it up right now with anything that sounds intelligent.
Regards
Paisley
I also have a low basal temperature. And, like Paisley, I have to work to convince medical professionals when I have a fever.
I have a thyroid disease in addition to the tick diseases. That, too, can cause the low temp.
I'm usually in the 97 range, but, in crisis, it might drop to the 95 range.
Steph
[This message has been edited by Starphoenix (edited 11 January 2005).]
Welcome to Lymenet. Hope we can help with basic information about LD, as well as thyroid information.
Here are the research links for Lyme Disease by Treepatrol:
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/029260.html
I hope you'll have a chance to print out Dr. B.'s Guidelines for Treatment. That's our handbook for Lyme Disease. We refer to it constantly.
Also, a great booklet is called, "Lyme Disease - The Basics" by the LDA of Southeastern Pa:
Under the Teen Info. icon, click on the tan colored booklet. You can also print this out.
Lyme disease very often affects the thyroid gland. The spirochetes work to push your body temperature down.
Feeling cold with cold hands and feet is a classic symptom of low thyroid function or hypothyroidism.
If a person with hypothyroidism is given prescription Armour Thyroid or the proper med, they will begin to notice subtle changes in their body.
For one thing, some will be able to get out of bed in the morning much easier. That's a huge plus.
Your thyroid blood test may be within the normal range, but you're body may not be absorbing the thyroid hormone as it should.
The late Broda Barnes, MD devoted his entire life to treating patients with low thyroid.
He linked low body temperature to low thyroid function.
This is discussed extensively in his book, "Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness."
The Broda Barnes, MD Foundation still exists today to get the word out.
If you have low body temperature on awakening in the morning and it's below 97.8, even a fraction of a degree, you most likely have low thyroid function.
Again, even if your TSH blood test is normal, you can still be low thyroid with an early morning, low body temperature.
Here's the Broda Barnes Basal Body Temperature test for anyone interested:
Place thermometer at bedside. When you wake up in the morning, place the thermometer under the arm for 10 minutes if it's an old mercury kind. Do this for 2 days in a row.
Do not talk, move, or get out of bed before finishing the temp.
If your temp is below 97.8, you probably have low thyroid even in the face of a "normal" thyroid test.
Here's the catch:
The thyroid tests will always have to be run & you will probably have to find a "special" doctor to prescribe the natural form of RX Armour Thyroid-----whatever is needed.
This Armour Thyroid will cost like $10 a month------very cheap. Thyroid revs the metabolism to get the toxins out & the oxygen in the cells.
It impacts every organ function.
As I said, your blood test may be normal, but your low body temp is the clue that you do need RX thyroid hormone.
Some thyroid Docs like you to bring in 5 days in a row of morning temps----depends on the DOC.
This test was first published in the Physicians Desk Reference & was later removed when the new synthetic thyroid meds hit the market.
That's too bad because this caused Dr. Barnes' method to lose credability. And, he helped thousands of patients in his lifetime.
It you have insurance, request that your PCP run a test for thyroid function. Get a copy of the results & take to a thyroid friendly physician.
You need to review your test results. As of 2002, the new TSH levels have been lowered from 10 down to 3 which is a huge change.
Not all labs have conformed to this standard. So double check your results.
Physicians who are members of the American Academy for Advancement of Medicine or ACAM will usually prescribe thyroid.
Go to: www.acam.org & click on "Public" to find a doctor by zip code or state.
Or, go to: www.thyroid-info.com to find a thyroid physician in your state. Patients even rate the doctors here. This is a great site.
Traditional doctors will not treat hypothyroidism with a "normal" thyroid blood test.
Here are some low thyroid symptoms taken from the book by Dr. Stephen Langer, "Solved The Riddle of Weight Loss."
Remember, you don't have to have every symptom to have hypothyroidism. The symptoms vary by patient and vary in severity, as well.
Fatigue
Feeling cold, particularly the hands & feet
Weight gain or inability to lose weight, despite constant attempts at dieting
Lethargy
Dry, Coarse skin
Swelling eyelids
Coarse hair
Pale skin
Enlarged heart
Faulty memory
Constipation
Hair Loss
Labored, difficult breathing
Swelling feet
Hoarseness
Nervousness
Depression
Menstrual problems in females
Low libido
Impotence
Heart palpitation
Emotional instability
Brittle nails
muscle weakness, pain
Pain in joints
Poor concentration & memory
Anemia
Atherosclerosis
High cholesterol levels
Headache is a huge under the radar symptom which I've learned from my own family & others.
These are only a few of the symptoms.
Here is Lymenet's Bambiland's in-depth information about thyroid:
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/027781.html
Keep in mind, you also might want to have adrenalin function tests done as Lyme Disease (LD) affects hormones throughout the body. Thyroid & adrenalin hormones all
tie-in together.
=============================================
Additional info about Lyme Disease:
Here is a symptom chart handed out at our Support Group Meeting. It shows how Lyme Disease affects every body organ.
It's in pdf file form so it's easiest to print out & have on hand for easy reference.
It's full of great information.
Here's the link below:
You'll need to scroll down the page to the green indicator next to SYMPTOMS & click.
http://www.lymeinfo.net/lymefiles.html
Hope this may help. Let us know how you're doing.
Best Wishes,
Jan
[This message has been edited by Recipegirl05 (edited 11 January 2005).]
The lyme spirochetes prefer a cooler temp to multiply and stay viable in our bodies. At my worst I'm around 94, but average somwhere around 96. As my treatment has progressed, I have been getting some 98 readings! Boy is that nice and toasty.
Once you become a bit more familiar with this site, try clicking on the search buttone and you will come up with past threads on the topic for more info....
Take care.
cootiegirl
I also very rarely get any fever. Even when I had the chicken pox. I only remember once having a fever over the passed 10 years. It was in college and I had to convince the health center that 99 was a fever for me.
quote:
Originally posted by poodlegirl:
anybody have low body temp. Since I got sick my temp stays 94-97
My temp is in the exact same range.
I've even been in the upper 93's a few times. Though, I never feel cold.
I personally believe that Lyme is the main cause of this. Not tick-borne diseases in general, as someone said.
Bb likes cool temps. Bb dies at high body temps, e.g. >102 or so, except in the cyst form.
I would think that any pathogen that prefers cool temps and which is able to mess with our immune system, might be capable of lowering our body temp.
Michael