Recurring low-grade fever and fatigue

[PeterS81]

For the past two years I have had a low-grade fever (from 99 to 100 degrees), accompanied by a severe exhaustion. This condition starts in the late morning and continues to around 4:00 or 5:00 pm. During this two year period I have had two respites from the symptoms -- one lasting about three weeks and the other for two weeks. Otherwise, this is a daily occurrence.

I have seen four doctors in the last six months -- my GP, a rheumatologist, an oncologist, and an infectious disease specialist -- and I've had more medical tests than I thought possible. All tests proved negative.

At times I've seriously thought that I am losing my mind -- though I can see the evidence of the fever in my trusty thermometer. My quality of life right now hovers just over zero -- the business I own (book publishing) has just about collapsed, and my wonderful wife has suffered tremendously as I go through this.

A few additional notes -- I'm 52 years old, in very good health (except for this). Three years ago I had Lyme disease, and went through eight months of daily intravenous antiobiotics (Rocephin), which effectively cleared up all Lyme symptoms.

Other possibilites include: further Lyme complications (though I've been prescribed any number of oral antiobiotics, to no effect), chronic fatigue (about which I know very little and my doctors dismiss out-of-hand).

I'm truly grateful to have found this MedHelp site -- and I'll be happy to share any and all thoughts or experiences that might help someone else.

Thanks.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

From your symptoms,a fewpossibilities need to be ruled out.They are infectious mononucleosis,chronic liver disease,infections like tuberculosis,chronic fatigue syndrome and malignancy.

I suggest a consultation of a physician to rule them out after investigations.

Hope it helps.Take care and regards.

[teacher29]

I have had the same thing happening.  I've had a low grade fever 99-100 for 13 months now.  I was diagnosed with asthma and chronic bronchitis and am on medicine which has controlled it.  Fever is still there.  I recently noticed a significant dop in my appetite, I'm loosing weight, have severe indigestion (belching) daily and had a HIDA scan on my gallbladder, but it was normal.  I've had blood work on everything imaginable, but the only things that was found was just in my latest blood work, low potassium.  I've taken potassium meds...belching and bloating is a little better, but still occuring daily.  I am tired ALL the time and some days feel I can't do anything.  I'm frustrated and feel like I'm loosing my mind.

[caregiver222]

A very interesting set of symptoms. Let's believe we are doctor House.

(1) The symptoms are only present during certain times of the day.

Let's think hard and long about that point. Why should the symptoms be present during certain times of the day and abscent during others?

Putting our thinking cap, and consulting that cute long-haired assistant of Dr House, who knows all the answers, we want to take a long hard look at the "clock" of the human body.

That clock is circadian, and the associated rhythyms are circadian in nature.

So what I would want to do is set that clock so it is always set for the time period when there are no symptoms.

Is this possible?

Maybe.

It turns out that the circadian rhythym is controlled by signaling substances called polypeptides, among which are the hormone melatonin.

This rhytym is also mediated by sunlight exposure on the skin, for at least 45 minutes, between 6 A.M. and 9 A.M. every morning.

And also by the utilization of the vitamin complex D3.

Melatonin is available at health food stores without prescription, as is D3, and sunlight, the last I heard is not taxed (although that's coming in the next stimulus bill).

This leaves us with the underlying mystery as to the etiology of the symptoms.

"Mother nature never does nothin' for nuthin'", so there has to be a reason.

But for the present, try experimenting with a combination of sunlight, D3 and melaton, use a permanent bound schoolbook to record intensity and duration of symptoms, and after a month post if there is any change or improvement.

[PhilQ]

Please see my post in the following thread, as I went through similar symptoms for about two years myself before I finally figured it out:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Undiagnosed-Symptoms/recurrent-low-grade-fever-and-accompanying-fatigue/show/203254

A sinus infection can also cause mild asthma-like symptoms, since the air you breathe isn't being properly conditioned and humidified by the sinuses, especially if you're mouth-breathing because you're stuffed up.

I'm no doctor, but I have a feeling that this condition could be more common than many would like to admit.

- Phil

[critterjulie]

I have searched online many hours for someone with symptoms like mine.  I have been running a low grade (100.5 at the highest) for 2 1/2 years.  It all started when I fell and hit my head HARD on ice.  I have been to my PC doc, 2 other MD, Endocrinologist, Infectious disease doc, Infectious disease dept. at Washington Univ. in St. Louis.  I have had a bone marrow biopsy, tons of blood work, MRI of my brain,chest cat scan, tested for Mono, Cat scratch fever, Lyme disease (which I am still not convinced couldn't be my problem, especially Brucelliosis). My MD has given up on me, he had diagnosed me with Fever of Unknown Origin and stopped trying to figure it out.  The last appt. I had he told me that I don't have FUO and that all I need is some Ritalin.  Needless to say I need a new doc.

My symptoms have been..fatigue (especially after any exercise-it takes me 2-3 days to recover from a family camping trip), fever that goes up slowly during the day, my fever has went away 2x for about a month each time, weight loss 25# that I didn't need to loose, unrestful sleep, insomnia, poor appetite, weakness, dizzyness, mental fog, poor memory, and anxiety.

The only things all of the medical testing showed were elevated WBC but not every time checked,  low RBC, low aldosterone (now taking Hydrocortisone), 2 small lung nodules, and a small brain lesion that the Neurologist wasn't concerned about.  

I hope your illness has gone away.