Fevers

[Thakator]

Having read Andrew's recent accounts of his bouts with fever (as well as noting that others have mentioned fever experiences), thought I'd start a thread to see how widespread as well as varied our collective experience just might be regarding this aspect of our WG life.

Fevers of unknown origin is one of the numerous signs of potential Wegs as I'm sure most of you know. In my case, it was of paramount importance to the docs during the early stages of the diagnostic process. I'd had them every ten days to two weeks for 8-10 months before seeing about them. The only commonality discernable was that they came on at the same time, between 7-11:30 PM and lasted until 4-5:00AM. Terrible shakes and profuse sweating. Then suddenly the frequency jumped to 4-8 nights a month and then to quite literally every other night for the two months immediately preceeding my WG dx. They have stopped since I started treatment.

Before the WG diagnosis, I was told that the most likely cause of protracted fevers was a deep seated infection, that the next likely cause would be certain cancers and that, should neither of these two prove to be causal, then it would be an autoimmune system problem. After spending time with an infectious disease center sufficient to rule out anything in that arena, it was on to the cancer route. Scans and other signs gave us good reason to first rule out lymphoma, then renal cancer, then adrenal tumors and finally lung cancer. Renal, by the way, has a habit of producing the fevers in the evening hours or so I was told.

Fevers every other night, no infection, no cancer - - so autoimmune it was. My rheumie suspected Wegs right off the bat given this history and it was ultimately confirmed via an open lung biopsy with a wedge resection (needed to rule out the lung cancer) and the removal of a large nodule.

Fevers, yet another symptom of this odd disease and another thing that effects some of us but not all of us and which effects some of us in one way and some of us in another. Typical WG, I guess.

[Sangye]

Fevers are a very common symptom of Wegs and seem to occur no matter what the involvement is.

[Jack]

Although I'm sure I may have run a bit of a temperature from time to time when I've been feeling unwell, a true fever is not something that has ever troubled me.

[JanW]

No fevers pre or post dx for me. I have very rarely run a fever -- in fact, can't remember one since having the chicken pox in my 20s.

They are common in WGs and other AI patients though.

[elephant]

I always had mysterious fevers that sometimes last for hours ( 5-10) and then disappear. This went on for years, I never said a word to my docs because I thought it was a viral thing.

[pwc51]

For me I seem to recall the worst fevers were whilst hospitalised immediately after I was diagnosed. Two or three nights I had such massive sweats that my bedcloths had to be changed (they could be wrung out!). After that only a few mild ones occasionally.

[sadpixie]

I have been running a fever for several hours about every other day for the past few months. Generally it will be in the 100.5-101 range and almost always in the early evenings.

[Thakator]

That will certainly sap your strength, Ms Pixie. Very sorry to hear it.

Interesting similarity in our experiences as to frequency and time of onset. Ron

[Minneapolismark]

I tend to run a low-grade fever about three to five times a week. My skin gets very sore, I become warm to the touch, I get achy and can't seem to warm up even under blankets. The fever never seems to go higher than 2 degrees or so above my normal temperature.

It sometimes scares me because I am afraid it is a secondary infection, but so far that has not been the case.

[elephant]

Mark once your WG is in remission your fevers will go away ( I mean WG fevers, not other like viral and infection). What does your doc say about these fevers your having weekly?

[Thakator]

Hi Mark, I'll make no medical declaration as to the cause of your fevers, will simply underscore my previously stated personal experiences and those of the others who have responded to this thread. I will, however, relay what I was told by a physician who specialises in fevers and who practices out of an infectious disease center. In his view, even though infectiion is usually the cause, it is less and less likely so the longer the duration of the fevers. He said it doesn't matter if the fevers come and go - - if they come repeatedly over a protracted period of time and that time exceeds a month or two at most then it is highly unlikely to be the result of an infection. Posible (as in malaria for example), but highly unlikely.His quote was, "If it's an infection, it will usually get you or you will get it within two months." And he definately meant that the body (with or even without medical assistance) would fight it into submission by the end of two months or the infection would have by then proven to be fatal. Exceptions, yes, but this is the norm according to an expert. My fevers went on for at least ten months - - no infection. You know how long yours have been plaguing you; hope that this bit of info helps in your piecing together of your current predicament. Ron

[Sangye]

That's great info, Ron. I would only add that parasitic infection could also cause ongoing fevers that come and go. That's just general info though. If a Weggie is having fevers, the two likely culprits are Wegs and non-parasitic infection.

[ScreaminMeanie]

Mine never register high enough to count as fevers in the eyes of the medical profession - rarely higher than 98.9*F. But they're enough to make me feel awful, and occasionally I do wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat. That only happens very rarely. My theory is that when that does happen I'm fighting off an actual infection, probably viral, when that happens. It seems to coincide with one of a few outside factors, such as a herpes outbreak (which, prior to Wegs flare & treatment, I'd only have once every few years - since starting treatment, I have them about once a month), or being exposed to someone with a cold or other virus.

The milder ones, which just make me feel like I can't get warm and feel achy all over, happen pretty much every day since the flare. Sometimes it's mid-afternoon, sometimes it's about an hour or two after dinner. It may just be some kind of post-meal adrenal crash, because I take all my pred in the mornings. Prior to the flare, I'd guess these would happen about once a month on average. So it's quite possible that all those years I thought I was in remission, I was having tiny, untreated flares that remitted themselves.

[elephant]

Yea, I know I did too ScreaminMeanie, but it was a very mild quiet one's and they ( WG) cleaned up any kind of evidence that they were around....not even a finger print cause I had so many tests done!