Is a low grade fever with fatigue normal?

Theresa, the only way to know for sure is if you speak to your doctor.  It could be a normal MS symptom or it could be a reaction from a medication (or not taking it).  As well, it could be something one of our expoerts wrote about called, Psedo Exacerbations.

Either wayt, a doctor need to evaluated you and get to the bottom of it.

All the best, sue (moderator)

Hi Theresa,

This is hard to say, as MS is different for everyone. Are you on any of the DMD's out, like Avonex, Copaxone, or others?

Another thing to consider is whether or not you're taking (or are on)any other meds *besides* a DMD, such as Tylenol, etc, and you didn't mention what your "normal" temp usually is.

Wish I could tell you more, but it would be hard to guess w/out knowing the above.

I will say I have a g/f whose "normal" temp is in the range you mentioned.

MS is a strange one, indeed, and I know others will have a better answer for you.

Also, telling your neuro/primary care about thos would be a good thing to do.

Good luck and let us know what you find out!

Gentle

Hey there

I am interested in this question as I have been feeling more hot when there doesn't seem to be a reason for it.  I do wonder if it is the MS.  I researched a bit on-line and found where someone had asked your question on an MS support group.

One of the answers seemed to make sense to me that...perhaps there was a lesion on that part of the brain which controls body temperature.  It doesn't seem that far fetched. 

But then again it could be anything...due to over extertion, a virus, peri-menopause and so on. 

The next time I go to my neurologist I am going to ask this question and see what she says.

Hi Theresa,

I see that lots of folks have been by to answer your question and you've received some great responses.  I'm gonna go at this a different way.

When your body is running at a higher temperature, it can contribute to the nerve signals moving more slowly.  This slowed down communication within the central nervous system can most certainly contribute to the overwhelming fatigue which is so common for us MSers.

I've noticed that since diagnosis, or since beginning DMD treatment, that I tend to be much more sensitive to heat, both external and internal.  Any elevation in temp wipes me out but I'm not necessarily running a fever.

Also, I'm a fan of Ibuprofen when it comes to pain, but for fevers, Tylenol is the only thing which will bring it down.  Have you tried bringing it down with Tylenol?  Or maybe grabbing a bag of frozen veggies to hold against your torso or head?  Those things help me.

Hi - I read your question and all of the answers. I also often experience low grade fevers for no explained reason. I have come to the conclusion that it must be due to MS. It is not due to medication since this has happened through different meds and even when not taking any meds. Mine range from 99.1 to 100.5. It does make things feel more miserable. I haven't been able to find much in researching this on the internet. Please let me know if you have spoken with your doctor about it as I would be interested to know their response. Good luck.

I have the same exact problem.  I am convinced my low grade fevers (99.2-99.8) are a symptom of MS.  And when I have them I feel so incredibly fatigued--or as one of the other posters said, just "miserable."   I got diagnosed 17 months ago with barely noticeable optic neuritis and a MRI full of lesions.  At first the doctors were a bit confused because of the fevers (maybe Lyme disease?).  The fevers began a year before the diagnosis.  I saw an infectious disease specialist and a rheumatologist for "fever of unknown origin" and had every test run imaginable over many months.

I am convinced the fevers are MS related because when I went on Tysabri within 1-2 months the fevers were completely gone!!  I felt like a million dollars! My last Ty. infusion was #7 and due to the holidays I went 5 weeks instead of 4.  That last week the fevers came back with a vengeance.  I had the infusion a few days ago and now they are gone.  I don't think it can be coincidental.

I just ran across your question, Theresa, and am so interested that many people are experiencing the same thing. I've had many times when my husband has reached out to hold my hand or touch my arm and he expresses shock at how hot I feel. Nearly every time he notices this, I'm not aware that I'm any warmer than normal. I haven't taken my temperature, but think next time it happens I will. I've never made the connection to MS symptoms since I'm frequently fatigued, but will pay better attention in the future.

Has anyone reading these questions talked to their dr about this?

Hi, I am a 23 year old female.  I haven't been diagnosed yet but my neurologist keeps saying probable MS. I just had my 2nd Spinal tap and I get the results this coming week. The first one showed 1 protein band of MS origin. My MRI's show 3 lesions. I have been having all the usual symptoms of MS. Just recently I have been noticing on-going extreme fatigue where I can sleep for 12 hours a day and fevers along with it. I came to this site and am glad to notice other people are having the same symptoms. I haven't been diagnosed yet but I will be sure to tell my doctor about this and see what he says.