Just curious. I received my PsA Dx yesterday and am in the midst of a nasty flare. I’ve been running a fever on and off for a few days. Currently running a fever of 101. Is this consistent with PsA?
PsA tends to show either no fever (my Rheumy would say this), or a low grade temperature (up to 37.5 C - 99.5 F), which is my personal experience. I’ve never had a fever that high from PsA. If you didn’t tell your Rheumy at the appointment, I’d call my Rheumy nurse straight away and tell them - they can let you know if there’s anything you need to do.
@tntlamb, @sybil, @Stoney, @Seenie, might know more about this.
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That seems like a high fever. Is your regular body temperature on the high side? 101 sounds like a fever from infection and not inflammation, from what I understand.
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I usually run the typical 98.6 or less but since this last flare began I’ve had low grade fevers, usually around 99.5. When I went to the ophthalmologist yesterday, they checked me and I was at 99.7
I’m on my second day of prednisone so I hope it can help to reduce this inflammation. And I’m glad they did lung x rays because my lungs have felt irritated for the last few months.
Never had a fever with it despite sometimes feeling as bad as if I had the flu. Please ensure your rheumy team knows about this if they don’t already.
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My understanding is also that low-grade fever is more common with a flare.
My temperature tends to run low. I’ve had uncontrollable shivering with flares - on hot days & cold. Felt like 'flu but temperature was, I think, lower than ever.
@Timothy88, I reckon you should contact your doctors - all of them if necessary - if that fever doesn’t go promptly. As has been said previously, you don’t want to mess with uveitis. Or there could be something else going on.
At the stage of treatment you’re at you are perfectly entitled to report anything that puzzles or scares you, I would do so anyway.
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When I am in bad shape, I run a fever of 99.5 to 100 for several days. It really makes me tired. Doc said it was normal during a flare.
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Same here apparently. I’ve been running a fever for a few days and feel like I have been in a flare for six months.
I agree, I’ll do that. I have the ability to message my doctor directly on my online chart.
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Will do thanks!
fever is a known side effect of Predi which i as I recall you are doing. Glad you called your Doc. Yo should NOT have a fever that high… 101 is viral territory you can get pretty sick. Run over by a tractor type sick.
That was a one time high for me. Been running 99.5 or so most of the time. As you said it is probably the Prednisone.
Reading about your chills and low temp and flu like symptoms I wondering if this is what happens to me. My temperature is generally a C degree below normal. The shivering wears me out. I will pay more attention when I have a flare and flares are often lately. I sometimes have to go to bed for the day. I sometimes can’t get warm no matter how many layers of clothing i put on. It is winter here in the land of Oz. For the first time in my life I have ordered online long legged and long sleeve thermals. I live in a rain forest surrounded by mountain ranges. It is a little cooler here but it is rare to get a frost so compared to other places it is not as cold. It has been between 11 - 20 degrees C this past month. During summer I get over heated and can’t cool down. It feels like there is something wrong with my body’s temperature control. There are times where I fluctuate from chills to overheating with no change in temperature. I am so grateful for these posts that prompt me to discuss this with my Rheumy.
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The shivering and teeth chattering I experienced early on was insane, especially as initially I felt quite normal in other ways and it was warm early summer. Then it all hit the fan - more pain, crushing fatigue etc. - and the shivering fits continued. I had a hardcore army sleeping bag to crawl into, it helped.
I’m sure it is a flare-up thing. One rheumy seemed to think it indicated a whopper of a flare. My thermostat is still lousy, just as you say, but I haven’t experienced the shivering episodes again since starting meds.
I see from your other post that you are having a really tough time of it and that the pandemic means your next appointment is delayed. So sorry to hear this. Hang on in there bella.
When I am in a lot of pan (flare?) my temperature stays about 99.8. That is high for me because my normal temperature is about 97.
Doc said it was normal due to the full body inflammation. After a day of it, it makes me very tired. After several days of it, I am really tired.
I don’t do pred anymore. I t makes me very hyper and aggravates my life long depression problems. I am also one of the people that the back ache side effects hit terribly. I had to stop taking it long term. If things get really bad, I can tolerate a dos-pak.
Well let me share my recent experience… Seenie indicated I was working on a project and would be absent for awhile. It is was true. The FLARE FROM HELL. I went through all my flare protocol. ( I have a few long tested techniques that range from packing into a back country natural hot springs, to wade fishing a very cold creek to a week or so of 10mg/day predi and if really bad skipping my folic acid pills. NONE of it worked. I was sleeping 20+ hours a day, mean as a striped snake.
Finally I decide it was Burst Time (works better than a dose pack for me) BUT my stash was low so I called my Doc. Figured she would call it in. What did I get? no predi but a rather a faxed Quarantine order. YUP she was right. Good ol’ Covid. The active test was neg, but the anti bodies high (repeated twice for each) Family all tested negative amazingly so we were released from quarantine following a a rater stern come to Jesus lecture from said Rheumy. (not to mention a WTF on the folic acid thing)
Wed is the big day! Lung scan and vampire time. If my blood counts are okay I get my regular infusion AND a predi topper. Its going to be a long while till even close to normal. BUT I did take my great-nephews cut throat fishing in my extra cold creek… That was great stuff.
I’m just saying don’t be too quick to pass anything off to a Flare (or let your doc do so) If the symptoms are out of the ordinary (flare was etc) then it could be a huge mistake to think whats going on is ordinary…
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Timely reminder!
So you’ve been there, done that, got the sweaty t-shirt? And most importantly of all, survived, without affecting the rest of the family!?
I have wondered during some ‘PsA worse than usual’ weeks …
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Wow! Twenty hours of sleep a day! So my big question is where on earth did you even get exposed?
The sleep came with the flare. Call me stupid but was volunteering at the health dept. on the phone triage lines with other “washed ups” and the 1st years. supposedly no patient contact. I’m guessing from the Nurses…although one of the other volunteers got it as well. Technically its “community Spread” so we can’t blame anyone lol.
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