After babysitting twin girls last weekend, I believe I caught a bug from them. Both had runny noses and one vomited just prior to my arrival and the other on me after a feeding. I was sick all last week, feeling like I had the flu but my temp was 98.6. I have such pain in my neck and shoulders all last week, continuing even until now. My temp today is 99.1. Typically, my "normal" temp is 97.6.
With that being said, if my temp is lower than others, does this mean that this is a something to be alarmed of? For example, if "normal" body temp is 98.6, does it mean that I have a fever if my temp is 98.6, I even felt like I had a fever, with chills, sweats, weakness and fatigue.
My question comes after thoughts of TNF blockers and how they work. My thoughts, if we get sick while on these meds, how will you know, if the meds block T-cell production? How do they measure if your wbc is increased when we block it?
Does this even make sense? or Am I completely off, mistaken or just confused?
I can't answer your question with any science, only how it has been for me. I find since my PsA has been under better control I get sick less. It doesn't make any sense really as I would have had an over active immune system prior to mtx and biologic and a suppressed immune system now. Having said that I no longer work and my kids are now grown. I do not baby sit any children never mind ill ones. I wipe surfaces with disinfecting wipes and wash my hands a lot. The symptoms you describe are what I feel with a flare: chills, feeling like I have a fever but temp is near normal, body aches, malaise, truly yucky! Hope this helps in some way.
I was just talking with a friend of mine today about getting sick. She is on Humira for Crohns disease. I am on DMARDs, not biologics. Interestingly, both of us agreed that we don't necessarily get sick more frequently, just that it lingers, and secondary infections seem more common.
I had that sickish feeling last week when my daughter was sick, and it took a few days to bloom into a full cold. But I'll tell you, my 7yr old son regularly coughs on me, dirty nose-picking fingers, etc, and I don't get sick that often. I have never been big on all of the antibacterial stuff, and am not sick frequently. I have seen kids raised with everything always wiped down, etc, and they seem to have more allergies, asthma, etc. I'm a firm believer in the hygiene hypothesis. If I occasionally catch a bug, so be it.
I'm with you on the temperature issue. My normal is low, so my fever is relatively low, unless it's just out of control.
When my kids in elementary school, I caught everything going around. Now that they are older I'm back to just a couple colds a year. I've been on one or another biologic for the past 12 yrs. In general when my disease is more under control, I get sick less.
In terms of fever, I dose my meds on schedule unless I am VERY ill (can't breathe with bronchitis, or very bad flu).