Before I call the doctor, I have been feeling yucky today and every time I take my temperature it reads 96.6 to 98.6. Is this normal for this to happen? I am on Enbrel and MTX.
I need to add it is a sour stomach yucky feeling.
I had questions about this, too. My temp reads 97-98 sometimes. I was told that is normal.
I have the same normal range as Mimi, but if it’s not normal for you, then talk to your doc telling them how much different it is from normal, not the absolute value.
When I get a fever, I always tell them how much higher than normal my temp is (in Celsius - my average is 36.5). If I tell them I’m a degree (Celsius) higher, they take me seriously. If I tell them I’m 37.5 Celsius, there’s no reaction like I’m being a hypochondriac (some people just don’t run high fevers unless they are about to die - I had Dengue fever, which is kind of like Malaria, and never went above 37.8).
Also, it does depend how you take your temperature. I’ve got one of those cheap digital oral thermometers that’s great for me because it is very repeatable when I put it in exactly the same place (supposedly the hottest place) in my mouth. Put it somewhere else though, and I’ll get a substantially
lower reading that just looks odd.
I know this sounds stupid, but make sure you wait at least 30 minutes after eating or drinking anything to take your temp. I forget that sometimes and end up with the strangest readings. If you get a reading that looks odd, then wait 20 minutes or so and take it again. Like Jen said, always take your temp in the same spot.
It’s not unusual for temps to run a little low. It’s not anything to worry about. Some people just have a slightly lower normal than others.