Mine is usually low too. I don't even bother thinking about it. When your's goes from 97.5 to 98.6 that is the same as having over one degree of fever. It is like the average person with the average reading of 98.6 having a temperature of 99.7. They would feel sick just like you do.

Check out this site:
http://www.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/hw198785.asp

Go down to the part "What is Normal Temperature?"

Mine is 96.8. I'm not hypothyroid, septic, diabetic, drunk, drugged, in shock, or out in the cold. It's the way I've been for many many years.

I also have low blood pressure. When not stressed from school (a rare ocassion these last 3 years), it's been as low as 60/40- and that was immediately preceeding a root canal! I'm usually 80/68 or so, last time was 108/76 because I had a test the next day AND I had the flu (fun day;).

Anyway, I feel rotten and dragged out at 98.6 too. I had rocky mountain spotted fever a couple of years ago and my doctor just about fainted when my temp shot up to 102- she knows my history. I was pretty close to passing out myself, but that was from the fever...

I'm also usually a little anemic.

My doctor kids me and says I'm only half alive.

We in vet school are always coached to not treat the numbers, treat the patient. If you feel fine with a lower temp, then you're fine. If you feel ill at 98.6, then you're sick. It's that simple.

I've run low temps all my life apparently. At 99F I feel like I'm going to die. However, fortunately, I "never" get sick, I'm the healthiest person I know. I just have to watch myself as my bp has always been low also. If I get up too fast, I can pass out or get dizzy. None of my doctors ever believe my temp is always low, they never comment when taken in the office. In the morning, when I was worried about my metabolism, it can read 96, no higher than 97.2. My heart rate resting can be 50 to 60. My thyroid tests have always been normal except when I was under care of a different doctor and pregnant, I was on thyroid meds as he said I was borderline. I changed docs and tests have been "normal" since. However, my temp is still low. I take my docs word cautiously, just think you have to understand your own body and have a doctor who will listen to you and not pass you off like you're crazy. I don't take any RX drugs, which at my age is remarkable.

Mine is often about a degree low. I often just take it when I feel sick, and at 99 I can feel quite sick, and consider myself as having a fever. My doctor said that it isn't unusual to not be "average".

Meghane, do you carry a medical alert token to indicate you have very low blood pressure so that you won't be given medications that would injure you in case of emergency? I heard a person say once that she did that.

Just curious .......

Sammy

My body temperature is low than "normal". I think if you are fine with your low temperature theres nothing to worry about. As you can see from this forum there are many people with lower temperature than normal.

I'm 70, have had low body temperatures for several years, sometimes as low as 94.5. Often in the 95's, 96's, and 97's. Never as high as 98.0. No symptoms. Blood tests for many things, but for some reason, not tested for T3 and T4 by my MD. Liver and kidney function ok according to tests. When younger, temp. was always 98.6. Up to age of 46, could be a real glutton without putting on a pound. Now, one cookie will do it. Doc says don't worry. When I check my temp and it's 94.5, it's hard not to worry. Any ideas?

Thanks

Interesting topic. I have always run a low body temp, too. Also tend to be anemic and my BP has always been in range or on the low side. But I also have a very slow metabolism and can gain weight in a blink with a bowl of ice cream.

I found this message board while searching for information on low body temperatures. I wanted to let you all know that I also found some very interesting information about "Wilson's Temperature Syndrome." I would agree with other posters that if you are not experiencing symptoms and/or medical problems, you're fine. However, for those that are having problems you may want to look at the website I linked below.

I don't know if there's anything to it or not, but I am planning to discuss this with my current doctor. I have been on birth control pills (and NuvaRing this past year) for literally half of my life. I had started to notice a lot of changes in my body & was starting to feel really awful. In the last few years I have also started having fluctuations in my cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar and this last visit my thyroid came back "a little off." Apparently it's not off enough to warrant medication via traditional medical standards, but that tells me there really is something going on - my doctor has ordered a re-check in 6 months.

I have lost my sex drive (when I should be in my sexual prime). I have trouble falling asleep then wake up for no reason several times a night (so yes - fatigue is definitely a problem along with loss of focus/concentration and/or "brain fog"). I've started having hot flashes (again, way too early for that) yet my hands & feet are freezing. I am still gaining weight although I'm eating less (loss of appetite & queasiness at times). The list goes on & on, so I won't bore you to tears.

The symptoms didn't really seem to be related (and they have crept up one by one over the years), but as I started to look into hormonal imbalances I found more & more information to link several of my symptoms. I just got off the artifical hormones & began charting (but it has been less than a full month off of them, so I can't take a hormone panel test just yet - my doctor has ordered it for me though so we can see where I'm at). That is when I noticed my temperature is running low. I seem to average 97.8 but have had 3 drops so far this month (97.4, 97.4, & 97.2).

I realize it will take several months (maybe even a year) before my body re-learns how to make its own hormones, but the symptoms are worse at the moment. Breast tenderness has been so bad lately I have asked myself if I really have to breathe. ;-) Anyway, this information has given me hope that it's NOT all in my head & that I can help my body get back to normal so I can function again!

I just wanted to let you know you are NOT alone & there just may be help for us if we're willing to dig for it ourselves!

I also have times when my body temperature drops to 96F (35.5C), like this morning when I felt like I had a hangover. Except I didn't drink anything yesterday and hardly ever drink alcohol. Now at 3PM, my temperature is 98.1F (36.7C). We live in the tropics and did not use the AC last night because it rained. I am now sweating.

I attribute low body temperature to my age 76 and the slowdown in metabolism. I know that I have to work out in the gym 6 hours a week and go easy on the food or else I quickly put on weight. Thyroid function seems to be OK, with T4 in the middle of the range and TSH slightly below 3. They did not measure T3.

You need to exercise a little caution in regard to applying Wilson's Syndrome, because it is not mainstream medicine. Maybe it's correct and maybe not. But proper experiments have not confirmed the existence of the syndrome or Wilson's treatment protocol. Possibly, ten years down the line, we may discover that Wilson is right and everybody else was wrong. That sometimes happens. There is another term used Wilson's Syndrome II. It's trademarked, so that in itself is a warning.

If you suspect hypothyroidism, you should review the literature about a product called Armour Thyroid manufactured by a reputable pharmaceutical company and available only by prescription. Also, you should check out Cytomel, a thyroid hormone used to treat insufficiency of T3. But first your doctor needs to check your *free* T4, *free* T3 and TSH. The latest guideline for TSH has changed from a high of 5 to a high of 3.

These results are interpreted as follows: Normal T4 and low T3 along with elevated TSH (greater than 3). TSH is elevated, indicating that your body is demanding more T3, but you are unable to convert the T4 into T3, the active form of the hormone. There are other configurations of these parameters and a couple of other lab tests I have not mentioned.

You need to see an endoctrinologist with experience in hypothyroidism rather than try to self-diagnose or experiment with protocols that are not widely accepted. If you do have hypothyroidism and the standard therapies don't work, you can look around for alternative therapies.

Fred Colbourne

Check out Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Low body temperature is one sign.

My normal body temperature is 97.3F. This morning it read 96.4 and I feel nauseous. My thyroid is normal. My blood pressure is generally on the low side, but I have never fainted in my life. I am 34 years old.

You can have hypothyroidism and have normal tsh, t3 and t4 tests. Thyroid antibodies (TPO and Thyroglobulin) can be the only tests that are abnormal in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the thyroid)and most doctors won't run this test unless asked to. If you have other symptoms besides the low temperatures... like fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, fullness in your throat, etc. - see about getting a trial with thyroid hormone replacement. The blood tests are not always accurate.

I have have low body temps and goes as low as 95.1 I feel sick most of the time and very tired,I just can't seem to ever feel truly refreshed or rested.I did have Thyroid test ran but Endo Dr. said all was fine but I think"NOT" I'm going to be retested and insist"'nicely" on having my Pituitary"MRI done>
Thyroid scan and the others and a Andrenal panel.I've got to because my skin has gotten real thin and bruises easy and if and I have a little Vitamin d "low" and have I agreee we have to be very very pro active with our health because the Dr's sure don't care! Shirl ....Does any one else have a slightly high phosphate level.mine is 4.8 and the hight end of lab was 4.5 or something,do I have anything to be concerned about?

First, I'd like to say that Fred gave you an excellent link to study thyroid problems with. Mary Shomon is not only an author, she is hypothyroid and has been a patient advocate for years. She also still has her original website at www.thyroid.about.com that has a great forum.

Hypothryoidism is rampant in my family, even affecting 4 of our children (2 of which have required surgery)so I have been forced to learn all that I can for my youngest daughter's benefit (90% of her thyroid was removed shortly after she turned 17)

Also, mentioned was the upper normal diagnostic range of the TSH being 3.0 now. Most doctors tend to ignore that (including endocrinologists) or are unaware of this but the "normal" diagnostic range was changed by the American Assn of Clinical Endocrinologists in Jan 2003 to .3-3.0 with a recommendation that any patient with a TSH of 3.0 AND hypothyroid symptoms should be considered for thyroid hormone replacement.

Most doctors run only a "Basic Panel" (TSH, T3 Uptake, Total T4 and Free T4 INDEX (aka T7). Of these 4 tests, only 2 are even a measurement of any kind of hormone.

The TSH is the measurement of hormone secreted by the Pituitary which tells the thyroid to make more or less thyroid hormone.

The T3 uptake is a measurement of BOUND PROTEINS, not hormone. Unfortunately, this very old test is not really very accurate, especially for women who still make estrogen, are on BC pills or HRT therapy, because these proteins also bind estrogen, along with thyroid hormone so there is no way to know if the test result (hyper if a low % number, hypo if a high % number) is a true reflection of your thyroid health.

Total T4 is a measurement of BOTH bound thyroid hormone and FREE T4 (which is the only thyroid hormone available for your body to use, on a cellular level). This test is also distorted by estrogen.

Last but not least the worthless "Free T4 INDEX aka T7". This is CALCULATED result based on the T3 Uptake/Total T4 results, so it isn't even an actual measurement...just what you "should have".

The Basic Panel are the cheapest tests that can be run...thus the doctors appease the insurance companies, unless the TSH is elevated beyond the "normal" high lab range. It doesn't seem to matter that you may have major hypothyroid symptoms as long as the TSH is within range (high of 4.5 is currently the high range level because that's what the Biochemist Assn has established it at). Simply because you are in the "normal" range does not mean it is normal for your body. I have major hypo symptoms (which subside w/thyroid hormone meds) at a TSH of 2.3.

Tests you should INSIST on...TSH, Free T3, Free T4. Even if your doctor will order the Free T4, expect resistance to the Free T3, however, keep in mind that Free T3 is what regulates you metabolism.

These tests are rarely ordered for two reasons...
1) because the Free levels are the more expensive tests, not because they are not accurate and
2) insurance companies don't like to see them ordered

Prior to the invention of the TSH test, the Free T4 was what was used to diagnose hypo/hyper thyroid conditions.

For those who experience a "low body temp" also consider adrenal testing, but beware...like the thyroid tests, most doctors consider you "normal" if you are anywhere within the "normal" lab range. You would have to have full blown Cushings or Addison's Disease, usually, to be taken seriously. The first test you should have done is a 24 hr Free Cortisol Urine test (you need to have more than one test over several months, to allow for flucuation in levels). It is also good to test your DHEA and have a ACTH (same as a TSH, but it checks the pituitary hormone that makes the adrenals produce hormone).

Adrenal insufficiency can be the source of many of the problems but getting a doctor to diagnose it, is like expecting them to pay ransom on their first born child! IF your glucose (blood sugar) goes up and your Free T3 level drops, after thyroid meds are given, definately pursue adrenal testing.

Because your body makes more T4 than T3 hormone (same applies if you are on a T4 med only..such as Synthroid, Unithroid, etc) the body converts T4 hormone into T3 hormone. If the adrenals are not functioning correctly, they can (and often do) inhibit that T4 conversion to T3.

While both of my Free hormone levels are in the low normal range, when I'm not on thyroid meds, my Free T3 is usually just above the Free T4 level (which is how it should be) However, as soon as I introduce thyroid meds, my Free T3 drops to well below (barely inside the low normal range)the Free T4. That is a possible sign that my adrenals are weak and can't handle a large amount of T3, so they may be inhibiting my body's ability to convert my T4 to T3. The adrenals also can elevate your glucose (blood sugar) if they malfunctioning. Mine rises anytime thyroid meds are introduced.

Hope this helps some of you...visit either of Mary Shomon's sites. What you learn there will be invaluable.

My basal temperature is 96.9 and blood pressure 60/40 I rate normal on all TSH levels. I don't drink alcohol, not even caffeine. I suppose when I'm asleep I'm actually half alive, since I wake up so cold I can hardly move.
Once my heart rate was documented at 23 beats per minute.
My doctor cannot find a cause. Other than being cold. I have no impeding symptoms. The benefit is that I can run for one hour straight and my heart rate remains at 143.

I read the the Swamis of India try to lower their basal temp. and blood pressure to reach higher awareness and to prolong life(They want to be like us, Low temps)

so, maybe she should not be alarmed. I also read that people of Irish and Native American descend have a susceptibility to Low temp syndrome. Can anyone comment on this?
Thanks

I get irritated with health professionals who dismiss my observation that I'm running a fever when my temperature is 98.6 or higher. Even my own doctor and his assistant (is she a PA or what?) need to be told that my body temperature runs low. At that point they start flipping through my records and confirm what I have known for a long time (20+ years); my temperature is normally around 97 and can be below 97 for long periods, months, years.

So I'm feeling feverish right now, probably have a cold, but I'll bet that my temp is still below 99.

Yep, I have a low body temperature as well. Normally it is around 96.8-97.1 . I always thought it was a family thing since all my siblings have low "normal" temps as well as my mother. It was very helpful in high school that my mother had one as well since the nurses never thought that I had a high enough temp to call home about.
We also get this strange thing, what we call, low temperatures where it drops to a lower temperature then our ranges. Most of the time when this has happened to me I feel a lot worse then I would with a high temp. For high temps I usually start feeling bad around 98.9-99+ for me I consider that a high temp and a low temp wound be 95 and lower. It has changed a bit over time, but I just go with what my body tells me.

Great thread, everyone. My mother always had low thyroid function, which I have evidently inherited. What has changed is that I recently had a bout of flu, the first time I have been sick in 15 years, and now I am sensitive to cold, have a basal temperature as low as 35.2C = 95.4F (instead of my usual normal of 36.4 to 36.7C = 97.5 to 98.0F), and feel a bit "slow." My resting pulse rate has been in the low 40s for many years, lower than I deserve with my very good, though admittedly not elite, level of aerobic fitness. For the past several years, until I recently ran out, I had taken kelp supplements daily. I have resumed taking kelp, and I have added an herbal thyroid support supplement, and I shall be monitoring my basal temperature over the coming weeks. By the way, my wife is a thyroid cancer survivor who has been taking Synthroid for 18 years. I have discussed this thread with her in detail, and I have advised her to ask her doctor for more specific details of her blood tests. She currently takes 125ug/day, down from 150 and later 137.5, which gives her "normal" TSH (thank you -- we can ask her doctor what he means by that!), but leaves her with symptoms of mild hypothyroidism.

I have a VERY low normal temperature. I average around 93.0-95.0 and feel feverish if it gets above 97. This is as measured orally by my doctor/nurse. My doctor says this is very unusual, but not cause for concern as long as the low temperature does not make me feel badly.
I am a 30 year old male, with some thyroid problems and high blood sugar that is NOT high enough to be called diabetes. I am also on other medication, but nothing that my doctor says would make any difference in my body temperature.
For me, my biggest problem is that when everyone else in the room is comfortable, if not even cold, I am roasting.
While it only happened once, I have seen my temperature as low as 89.7 as messured orally. My doctor used 3 different thermometers, and the reading varied, but not more that 1 degree above the lowest temperature. The crazy thing is, I felt fine.

My body temperature is 94.6. Is that dangerously low? I feel kind of anxious and a little sad but not sick and I'm not even feeling cold.

I fluctuate between 94.5 and 97.3. By 98.6 I am feeling very ill. My family didn't get it and always thought I was a hypochondriac because I got sick frequently. I had 103 once and was rushed to the hospital.

In addition to this, I cannot handle outside temperatures above 80 degrees F. I had a mission trip to Mexico once in September, had drank 3 liters of water that day, was sitting down doing some work for that under a canopy, and still fainted.

I am hypothyroid and low bp 80/60. Don't know about blood sugar.

My mother has a low body temp and has has since I was a littler girl-she would sleep with lots of blankets in the summer. Now I seem to be having symptoms of this -low temp 96.3 and at times when I sleep I would wake up from a deep sleep with the most bone chilling shiver- like I could not get warm enough even after putting on sweats and blankets to go back to sleep.

I have been searching the internert and found some sites suggest low iodine levels even if you have normal thyroid levels. I know my thyroid levels are "fine" and was wondering if any one esle heard of this?

My Temperature ususally runs about 93 to 95 and I feel worn out all of the time. My doctor doesnt seem too concerned with this but I am sorta. Is there anything you can do to increase it. My blood pressure usually runs really low also. Do these work together?

Reading through a lot of these I hear high metabolism and low BP.
I have low body temp usually between 96.7 and 97.5 though does drop down.
I am overweight but still "pre/borderline/whatever they want to call it diabetic", TSH/T3/T4/Free T4 are always normal but haven't done adrenal or similar testing (need to find another specialist I suppose), I have low platelets and low mpv, and my blood pressure is almost always pre-hypertension (occasionally higher). My family on both sides from siblings to cousins and ancestors have almost always had low body temps but not quite as low as mine and yes they mostly do have diagnostically shown thyroid problems.

My body temperature has always been low even though my blood pressure is normal to high - it skyrockets easily whenever I get nervous :-)
My normal temperature is about 35,8 C (I think around 96-97 F) and I feel fine. Apparently it runs in the family and there is nothing to worry about.
I was a bit worried though when I had 37,5 C after a surgery and the doctor didn't even bother to write it down because I actually felt sick...
I like the hot weather in summer but the heat makes me drowsier than most other people, I think that may be due to my lower temperature

There is one thing that no one here mentions is that the lymphatic system has a lot to do with the heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure. The numbers are the body at optimum efficiency in order to ward off disease and prevent growth of parasites. I had all three too low and I had worms, round worm one foot long and other types that came out of me and I knew that my body was not doing its job, so I started to study this and found that the lymphatic system which includes the spleen; which was the source of my problem. If all three or even one is too low learn about your lymphatic system, read on the web. Docs only take parts out when they get infected, leading to more strain on the rest of the system.

I have been monotering my temp for the past week for the baisale tepm thing im trying to get pregnet so iv been checking it a lot and for the past 3 mornings it has been 96.3 and later in the day it gose up to no higher than 97.5 but i hav alwase had a low temp and every time i go to the dr or er they dont even pick up a BP its so fant they just have to fell for it so i realy dont know what that is all about but im healthy no problems so dont worry its normal for us i gess we are just a little colder than the others lol

I suggest that those of you who have low body temps (mine was 94.3 this morning) along with other symptoms (especially fatigue, tingling or coldness in limbs, pain in bones or joints, skin problems, etc.) get checked out for LYME DISEASE. Do some research...it is a potentially VERY serious disease if allowed to get to later stages, and is vastly under diagnosed. Please check out the great documentary www.UnderOurSkin.com about the consequences and politics of Lyme...and I would also encourage you to see the patient message board at MD Junction.

I wouldn't worry about it. Mine is always 97 to 97.5. Always has been. Just do the math when you take your temp. If the average person has a fever at 100, your fever is around 99.

My normal temp is 97.2 and my blood pressure is usually around 101/70. I am also hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), but have never been diagnosed with thyroid problems. I know that when my temp gets to 99.0 it means I have an infection...but too many times, doctors don't understand and just think its a low grade fever. Next thing you know, I am in the ER on IV antibiotics LMAO Have any of you every been told a name for this condition?

Your normal temp depends on your conditions at birth, as well as medical disorders or concerns you may or may not have. For example I am hypoglycemic, and was born Hypothermic, this causes my body temperature to be much lower than most people. However if mine gets too low I can go into shock or a comma, so if you are worried about your temperature and the normal you should go to your doctor and make sure you explain every thing to him/or her. Most likely they will make you have blood test and a few other test before they will give you a straight answer.

Firstly let me say - those of us with a low body temperature who have always had this - it is nothing to worry about ath0ugh it does have its problems. Anyone who has only recently become 'cold' there may be another reason for it so do get it checked out.

My daughter is in her final year of a nursing degree and was talking to one of the docs about this. It is unusual but not unheard of - I think most people who are colder than usual are not aware of it, nurses very rarely put down if you have a low temperature as they fear it would make them appear sloppy by not checking properly.

The real difference for most people is our 'immunity' to bugs - bugs are very temperature reliant and they do not like our cold bodies. However when we come across a bug that is less susceptible to temp changes we effectively go down 'like a ton of bricks' and take longer to recover.

We don't feel the cold quite as much but we feel the effects - so even if we don't feel cold we can get problems like Reynards where the fingers and toes go white and numb. Unpleasant but as long as you are aware of it and don't get too cold for too long it can be controlled.

I also find heat to be a problem - I am not really sure why but I will try to find out more.

great information.

My body temperature is always 97.3. If I get to 99.0 I'm sick as a dog and the Drs. say I'm not.

I have been diagnosed with Raynauds phenomenon 4 years ago.

It can be normal to have temp below 98.6 or it could be a sign of hypothyroidism

Mine is usually low too. I don't even bother thinking about it. When
your's goes from 97.5 to 98.6 that is the same as having over one degree
of fever

My normal average oral temperature is 97.6 to 97.7....This is when I feel good and optimally, "me."...When I hit 98. to 98.2 I feel sick...Faster heart rate as is common when someone has fever, but even faster for me, because I have SVT and my temp hitting 98. aggravates it (The SVT)...And I feel sick....I feel great though at 97.6 to 97.7.....So, past 98. feels like fever too me....