Panicking about low-grade fevers & lymphoma

[Worrywart84]

Having a rough night yet again.

Some days I feel “rational” and I’m even able to chime in on threads here and try to help other people in a panic and now I find myself in another panic of my own.

For maybe a month I have had random days of having a scratchy raw throat and occasional cough. It comes goes and usually only lasts a day or so. I can feel drainage so I chalked it up to post nasal drip.

However, today I also felt a bit flushed so I’ve been taking my temp and it’s ranged from 98.5 to 99.4 orally. On the forehead thermometer it even got up to 99.7. This freaks me out because I am usually in the low 97s. I had another day a couple weeks ago of similar elevated temperatures that lasted for a day and then went away.

Now before you think Covid, I haven’t left the house in over two weeks nor has anyone in my household. So it would be highly unlikely unless I got it from like, the mail.

Anyway, if you read one of my most recent threads of panic, it is about enlarged lymph nodes on my neck that although I’ve had them checked out via ultrasound, still bother me and haven’t gone down.

So now I am freaking out that those really are a sign of a bigger picture that is now unraveling in the form of occasional sore throats/coughs and now the scariest feature, low grade fevers. I didn’t even put it all together until I read some threads here of other people fearing lymphoma with similar symptoms.

I am in one of those bad places in my head where I am sure this will be my last Christmas and I won’t get to see my kids grow up. It feels gut wrenching just to type that but that’s how I’m feeling right now.

I don’t know if I should call my doctor and go in again because of the appearance of new symptoms or whether I try to rationalize this away and do nothing. I am really scared and also really sad that my body seems to enjoy plaguing me with my worst fears. I have tried for several months to “let go” of the lymph node worry and now my body is like, “Here’s a terrifying mystery fever for you to contemplate.”

Anyway, yeah. Thanks for reading.

[glassgirlw]

I’ve had the occasional scratchy throat and phlegm, on and off cough, fluctuating body temp - ever since COVID became a thing. I started taking a daily Zyrtec a couple months ago and that’s really helped me.

You have worked yourself up over lymphoma fears. Anxiety can and will make your temp fluctuate - but honestly our body temps fluctuate all day long up to a degree in either direction. In normal times you probably wouldn’t even notice it. But right now you are so hyper aware of every little thing, you’re focused on it. I know it’s not easy but you need to find a way to pull that focus elsewhere.

My sister in law was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma a year ago last month. Her symptoms (which I will not go into here because it won’t help you) were nothing like your symptoms, and they rapidly progressed. Overnight type rapidly. Get past the holidays. If you still can’t let the fear go, then go for a check up and tell your doc your concerns. But I truly feel you are just dealing with a super charged bout of anxiety right now.

[Aussie11]

I’ve been getting low grade fevers on and off quite a lot recently, but also many other times when I’m in a HA flare up. What I put it down to on my more logical days is that my body is fighting off some minor allergy or inflammation. My bloods have been done several times over last few months and all is fine. Have also had all sorts of scans and all fine. So I guess it shows you can just get these symptoms and it not be anything significant at all causing them. I do also get post nasal drip which I now take daily antihistamine and Nasonex spray for which I think has helped.

[Worrywart84]

Thank you both for your kind words (and sorry about your sister in law, Glass. I hope she is doing ok.)

I woke up with the sore throat gone, head a little congested and my temp has been ranging from 97.9 to 98.4 so far.

I know I should stop checking it but I am feeling compelled to continue checking at various points throughout the day to see if it climbs to that low grade level again.

I am already freaking out about it doing this to me every day for a series of days and what that could mean.

My husband says I need to stop checking it but I hate that because for health anxiety sufferers, ignorance isn’t bliss.

[Fishmanpa]

Your husband is spot on! You really need to stop checking it... I mean REALLY! None of those readings would even raise an eyebrow by a medical professional and most certainly wouldn't point to anything sinister. If you can't do it, I recommend not announcing your normal readings and asking for reassurance for something that doesn't need any.

Positive thoughts

[glassgirlw]

I know I should stop checking it

Absolutely stop checking it. Give your husband the thermometer and make him hide it lol

If you truly have a fever, you’re going to know it without even having a thermometer on hand. At that point you can take your temp. Just have to let it go unfortunately or you will stay trapped in this cycle.

[Worrywart84]

Thank you both again.

[Worrywart84]

I felt flush again this evening and couldn’t help myself and took it again and it was back up to 99.1. Now I’m panicking again. I want so badly to get on board that this is “within normal range” and “not a fever” but when my normal baseline is 97.5, I feel like this increase is “my” fever. There was even recently a study done that 98.6 isn’t even really the optimal body temperature anymore and it’s much lower. So doesn’t this mean I DO have a fever for me?

And then I go down the list and I have no explanation as to why my body temperature would be elevated so it must be fighting something invisible and sinister like...cancer.

I used to check my temperature periodically for reassurance and it was always low and gave me peace and now it is bringing me a ton of anxiety.

Do I call? How can I not at this point? And then I have to take a deep breath and prepare for the battery of blood draws and scans and tests and waiting nervously for results, praying they don’t find something incidental in their search to divert my panic down another path.

Can we swear here? Because f**k.

[Worrywart84]

Just an update (because I always like reading updates on others’ threads).

I ended up calling my doctor just to run it by her and she told me that they don’t consider those temps a true fever and even though it was higher than my normal temperature, I shouldn’t be worried. Easier said than done but I guess in some way it helps keep my anxiety at bay knowing that I did my due diligence by calling and running it by a medical professional. I ended up taking my temp a couple more times and it was 98.2 and 98.4 so that also made me feel a little better. I vowed to just step away from the thermometer.

I do feel sweaty/flushed still occasionally but I am trying not to panic about it.