tough: I also had what I called "flu-things" (for 5-6 years!) that involved fevers (as high as 104, but usually in the 99-100-101 range). Of course, I'd feel like crap as well with seriously nasty headaches, body aches, etc. I had plenty of tests done (small-bowel follow-throughs, many scopes, blood work, cultures, UAs, etc. etc.), but no one could tell me what was happening. My CRP was through the roof.

Everything came to a head the end of 2010, when I developed an abscess, had an MRI, and a fistula was discovered. As soon as these appeared, the fevers and other symptoms disappeared. I believe there was some sort of septic condition going on all those years. They're now being treated at the Cleveland Clinic.

Not saying this is what's happening to you, but I would recommend having an MRI done. (I had a CT scan done during the fever years but it showed nothing). When/if an abscess/fistula is ruled out, they can look for other reasons for the fevers.

Don't let this continue like I did. If it's anything pouch-related, it's best to nip it in the bud. I wish you the best --

I need to ask what does 2 degrees higher than your normal mean? I ask because it is common to assume there is a fever when the temperature is higher than you expect it to be. There is no set temperature that is normal, even within the same person. That is because there is a normal range that changes throughout the day. Part of it is related to the circadian rhythm, and part is related to the environment.

http://www.officialhealth.org/...ody-Temperature.html

So, unless your temperature is consistently over 99.6F (oral), you do not have a fever. If you have temperatures over 100F every day, then something is going on. Infection is a primary cause, but hormones or medications can cause it too. So can dehydration.

Sometimes fever is associated with pouchitis, but it is not usual. Fever associated with UC or cuffitis is a sign of uncontrolled disease, with bacterial leak into the bloodstream, so I would not generally go there unless you were quite ill. An undiagnosed deep abscess could cause chronic fever with vague symptoms that do not localize the site. But this usually progresses to the point of serious illness. For me, after a month of low grade fever, 100-101, I spiked to 105 and required hospitalization.

Jan

NancyAnn,

It's very interesting you mentioned nasty headaches. I've developed headaches so much so they did a CTscan of my head and she's setting up an appt. with a neurologist. I just figured I'd been under so much stress.....

I think I might have another abscess where I had one between surgeries. They cut it out during take down and it was about an inch below my belly button and 2"long x 2" deep x 1" wide and when it healed it looked like I had a 2nd belly button. 6 months later I had an incisional hernia and they had to open up the entire incision again. Lately the skin area around my belly button has been sore. So I'm wondering if it grew back where it was but the mesh from the hernia surgery is keeping it held in. I had an abdominal CTscan in May and a small bowel series about a year ago.

Hopefully it's not but makes sense. If CRP is the measurement for inflammation then she ordered to include it in my blood work. She said she was testing for inflammation.

Thanks so much for your post - now I don't feel like a hypocrite for posting it. I just tested and am running the fever now.

Thanks Jan,

I'm not sure what it was but it was 99.?, close to 100. She took my temp in my ear and they compared to it prior readings at their office and said it was a temp. Hopefully it is nothing.

Sure, the fact that you are having new symptoms where you had an infection before, along with this low grade fever, could mean a chronic, simmering infection. The CRP could show inflammation, but it is non specific, meaning, it won't give any indication where it is. My CRP is always elevated, but my rheumy monitors it to guage how my arthritis treatment is working. If you have an avute infection your WBC will be elevated.

Jan

She's testing my WBC and can compare my CRP to past one's. I think it is always slightly elevated too. I forgot the test initials. I'm thinking those are quick tests and figure if I near nothing today I'm ok. I still feel like crap but there's nothing new about that.
Thanks Jan

I don't know if this helps you but when I had UC I would frequently run fevers that would hover around 100. Being that you have been dealing with cuffitis, could it be that acting up?

Tough, my WBC was almost always in the high-normal range; my CRP was near 100. Since the abscess/fistula were discovered/treated, my CRP has been back down to the low end of normal (I think normal is 1-3, mine was 1 last test). I also had pouchitis and cuffitis at the time, which have been treated concurrently with the fistula.

I hope you get this figured out soon.

The test results were emailed this afternoon and all looks well, no inflammation or infections found. I'm still having little fevers off and on and my headaches. They appear to be unrelated and I'll worry about the fevers if they go higher.

I still have all of my aches and pains including the newer one around my belly button but it's probably related to my adhesions.

Thanks NancyAnn and Jan....I'm relieved as didn't want an abscess or fissure.

I don't want to cause any undue alarm, but this thread reminds me of my roommate at Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center during my step 1. He was a 64 year old retired attorney who had leukemia. He was complaining to me that every day he would have a fever that started at exactly the same time, usually early afternoon. When the fever would start he would start cursing and get all upset because he would be fine in the morning and would spend hours grooming himself, combing and styling his hair, and then the fevers would start and he would get all sweaty and it drove him bonkers. I have very vivid memories of him because he used to describe to me in painstaking detail his retirement plans. Anyway I doubt it is the same thing but it is the only time I ever had contact with someone who had leukemia and that disease does produce bizarre fever patterns.

Thanks DJBHusky, after Nancy Ann's and your warning I will watch it. I didn't think much of it, thought it was due to my age, but my Internist doesn't take any chances. She is the doctor that told me it was probably time to ditch my colon, during my final flare from hell, and she was right. She prescribed me pain medication when all my GI prescribed was antispasmodics. That saved me from several ER visits.
Thanks everybody

The headaches are nasty and she is referring me to a neurologist.

Unfortunately, negative labs can be misleading. Keep a close watch on that pain.

Jan

Thank Jan, I am as it reminds me all the time I'm not pain free but am doing better since the C-Diff is gone and cuffitis is under control. I'm only taking half of the pain medication I was. Of course then the headaches rolled in.....

While I was hospitalized during my severe UC flare, I spiked daily fevers (38-39 Celsius, which is about 100-102). I got my IV steriods in the morning, and the fevers would come on late afternoon and continue more or less until the next dose of steriods, when they would go down. I could reduce them with Tylenol in between steroid doses, but they never entirely went away. It was only when the colon came out that I stopped getting them. For me it was definitely indicative of severe inflammation, though I had surprisingly little pain with my UC.