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Brandon Chavez31 said:I haven't seen the internist yet; I just got my referral, so I'm heading there later this week. I don't think our local hospital even has an immunologist on staff. They checked my CDC levels four weeks ago, and everything was fine. My primary care doctor mentioned they’d rather leave the whole fever situation to the specialists at the hospital to "deal with." I've been reading up on autoimmune diseases, but I'm still struggling to wrap my head around how they actually work. I know they often follow other illnesses, but why do they happen, and can they actually be resolved? Thanks for the help. I'll update everyone once I have the results from the internist.
The internist claims it has nothing to do with them and told me to go back to the infectious disease specialist—even though I have a signed note from the infectious disease specialist stating it isn't their issue either. I'll take your advice and request a referral for an immunologist; there are two specialists practicing over in Chicago.
quietbison7 said:It seems most people here are focusing on ruling out inflammation, but if you ask me, you should see an immunologist. Regarding your labs, I don't see anyone mentioning the CDC levels; an internist really should have checked that if they haven't already. You need immunological testing for specific antibodies, because that fever of yours could be autoimmune rather than just inflammatory (meaning bacteria or other infectious agents).
I haven't seen the internist yet—I just got my referral, so I'm heading in this week. As far as I know, we don't have an immunologist at our local hospital. They did check my CDC levels four weeks ago, and everything was normal. My primary care physician decided to leave the "handling" of this fever to the specialists at the hospital. I’ve done some reading on autoimmune diseases, but I don't quite grasp the full picture. I know they often precede other illnesses, but why do they actually develop, and can they be resolved? Thanks for the input. I'll update everyone once I get the results from the internist.
Hello there.
I am looking for some guidance...
Since the start of the year, I have been dealing with a persistent low-grade fever hovering between 98.6°F and 99.5°F. Initially, I had flu-like symptoms, and my doctor just told me to ride it out. While the other symptoms eventually cleared up, the fever wouldn't budge. About ten days later, I went back to my primary care physician. In the meantime, I had lost 9 kg (about 20 lbs) and felt incredibly weak. They ran a CBC, which came back normal, but my urinalysis showed slightly elevated white blood cell counts, so they prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic, suspecting "some kind of inflammation." While taking that antibiotic, I developed an oral yeast infection and thrush, requiring both topical gels and oral tablets. That cleared up, but the fever remained. Following this, I was referred to an infectious disease specialist to rule out mononucleosis. My appetite slowly started returning, and I managed to gain back about 3 kg (around 6.5 lbs). The specialist noted that I didn't show any obvious clinical symptoms and advised me to wait another week while keeping a temperature log. He ordered another CBC and a urine test. My white blood cell count had risen to 12, though the urine results were fine. He then prescribed Zithromax—a different antibiotic—despite no blood or urine cultures being performed. During the course of the Zithromax, I dealt with diarrhea, the fever persisted, and I began experiencing occasional bouts of sweating, malaise, and mood swings. After that week, I returned to the infectious disease specialist. This time, my white blood cell count had dropped back into the normal range, and they didn't even bother with a urinalysis. I was sent for a chest X-ray, which was clear, and told to wait another 3 to 4 weeks. If the fever persists, I was instructed to see an internist. Now, three weeks later, the fever is still there. My GP is now questioning if it might be hyperthyroidism because they are running out of ideas. I just received my thyroid panel results, and everything looks perfectly normal. I am at a total loss. This fever has lasted two months now, and I feel like nobody is taking this seriously. I would appreciate any advice...