Recurrent Fever

[anonymous]

I'm new to this forum, but I've come here because my husband (28) who has CF has been having a perplexing problem lately and was wondering if you could help me shed some light on it. He's always been very healthy...PFTs between 95%-100%. He spent a week in the hospital at the beginning of January after being admitted for a recurrent fever and high white blood cell count.

After a week in the hospital and two weeks of IV antibiotics at home, he has still been running a low-grade fever every day and has been having increased thicker mucus production, coughing up some big plugs. Do any of you consistently run fevers? His sputum cultures are only growing Pseudomonas. He's also been having what he describes as "sensations" like "heart flutters" in his chest, but an EKG was normal. We can't figure what's causing the fever. Help!!

 

[anonymous]

I'm new to this forum, but I've come here because my husband (28) who has CF has been having a perplexing problem lately and was wondering if you could help me shed some light on it. He's always been very healthy...PFTs between 95%-100%. He spent a week in the hospital at the beginning of January after being admitted for a recurrent fever and high white blood cell count.

After a week in the hospital and two weeks of IV antibiotics at home, he has still been running a low-grade fever every day and has been having increased thicker mucus production, coughing up some big plugs. Do any of you consistently run fevers? His sputum cultures are only growing Pseudomonas. He's also been having what he describes as "sensations" like "heart flutters" in his chest, but an EKG was normal. We can't figure what's causing the fever. Help!!

 

[Jane]

How are his sinuses? My son was admitted for IV meds for a sinus infection that wouldn't go away. He'll be on his 14th day of IV tomorrow and still has the post nasal drip cough and a low fever. Very strange.

 

[Jane]

How are his sinuses? My son was admitted for IV meds for a sinus infection that wouldn't go away. He'll be on his 14th day of IV tomorrow and still has the post nasal drip cough and a low fever. Very strange.

 

[anonymous]

High WBC count and fever sound like some form of infection to me. The body naturally creates a fever to fight infection, and when I'm sick my WBC cell is high too. Hope you can figure out what's going on. Maybe it's just a bag bug he's caught. Did you have his lungs cultured?

Christian

 

[anonymous]

High WBC count and fever sound like some form of infection to me. The body naturally creates a fever to fight infection, and when I'm sick my WBC cell is high too. Hope you can figure out what's going on. Maybe it's just a bag bug he's caught. Did you have his lungs cultured?

Christian

 

[anonymous]

PS_ I forgot to mention that when I start IV's I always have a fever for the first 2-3 days. I've always been that way. It's the sudden presence of IV antibiotics in the body, and the body kicks into fighting gear and causes a fever. If you start a newer antibiotic this could happen too.

Christian

 

[anonymous]

PS_ I forgot to mention that when I start IV's I always have a fever for the first 2-3 days. I've always been that way. It's the sudden presence of IV antibiotics in the body, and the body kicks into fighting gear and causes a fever. If you start a newer antibiotic this could happen too.

Christian

 

[anonymous]

He does have chronic sinusitis and is currently on Prednisone for his polyps, but the fever began long before he started the steroids. Around Christmas he began running a low grade fever daily. Then one night he woke up with shaking chills and high fever, so we went to the ER. After determining he had a high WBC count, they said he had an infection and admitted him. He was on Ceftaz (penicillin) and Cipro for three weeks total. While on the meds, he didn't run a fever and his WBC count was normal. They did blood and sputum cultures. The only thing in his lungs was Pseudo and the blood cultures were negative for a virus.

It's been about 2 weeks since he's been off the antibiotics, although he just started back on his oral Zithro daily. For the last week, he's begun running a daily low-grade fever again. His CF doc can't really seem to diagnose the source. He said most of his CF patients don't run a fever, and the ENT said the same thing about his CF patients with sinusitis.

What has been everyone else's experience with fever? Does anyone else ever experience flutters in their chest regularly?

 

[anonymous]

He does have chronic sinusitis and is currently on Prednisone for his polyps, but the fever began long before he started the steroids. Around Christmas he began running a low grade fever daily. Then one night he woke up with shaking chills and high fever, so we went to the ER. After determining he had a high WBC count, they said he had an infection and admitted him. He was on Ceftaz (penicillin) and Cipro for three weeks total. While on the meds, he didn't run a fever and his WBC count was normal. They did blood and sputum cultures. The only thing in his lungs was Pseudo and the blood cultures were negative for a virus.

It's been about 2 weeks since he's been off the antibiotics, although he just started back on his oral Zithro daily. For the last week, he's begun running a daily low-grade fever again. His CF doc can't really seem to diagnose the source. He said most of his CF patients don't run a fever, and the ENT said the same thing about his CF patients with sinusitis.

What has been everyone else's experience with fever? Does anyone else ever experience flutters in their chest regularly?

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i><br>We can't figure what's causing the fever. Help!!<hr></blockquote>

Could be the drugs. Could be just the exacerbation. I do get the fevers, constant ones, and they're tough to endure. They generally don't subside till after I've finished the IV course. I've also had episodes of tachycardia during these periods. Had to wear a heart gizmo for 24 hours, a holter, which revealed nothing abnormal. And the white count can get up there, especially if I'm on prednisone. All this stuff has resolved itself with time and I've been good as new, so try to be patient, control the fevers, and of course tell the doctor what's going on. It's tough, I know. I'm sure he feels wiped out.

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i><br>We can't figure what's causing the fever. Help!!<hr></blockquote>

Could be the drugs. Could be just the exacerbation. I do get the fevers, constant ones, and they're tough to endure. They generally don't subside till after I've finished the IV course. I've also had episodes of tachycardia during these periods. Had to wear a heart gizmo for 24 hours, a holter, which revealed nothing abnormal. And the white count can get up there, especially if I'm on prednisone. All this stuff has resolved itself with time and I've been good as new, so try to be patient, control the fevers, and of course tell the doctor what's going on. It's tough, I know. I'm sure he feels wiped out.

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i><br><blockquote>Quote
<hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i>
We can't figure what's causing the fever. Help!!<hr></blockquote>



till after I've finished the IV course.<hr></blockquote>

Sometimes several weeks after I've finished the course, in fact. Saw your last post and thought I should add that.

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i><br><blockquote>Quote
<hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i>
We can't figure what's causing the fever. Help!!<hr></blockquote>



till after I've finished the IV course.<hr></blockquote>

Sometimes several weeks after I've finished the course, in fact. Saw your last post and thought I should add that.

 

[DebbieC]

I agree, it could be the drugs OR the infection. When I was taking antibiotics fro TWO strands of mycrobacterium, I have fevers everyday like clockwork, along with debillitating joint aches. All I could do was take some low dose asprin or ibuprofen if I had to be functional. Otherwise I'd just shiver in the bed or bathtub for about two hours.

I'm sorry to say, but they most likley won't be able to give you an exact answer as to what's causing them. I hope you find ways to help allieviate his discomfort.

 

[DebbieC]

I agree, it could be the drugs OR the infection. When I was taking antibiotics fro TWO strands of mycrobacterium, I have fevers everyday like clockwork, along with debillitating joint aches. All I could do was take some low dose asprin or ibuprofen if I had to be functional. Otherwise I'd just shiver in the bed or bathtub for about two hours.

I'm sorry to say, but they most likley won't be able to give you an exact answer as to what's causing them. I hope you find ways to help allieviate his discomfort.

 

[Landy]

I don't have an explaination on the fevers except that I have a friend that has cepacia and gets recurrent fevers, but I'm assuming they checked for cepacia when they did his sputum culture?
My heart does a few different things. When I used to take nebulized albuterol my heart would beat irregularly, then I switched to Xopenex & it seems better. My heart still has it's moments, but it seems to be more stress related now.
Also, when I've been coughing a lot, I get what feels like muscle spasms just to the left of my breast bone and the reason I am assuming they are spasms instead of flutters is that it happens right after I've coughed and the fact that I get muscle spasms other places too for no apparent reason so I know what they feel like.
I sure hope that this is something your husband will get over soon. Keep us posted on if you find out anything.

 

[Landy]

I don't have an explaination on the fevers except that I have a friend that has cepacia and gets recurrent fevers, but I'm assuming they checked for cepacia when they did his sputum culture?
My heart does a few different things. When I used to take nebulized albuterol my heart would beat irregularly, then I switched to Xopenex & it seems better. My heart still has it's moments, but it seems to be more stress related now.
Also, when I've been coughing a lot, I get what feels like muscle spasms just to the left of my breast bone and the reason I am assuming they are spasms instead of flutters is that it happens right after I've coughed and the fact that I get muscle spasms other places too for no apparent reason so I know what they feel like.
I sure hope that this is something your husband will get over soon. Keep us posted on if you find out anything.

 

[anonymous]

Another thing to consider is checking for a mycobacterial infection. I have had this and did have recurrent fevers and night sweats. Mycobacterium is the family that includes TB, there are other strains of the bug that are not TB that we can pick up. They take a long time to grow out in culture (~4 + weeks) and are treated with different antibiotics than we usually take. It might be worth looking into. Good luck and I hope he feels better.

Kim
40 w/cf

 

[anonymous]

Another thing to consider is checking for a mycobacterial infection. I have had this and did have recurrent fevers and night sweats. Mycobacterium is the family that includes TB, there are other strains of the bug that are not TB that we can pick up. They take a long time to grow out in culture (~4 + weeks) and are treated with different antibiotics than we usually take. It might be worth looking into. Good luck and I hope he feels better.

Kim
40 w/cf