chronic fever and recurrence

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asmd
asmd Member Posts: 178
edited November 2015 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Hi, all. Haven't posted in several years but wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I've had a daily recurrent fever for a year, goes up in the morning, back down, then up all afternoon. Between 99.5-100.3. I don't feel sick

Recently have had recurrent herpes which is scary because I've had it since college- with maybe 1-2 outbreaks/yr. The last time I had monthly recurrences, I was diagnosed w bc. Now it's happening again, along w oral thrush (just corners of my mouth) Some fatigue, lots of musculoskeletal pain, esp at night. But- all labs normal, pet/ct-normal, brain mri normal. No signs of infection or rheumatologic disease.

The only finding was small area of ground glass opacity/nodule r lung base in dec, f/u after 2 wks antibiotics-and there were small ( 3mm nodules) left lung base, nothing on r side. Repeated again in june and radiologist reported 1, 4 mm nodule (indeterminate) in l lung base.

My im scheduled another chest ct this wk- he thinks the pattern of shifting lung opacities w/out sx makes lungs the issue. I think someone should have noticed the nodule grew 1 mm in 4 mos.

My oncologist had a slip of the tongue and said I had no marrow, instead of I had no (physical) findings. He acts concerned.

I have this foreboding feeling I'm having a recurrence, or maybe a primary lung cancer, but then I've had a similar certainty at least a half a dozen times in the past- and I was always fine. Sometimes I feel like maybe I'm a hypochrondriac, I'm fine, the thermometer is off (except I've had the fever in doctors offices too)

Sorry for the long post, just trying to make sense of this.


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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited October 2015

    HI Asmd, I'm sorry you are going through this and struggling. On the positive side the doctors are taking your symptoms seriously and have done proper testing. Did you also have clear blood work? You stated labs, but I wasn't certain that was CT labs or blood work labs.

    Hoping you're doing better and your doctors get to the bottom of this. You could always seek a second opinion on the lungs from a pulmonologist. That may be a good idea. Let us know how you get on.

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  • asmd
    asmd Member Posts: 178
    edited October 2015

    Hi,

    Yes, all blood work completely normal.

    I saw a pulmonologist who didn't think the scans were worrisome ( this was before the third scan where the nodule grew) I get re-scanned tomorrow, and if it's grown more (from what I've read, growth from 3 to 4 mm means the volume of the nodule has increased by 30% in 5 mos, which is worrisome) it will probably be considered highly suspicious/ potentially malignant. What's been frustrating is I know my body, I can tell something is wrong, but I don't feel or look sick.

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited October 2015

    asmd, it sounds like something is wacky with your immune system. Your doc's slip of the tongue may not be so far off. Everything you describe (thrush, herpes, weird bone pain) seems like an immune system (or bone marrow?) that isn't working quite right. NOT cancer.

    Even the lung nodules could be a symptom of an immune system weirdness. A friend with autoimmune disease kept having lung nodules that would come and go. She definitely doesn't have cancer.

    So while I'm not a doc, and it sounds like yours are taking you seriously, it seems to me that you shouldn't be worrying about a cancer recurrence.

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  • Katarina
    Katarina Member Posts: 386
    edited November 2015

    Hi Asmd,

    So sorry to hear you are suffering.

    I had those same symptoms. I felt like I had the flu all the time with the sudden onset of fever. I had to stop my AI's. The symptoms went away too. I suspect an immune system reaction to the AI's. I feel much better today. Can your docs test you for infectious diseases? Epstein Barr virus (herpes) has been linked to BC and some of the symptoms you described.

    So glad your doctors are taking everything seriously. Prayers for you


    Hugs,

    Kat

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  • asmd
    asmd Member Posts: 178
    edited November 2015

    Hi,

    Thanks for your support. The chest ct was unchanged. I have been tested for multiple infectious diseases, some I've never heard of. All my blood tests have been completely normal. Testing for rheumatologic diseases, autoimmune diseases all negative. The reason I worry about recurrence. or a new primary, is that w fever of unknown origin, the causes are three: infectious, autoimmune, and neoplastic. No evidence for infection or autoimmune disease. Plus I dreamt I had a recurrence, and the first time I had cancer (endometrial) I had no symptoms but a series of dreams about cancer.

    Mostly, I'm trying to get my head around the idea that the fever and pain may remain undiagnosed, may be a harbinger of more cancer, or maybe I'm crazy, but I've got to learn to live w it. You guys stay well, and thanks for your kind words.

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  • Alicethecat
    Alicethecat Member Posts: 535
    edited November 2015

    Hi Asmd

    Sorry you're going through this.

    I have ground glass opacities in my lungs,which showed up on a lung scan as an incidental finding. Turns out it is sarcoidosis. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sarcoidosis/Pages/Int...

    Not cancer!

    Good luck

    Alice



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