What could low body temperature be a sign of?

Question

My bofriend had a low body temperature, around 96 degrees, and was generally incoherent and agitated for hours last night, and thus is exhausted today. Should I be worried? What should I cross-check symptoms for? He's at a high diabetes risk but I don't think it's that...

I and his roommates have been fighting a lot latele, and he and I have been fighting about it, so he's been really stressed and never talkes about his feelings. The incoherancy came on really suddanly, when he got into his parking lot, but I figured he was tired from driving around all day, it was late... his temperate as of half an hour ago was back up to 98.1, and he seems ok, but it scared me a lot. We're both broke students ,and the health center has no idea what they're doing last I went in, so I wanted to rule out some things on my own

My body temp is usually in the high 97s too, but his runs higher than mine normally, in the 98 range, and so for him to be at 96 scared me a lot. As for the incoherancy, it was mostly... he could come up with a subject or a predicate but not both, or a subject and a verb but no direct object.. "I have to.." but not able to tel me what he had to do, or "they'll start fighting" but unable to tell me who.

I think when I took it, which it was on the rise, it was 96.7

I suspect highly it had been several tenths o fa degree lower because as it rose he got more coherent, and he had been less coherent, so I only found the thermometer as he was starting to come out of it.

We're college kids- we're ALWAYS fatigued. And he's obese, and he's been trying to lose weight, and been unable for some time

I'm trying to get him to make an appointment at the health center now, so I'll be using these ideas as for what to ask them to check on

Answer 1

Well it's possible that his glucose dipped triggering a hypoglycemic episode. It's really hard to say since I wasn't there. You say his temp was "around" 96.0. Any way you can be exact? In any case, this does need to be evaluated. If the campus health clinic can't handle it, can his parents be of insurance or financial help so that he may be seen by a physician?

Thanks for the added information. If his obesity is of long-standing then I'm not convinced that it's a thyroid issue.

FYI: His agitated behavior does not indicate hypothyroidism as one person suggested. There would symptoms such as unexplained fatigue and recent weight gain. His agitation explains the fatigue.

Answer 2

I had a low body tempperature of 95 for two years. I think it was from not eating properly. They ran test for thyroid and everything was normal. I do have a pretty slow heartbeat though. The only thing they did find was that I was low in iron. Cause unknown. No ulcer. I ate better and my body temperature came up to 96.5. I can never get it above that even when I feel hot and fluish or when I worked in a steel foundry with 3000 degree heat. Some people have low body temps maybe? BTW Mine was low from losing weight. I lost 70 pounds (too much dieting)

Answer 3

You need to have a MD check him for hypothyroid: full panel, not just TSH (T4, T3, Reverse T3, and TSH); hypoadrenal: pregnenolone, costisol, and DHEA; and the autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto's and Addison's respectively) that are often BUT not always associated with these conditions (I am one of the rare cases of both conditions with neither autoimmune disease associated). He may have a deficiency in one OR both, don't let the doctor check one without the other, the low body temperature is the key symptom that indicates it could be both, not just one or the other. In his case there may also be another endocrine issue like diabetes (see answer from TweetyBird), a MD can check for all other these.

Answer 4

96.2 is an average temperature...its not always 98.6 the only time you need to worry about low temperature is when it gets below 92 low body temperature is definitly a bad sign

Answer 5

He should see his doctor asap- the low body temp is not alarming but the incoherency is a serious concern. The low body temp and the tiredness are signs of a low thyroid or hypothyroidism. Get him a checkup and good luck

Answer 6

I have learned that if you have a low body temperature there could be problems with your thyroid. he should really go and get checked by the doctor. it would be to his benefit.

Answer 7

Mine runs normal at 97 .2 Thin Blood could be it.

Answer 8

have you seen a doctor yet?

Answer 9

marlene is right