Oposite of a Fever

A broken thermometer. My oldest usually runs 97 degrees but 98.6 - 7 degrees is called he fell in cold river.

Hypothermia...

It has several causes (although the most common is exposure to cold). When the body's homeostasis gets thrown out of whack (like a salt/sugar imbalance following exertion or illness, exposure to allergens, toxins, or radiation, or structural issues like heart or other organ failure, shock, drug or alcohol use, etc.) it can drop its core temp uncontrollably, just as it can raise its core temp uncontrollably.

Certain illnesses (a variant of H1N1, for example that hit my neighborhood) will also cause the body to respond with hypothermia instead of hyperthermia (fever).

Hypothermia needs medical care. If you suspect hypothermia, the person needs to be seen by a doctor.

When I was a new mom and my son was maybe a year old, I was still using a rectal thermometer for him. One day, I noticed that his temp was extremely low and when I looked it up, I found that it was, in fact, hypothermic! Well, I panicked a bit (was it a circulation issue? some strange illness?) and took him to the doctor who very patiently told me that if his temp were actually that low, there would DEFINITELY be some kind of outward physical symptom of hypothermia. They told me that a rectal temp is accurate, yes, but no way was his core temperature that low if the rest of his body felt warm and comfortable.

Well, it took me a while, but I finally realized I was using a newborn rectal thermometer that had the little barrier to protect the baby from too deep of insertion. Well, my boy was certainly no newborn and I just wasn't accomodating his growing body by putting it in far enough. Suffice to say, we switched to an ear thermometer (which you ALSO need to shove in pretty deep, lol) and everything was fine. I feel pretty silly looking back on it, but hey....I just REALLY loved my boy, lol.

there are several causes
- exposure to extreme cold
- low blood sugar
- low blood flow
- lack of movement (sitting in one place too long)
- dehydration

hypothermia. my mom had this when she was septic. it is very very bad. her temp was 95 she felt cold to the touch.. and she almost died.

the dr said most folks with her temp and condition do not survive.

When I am really sick and take my temperature because I think I have a fever I actually see that my temp is 96.x degrees. Not as low as what you are stating but it happens to me too.

My normal is a couple degrees lower than the typical 98.6....I think 96.1 was my average when I was taking BBT for fertility charting before our first baby. It can be caused by an underactive thyroid. You should definitely bring it up to your Dr. and have him/her check you out for thyroid and other issues.

My normal body temp is 97.3 - 97.8.

I took my temp every day several times per day trying to understand temps and getting pregnant. So I have an extremely good basis for a base line on my body temp.

Years ago my doc said I had Wilson's Syndrome, which is basically a low body temp that effects a lot of systems throughout the body. If the body is not warm enough the catalysts and enzymes don't work right, their environment is detrimental to their function. If they're too cool they can't heat up and do their process.

So having a body temp that is a few points below normal is a serious thing and it does effect a lot of the body's abilities to fight off disease, burn off fat, have a good use of what the thyroid is putting out, and more.

The medical community pretty much made fun of this doc and the syndrome wasn't widely accepted. BUT many people swore they were happier and felt better if the were treated for Wilson's syndrome.

Here's a link:

http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/

http://www.ehow.com/about_###-###-####_wilsons-syndrome.html

My daughter has cardiac issues...so her low core/body temperature is due to poor circulation. Her baseline temp is usually 96.8 to 97.3. When she gets to 98.6 to 99...we are on our way to a fever.

I have informed the school nurse what her baseline temp is...and if she acts 'droopy' to take her temp and call if it is in the high range.

Low baseline body/core temp is what I call it for her.

I don't know, but this happens to me when I am really, really sick. Many doctors will tell you it doesn't happen, but sheesh, I can take my temp and my husband has confirmed it.
I suggest trying to warm up the person with hot bath, tea, blankets and if they stay cold, call the doctor.