In elderly, low body temp not necessarily a problem

I am an 85-year-old female with an often low body temperature. I feel very warm, as if I have a fever, but when I take my temperature it can be as low as 95 or 96. This has happened several times.

I’ve heard that a low temperature is just the same as a high fever. I take numerous medications, including for my thyroid, which my doctor has had trouble regulating. What do you think? Could this be related?

Normal body temperature varies, both during the day (morning temperatures are lowest), among people (normal values in young adults range from 96 degrees to 100.8 degrees, and across ages, with older people tending to have lower body temperatures by 0.4 F.

However, certain medical conditions can cause the temperature to be abnormally low. Low thyroid blood levels certainly can make temperatures lower, as can other endocrine abnormalities (especially diabetes, pituitary gland problems and adrenal insufficiency). Some people with chronic kidney disease have low temperatures. Some medications can affect body temperature; the most common are anti-psychotic medicines, and barbiturates.

There are very worrisome causes of low body temperature. Sepsis, a state of abnormal body equilibrium related to serious infection, can present with either fever or low body temperature, which probably is where you got the idea that low temperature is as bad as a fever.

Hopefully your doctor will get your thyroid regulated, but if your kidney function is OK, and you are feeling fine, it’s much more likely that this body temperature is normal for you rather than being a sign of a serious condition.

Does stomach acid kill the live cultures in yogurt and kefir before they can enter the gut? Would drinking kefir immediately after waking in the morning, when stomach acid is nil, and following it with water work? Are probiotic capsules effective? What is your opinion on the value of yogurt and kefir?

Stomach acid does kill the majority of the healthy live bacteria found in some yogurts and kefirs (kefir is a fermented milk drink). However, there are a lot of bacteria (hundreds of millions in a cup of yogurt), and some make it through the stomach.

Stomach acid is highest during fasting times, so the stomach is very acidic first thing in the morning. However, food dilutes the stomach acid quickly. From the standpoint of chemistry and physiology, I’d probably recommend something such as toast with plenty of fluid, followed by the source of healthy bacteria.

There is no question that a healthy gut flora is essential to digestive health. However, it’s not yet proven that probiotics are of value to healthy people. In people with irritable bowel syndrome, and some with inflammatory bowel disease with symptoms, probiotics may be of value. I don’t recommend them for healthy people with no symptoms.

— D.C. Answer: — R.L.