Flue/cold with low temperature

[Wiesel]

I've been fighting congestion, heavy cough and head ache for 10 days with benylin and vick's day/nightquil; however I noticed my temperature has been 95.5 to 96.5 .  Is there a reason for concern?  I am usually a healthy 72 yr old!

[Barb135]

Low body temps are often a symptom of hypothyroidism, which is an under active thyroid.  The thyroid is a small gland in the front part of your neck that resembles a butterfly and produces hormones that are used by every cell in the body.  

With hypothyroidism, the thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones.

The thyroid controls metabolism, body temperature, heart rate and other bodily functions.

[Wiesel]

Thanks for your input.  I've never heard of hypothyroidism before.  I'm just a "healthy" diabetic on Metformin trying to fight off a cold/flue for over 10 days and wondered if a temp of 95.5 which I've never had before was anything to be concerned about.  Of course if was over 100 I would go to emerg and really get sick.  

[ahmee]

If you suspect low body temps as symptom of hypothyroidism, it is best to wait until you are healthy, then take your basal body temperature first thing in the morning (before getting up out of bed or doing anything else) every day for a month with a basal body thermometer. If you temps are consistently below 97 F you may be hypothyroid. Better yet, you can just ask for the usual thyroid tests as part of routine blood work at your next checkup: Free T3 (not Total T3), Free T4 (not Total T4), TSH.

Before you got this cold/flu, were you experiencing any symptoms of hypothyroidism?