Mums with CFS/FMS - bbts

Hi ladies,

I'm new here and posted a Q on the TTC board too.
I'm after some advice or experiences with your temps and TTC with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia or even low thyroid not medicated.
I have CFIDS and possibly PCOS (only by u/s) and have low bbts while charting although my daytime temp is very normal to quite warm like 36.60-37.20.
My folli phase I sit around 35.90-36.10 and luteal 36.20-36.30 occasionally .40. Not sure if this is ovulatory or not, don't use OPKs and cycles are 19-23 days, O symps around CD8. I do get hot flushes and veiny, O pain and wet CM which makes me think I do O despite the dismal temps.

Has anyone got pg with these low temps? What was your pg temp or triphasic temp? I had an early m/c last year but I wasn't temping regularly. I think it was late 36s.

Any experiences or insight would be very much appreciated :)

It's the temperature shift which indicates ovulation, not the actual temperatures themselves, so your rise of about 0.3C would definitely indicate ovulation.

For what it's worth - I have a history of CFS and I do have PCOS, and also had quite low BBT when I was charting. Unlike you, my temperature stays quite low during the day - I can show all the signs and symptoms of a fever when ill, but still record a temperature at the upper end of normal, so I run cold all the time. I needed IVF to conceive as our combined fertility problems were just too much to overcome, but I was having acupuncture during all of this. She would often work to improve my BBT (apparently I have sluggish circulation - hands and feet are generally always cold)... we didn't get far, I'm apparently way too tough a case for TCM to fix completely, but she did have great success with others who have similar symptoms.

When it comes to pregnant temperature charts... I have a beautiful chart which shows an incredible dip when AF was due, but I was definitely pregnant. I have other charts which showed an incredible rise on the day AF was due, only for AF to start and my IVF clinic to confirm that I had suffered an early miscarriage. I'd given up temperature charting by the time I got to the cycle that gave me my son.

BW

Hi there

I am a CFS/FM sufferer and have been for about 6 years now. I did a bit of temp charting but found that my temps were really low that is scared me! like pre O it was like 35.8deg and after O it was about 36.4 which is still really low!

well i got BFP this month which is my 4th month of TTCing and had 7 weeks of Acupuncture and TCM! so i wouldnt worry too much about the temp thing...best thing u can do is put that horrid thermometer away and just use OPKs....i found the temp thing rather depressing and worried me more!

best of luck with it all!! :) :bluedust:

Thank you ladies! That makes me feel better. And congratulations on the BFP Jezabel!!!

I've had acupuncture in the past but can't afford it at the moment as I'm trying a pretty expensive nutritional system to rebuild my adrenals.
I have a suspicion our low BBTs aren't always to do with low thyroid function (which is common for CFS) but also the adrenal fatigue since it means lower blood sugar during the night. I eat pretty low carb to keep on top of candida (& the size of my rear! lol) and find that that can make you cold too.
Do you think it was the TCM that helped or the acupuncture? Or comb.? I'm currently on Vitex and a couple of other herbs, but I like the prescribing guidelines of TCM (tongue, pulse, temp etc). Vitex seems to really mess me around. I'm CD7 (AF for 1.5 days, so weird), and still covered in veins and got sore nipples on/off. Nope i shouldn't be pg as we did the withdrawal thing this month.

Yip the temping can be stressful, but now I've started I just can't help wanting to know how its going... is a sustained rise of just 0.1 considered a shift? I've might've read that somewhere but generally it's at least 0.2 right?

HI kiwichick,

I had CFS for two years, used TCM and acupuncture and pilates which helped to get it to a manageable level then decided to TTC and now have 18month old twins. Despite my CFS, I think I was otherwise very healthy so my advice to you (for what it is worth:)) is keep doing what makes you feel good, in mind and body, and then relax as much as possible. Hope this helps and good luck,

I might look into acupuncture again as a lot of people have success with it. How frequently did you have treatments?

Incidentally I definately O'd this cycle with a good rise to 36.5/36.6 and today a second shift today to 36.75 woohoo fingers x'd! Pre-O I averaged around 36.2 which is definately an improvement to what it was.
I heard on another thread systemic candida was causing a woman low temps. Interesting.

M

I had it once a week, was really effective for pain. But the remedial pilates (using machines) was excellent for improving my strength - highly recommend it.

I had CFS about 15 years ago and I found that since then I always have a low temp. But still used it to chart ovulation for the first bub and it worked. The second just came without much trying - but I pretty much knew when I was ovulating then.

But regarding those with CFS - if you are still suffering you might check out myotherapy, in particular, SLM (just google it) - it helped me the first time I was knocked out with CFS. After the second bub, I started to get the symptons again and have started SLM and using a couple of products, in particular vitagest and herbal fibreblend.

I am keen to find out how many mums are out there suffering from CFS and possibly get a support group going.