What physical conditions other than obesity or thyroid problems cause
a person to be excessively warm nearly all the time?  The person feels
"hot" and breaks a sweat when the surrounding temperature is over 65
degrees.  This condition has occurred since the person was college
age, and was a problem before the person gained extra weight.  Her
body temperature remains normal even when she feels very hot.  Her
bloodwork shows no thyroid problems, which was her physician's first
guess.  Are there other lesser-known physical conditions that might
cause overheating, and if so, how are they diagnosed and treated?

Hi there!

It sounds like she can probably rule out pregnancy as the source of
the problem, since she's had it so long:

[ http://www.healthsquare.com/fgwh/wh1ch25.htm ]

Alternative Health Magazine and the Health Advisory Service, among
others, list excessive body heat as a possible sign of liver disorder:

http://www.alternativehealthmagazine.com/archives/issue1/The%20Importance%20of%20Liver.htm

[ http://www.whas.com.au/liverq.shtml ]

[ http://crowndiamond.net/liver_quiz.htm ]

Such conditions are typically diagnosed via blood testing.  Since
she's already been tested for thyroid problems via bloodwork, it's
likely that liver disorders aren't the problem either.  Those would
have shown up in her bloodwork.

The most likely cause is that she's just not drinking enough water. 
Even slight dehydration can cause feelings of excessive body
heat/warmth long before feelings of thirst are evident.

In any case, have her talk to her doctor about the possibility of
liver disorders, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!

missy-ga


Google search links:
[ ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22excessive+body+warmth%22 ]
[ ://www.google.com/search?q=%22excessive+body+heat%22&hl=en&start=0&sa=N
]

Hello.  Excessive body warmth is called hyperthermia or pyrexia. 
According to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003090.htm
causes may include:
--    viral and bacterial infections
--    colds or flu-like illnesses
--    sore throats and strep throat 
--    earaches (otitis media)
--    viral gastroenteritis or bacterial gastroenteritis 
--    acute bronchitis
--    infectious mononucleosis 
--    urinary tract infections 
--    upper respiratory infections such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis or
laryngitis
--    dehydration 
--    medications such as antibiotics, antihistamines, barbiturates,
and drugs for high blood pressure
--    occasionally, more serious problems like pneumonia,
appendicitis, tuberculosis (TB), and meningitis
--    collagen vascular disease, rheumatoid diseases, and autoimmune
disorders
--    juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
--    Lupus erythematosus
--    Periarteritis nodosa 
--    AIDS and acute HIV infection
--    inflammatory bowel disease
--    regional enteritis
--    ulcerative colitis 
--    Malignant disorders (cancerous) 
--    Leukemia
--    Neuroblastoma 
--    Hodgkin's disease 
--    Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Other causes may be spinal cord injury (see
http://calder.med.miami.edu/pointis/hype.html ) or elevated potassium
levels (see http://www.uni-ulm.de/uni/fak/medizin/applphysiol/MH/MHIROSHI.htm
).

I hope none of these apply!
Best wishes,
foodie212-ga

Another cause of increased body temperature for women only is the
onset of menopause or an alteration in hormones.  I don't know how old
you are but if you are over 35 this could be a cause- and increased
body temperature (or the sensation of it) with subsequent perspiration
is a normal response to the hormonal changes women go through during
menopause.  Typically, "hot flashes" last only a short time, but
changes in hormones should not be ruled out.  Also, many women
experience what is termed "pre-menopausal" symptoms, which occurs 1-2
years before menopause actually starts.  So you could continue to
experience menstrual cycles as well as hot flashes for some time. 
Have your doctor check your hormone levels- and birth control
(estrogen replacement therapy) might help.  Make sure you check with
your doctor to see if ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) would be
right for you.
www.menopause.org
www.menopause-online.com