Rigors or shaking chills during intravenous (IV) fluid therapy are common. IV fluids are normally stored at room temperature, about 72 degrees. This is much colder than your body temperature, about 98.6 degrees.

If the IV fluids run at a fast rate, this will rapidly chill your body. In response, you get rigors. The shivering is your body’s way of trying to warm itself.

IV fluids can be warmed if they just have salt water and electrolytes in them. But if they have other ingredients, such as an antibiotic, warming the fluid might not be appropriate.

If you are administering your own IV fluids, check with your doctor or nurse first. Consider warming each bag of fluid with a heating pad on a low setting. Be sure it doesn’t get too hot.

Don’t use a microwave oven. You are more likely to overheat the fluid.