night sweats

fairy_lights

greenbee wrote: »

Sleep naked - apparently you can regulate your body temperature better this way. I've certainly found I have much less of a problem... And less waking up cold in the early hours too.

I've tried that, and woken up with the whole bed soaked in sweat. At least when I wear pyjamas, if I wake up sweaty I can just get changed in to fresh ones and go back to bed, but if the bedding itself gets sweat-soaked and needs changing it's a lot more hassle.


I've started to think there might be a connection between my diet and my night sweats, I usually eat dinner late or snack throughout the evening and am wondering if going to bed while I'm still digesting food might be contributing. On Saturday night I had a massive dinner, spaghetti and meatballs followed by sponge pudding so all very fatty and high in calories. That night I was sweating so badly I had to change pyjamas TWICE, it was not pleasant :eek:
So the last couple of nights I've eaten dinner earlier and not let myself snack within the two hours before bed, and although the night sweats haven't stopped they have been much, much better. I'm not sure if it's just coincidence or if my meal times do play a part, but I'm going to start making a note of what I eat and when and see if there's a pattern

greenbee

I'm assuming that everyone has made the obvious connection and eliminated alcohol as the cause...

jenniewb

greenbee wrote: »

I'm assuming that everyone has made the obvious connection and eliminated alcohol as the cause...

I have about one glass a week of alcohol- if that. It's normally red wine, normally if I'm offered and it will be on a Sunday. Night sweats can and do happen any night; last week it was most days, I hadn't had any alcohol last week. So IME, alcohol makes no difference to me.


Isn't so much related to menopause; I've been experiencing these for over 15 years now; I'm in my early 30s and they started in my late teens. I was a late starter with my periods (14), I'd say that's a very long menopause if it's more than quadruples the time I spent having normal periods!


It isn't for me linked to clothes either. Countless times I've had to wake covered in sweat, been able to change my bedding but not my night clothes so have gone back to a bed with changed sheets, in the nude, yet continued on to have another night sweat! I don't wear loads of clothes to bed either, normally an old cotton t-shirt and always have a window open. Often I am too cold to sleep and have (after an hour of trying, and failing to sleep) had to put on an extra blanket because I'm that cold. When I wake up from a night sweat, I'm never hot or too warm, I'm woken up by my shivering because I'm too cold. It's as if I've some how drempt up being in a fire or running the London Marathon and had the reactions of overheating despite the reality! (I am rarely able to remember my dreams but a recurring nightmare of being in a fire isn't of the dreams I have remembered!)


There seems no pattern to my eating later and my night sweats; but I do think there could be a link to my drinking (water) and having them; not every time but if I do drink slightly more water or sugar free squash I find I'm more likely to have a night sweat. Don't know if anyone else finds this?

cazs

greenbee wrote: »

I'm assuming that everyone has made the obvious connection and eliminated alcohol as the cause...

Each year I have Baileys on Xmas Eve. That's it..

cazs

Update as promised. Bloods normal as expected. Been referred to dermatologist. Now to wait for the appointment...

jenniewb

cazs wrote: »

Update as promised. Bloods normal as expected. Been referred to dermatologist. Now to wait for the appointment...

Did they test your hormones and was there any reason they didn't look into an endocrine referral?

cazs

jenniewb wrote: »

Did they test your hormones and was there any reason they didn't look into an endocrine referral?

As per my understanding they did that via the blood tests. She said one was a bit low but can't remember which. No real concern on the results as she predicted. I thought dermatologist would need to be the next step as sweat glands are in the skin.

I don't know. I'll have to see what happens...

jenniewb

cazs wrote: »

As per my understanding they did that via the blood tests. She said one was a bit low but can't remember which. No real concern on the results as she predicted. I thought dermatologist would need to be the next step as sweat glands are in the skin.

I don't know. I'll have to see what happens...

Ah ok! The reason I ask is that I spoke to my GP about 6 weeks ago to try to get some help with what I considered were hormonal issues (not just the night sweats but also migraines around my period and other things, most of which were quite new symptoms). My GP told me I would not be able to be tested for hormones because they couldn't be tested. I did think he had got that wrong and persisted but he just wouldn't offer to do anything. I gave up in the end.


I have got another appointment this next week and am hoping to see a different Doctor and get some help this time, but I'm not sure if I'm asking the wrong thing or even if it is possible to get answers.


Had another night sweat last night (in fact had two separately). Woke up with the front of my camisole so soaked I could wring it out! The back was totally dry. I really find that odd- why only parts of my body sweat and why I seem to find myself shivering and never ever find I am overheating. I never feel too hot and a lot of the time can't sleep because I am shivering because I'm too scared to make myself feel warm enough to sleep in case I am in any way causing another night sweat. I really wish I could stop these but it's been over a decade now and they are not going anywhere

cazs

jenniewb wrote: »

Ah ok! The reason I ask is that I spoke to my GP about 6 weeks ago to try to get some help with what I considered were hormonal issues (not just the night sweats but also migraines around my period and other things, most of which were quite new symptoms). My GP told me I would not be able to be tested for hormones because they couldn't be tested. I did think he had got that wrong and persisted but he just wouldn't offer to do anything. I gave up in the end.


I have got another appointment this next week and am hoping to see a different Doctor and get some help this time, but I'm not sure if I'm asking the wrong thing or even if it is possible to get answers.


Had another night sweat last night (in fact had two separately). Woke up with the front of my camisole so soaked I could wring it out! The back was totally dry. I really find that odd- why only parts of my body sweat and why I seem to find myself shivering and never ever find I am overheating. I never feel too hot and a lot of the time can't sleep because I am shivering because I'm too scared to make myself feel warm enough to sleep in case I am in any way causing another night sweat. I really wish I could stop these but it's been over a decade now and they are not going anywhere

Yep, been there, done that so to speak. It happens to me in the same way as it does in the gym, on the front, a bit on the back and at the roots of my hair. It breaks your sleep as well so you can never get a good night's sleep.
I'm looking forward to my first visit to the derm, just waiting for letter with appt date, maybe I'll learn something from that that can help you too.
The only thing that I can possibly think of that could be in any way connected is that some months before this whole thing started, I started going to the gym and I sometimes wonder if my exercise routine could be in any way responsible for this but that doesn't make much sense but I can't think of any other particular changes that could trigger this.

cazs

cazs wrote: »

As per my understanding they did that via the blood tests. She said one was a bit low but can't remember which. No real concern on the results as she predicted. I thought dermatologist would need to be the next step as sweat glands are in the skin.

I don't know. I'll have to see what happens...

Jenniewb - you must be psychic. I did have a derm appointment booked for early Jan but although they made the booking the team told my GP that I'd be better off being seen by the endocrinology department so GP cancelled the derm appointment and I'm now going to see an endo in a few days. Exciting times ;-)