I've been having them for years, at least ten years but they are getting so bad lately that I'm worried I'll have to take time off work because I'm exhausted.
I'm early 30's very fit and well, no children (my boyfriend's daughter is 10), I don't smoke or take any meds other than depo (been having this for 1 year and it's made no difference).
Essentially, I take about an hour to get off to sleep at my estimate. I live in London and can hear several clocks bonging outside so that's how I work that out! About an hour later I will wake absolutely drenched in sweat, it runs off me and makes it look like I've wet the bed. My hair is soaked and there are literally rivers running off my body.
The thing is, I'm not hot I'm actually cold so I will need to get up and wrap a sheet around me to keep the bedsheets off my skin and try to warm up- when it's really bad I might sleep on the floor on a spare duvet but these sweats go on all night so I just keep turning the duvet round or over to get a dry spot.
If I could sleep through them, they wouldn't actually bother me but I can't unless I've been drinking. I drink possibly a bottle of wine and maybe 3-4 G&T's over the space of a weekend which I know is over the recommended limit but not by much... I sleep better on weekends though...
I did dry January and it made no difference so I don't think it's alcohol related, I don't drink during the week and still get them. I get them in any bed (hotel, parent's house boyfriend's house etc).
I'm just exhausted but I don't want to go to bed because it's so fucking grim.
I've also got vulvar eczema (I'm a total princess) which itches like a motherfucker when I'm sweating.
I've had blood tests for hormones, white cells and so on, also chest x ray for TB (as I've got a bit of a cough). Oddly, I had a dream that they linked it to palpitations (which I get occasionally) and I was so excited when I woke up that I googled it and nada.
Form an orderly queue to help me!!
Sorry for length of post, I just wanted to get it all out.
MrsM