Night sweats - causes?

[HappyGoLuckyLuLu]

I've been experiencing really horrible night sweats. I saw the dr to check if I am peri-menopausal (I am 43), but there was no signs of that. Any other ideas what might cause them &/or tips to try and help? Last night I had to change PJs twice in the night & the third pair was also drenched by morning. It's not happening all the time but when it does it is pretty awful & killing my sleep. Would appreciate any suggestions.

Could be start of peri menopause If there’s other symptoms, anxiety, sleeplessness, aches and pains, forgetfulness etc. Worth a look at peri symptoms just to check.

I found a wool duvet helped enormously.

Thanks, dr said it wasn't that, but hard to know for sure as I have a coil and don't have normal periods.

Will maybe try with different bedding, thanks

Do you have any other symptoms? Night sweat were a bitch for me in peri and I also had some other symptoms so got referred for scans etc as night sweats can be a marker for some nasties.

All was fine, well it wasn't as as bad as it could of been. It's a flag to get checked out though so push for it.

I was really stressed with work but I left that job and am not particularly stressed at the moment. Do get migraines sometime but mostly those are better at the moment too. Just these sweats. I'll go back to the dr if they continue

Did you get a blood test. It could be menopausal. Do you take any tablets that might cause sweats. Is the bedroom cool and well ventilated. Sweats are so uncomfortable.

Any coughing or chest problems? I had TB a few years ago and night sweats were one of the first symptoms. And before you say you've had the jab - so had I.

I did have a blood test but nothing showed up. GP said it doesn't always though so can't completely rule out peri. I could ask to have more bloods taken I guess.

Our house is cool and breezy (classic old uk house) but I do have the winter duvet on already, so that may make it worse when it's a warmer night. But it's odd how I'm fine and then have several nights in a row where I must lose literally pints of sweat through the night

No coughing or chest problems thankfully (glad you're ok!!!)

Have you upped your exercise by any chance?
I started getting night sweats most nights and the only thing I could put it down to was starting a quite intense (for me) routine at the gym.

The endo said it could not be that.

However, when I lowered the intensity I was working at on the cardio machines the night sweats stopped.

Make of that what you will...

Anti depressants ? They make me sweat at night really badly.

Are you on any meds at the mo? I used to get night sweats when I took trazodone.

Not on any meds at all. I have been running a bit lately, which I go through phases of, hadn't thought of that, will see if it correlates at all

Did the doctor order any blood tests, in partic a full blood count?

Anxiety makes me sweat.

Also caffeine. Took me ages to suss out the caffeine link but I appear to be incredibly caffeine sensitive so just upping by a couple of cups of tea a day had that effect.

I do get sweaty the day or two before period and always have so maybe if you are on the cusp of peri it may not take much?

I'm really careful with caffeine and don't drink it after about 12, so I don't think that's it.

Honestly not sure what blood tests but he was testing for signs of menopause. If I go back I'll ask for more details. Anything I should ask for in particular?

Mine were diabetes, not peri menopause.

Might be an idea to get a blood testing kit, they're cheap enough and next time you wake up like this, test your blood sugar levels.

I thought TB

Look, your doctor's wrong. Tbh most GPs haven't got a clue about the actual menopause let alone peri-menopause.

The blood tests are crap. They should be treating the symptoms not the one-off results of uncalibrated arbitrary blood tests at arbitrary ages.

I would strongly suggest you might need a little bit of extra oestrogen. In he meantime, take multi-vits and minerals and please protect your bone strength.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Will monitor & sort another GP appt to push a bit harder.

Meantime multi-vits & extra Vit D for me

Have you had your Thyroid levels checked? I had frequent night sweats when I had an overactive thyroid.

Agree you need a full blood count - especially if you are also experiencing unusual fatigue, joint/bone pain, breathlessness, find infections take longer to shift, or are bleeding more easily (gums or bruising)

@AutumnCrow

Exactly. The peri menopause causes symptoms because of fluctuations in hormones - thus rendering a blood test for a specific yes/no hormone levels utterly useless.

OP - on what basis did GP say no to peri-menopause? It’s a little early but by no means unthinkable, and can go on 10 years. Mine started at age 41, I’m 52 now and 6 months no period, hoping that’s the end of them. I found HRT fab.

I have had night sweats over the last 18 months but they seem to have tailed off over the last few months. I think I'm actually through peri and into full menopause. I'm on depo so like yourself some symptoms are masked.

Do you sleep alone or with a partner? I found the best resolves for me were:
*Go down to the thinnest duvet possible, or maybe just 2 duvet covers/sheets
*Keep a window open in the bedroom
*Memory foam mattresses/toppers are the WORST for making you sweat, get rid if you can
*My sweats seem to start where my skin touches my skin (e.g. when my legs are together) so wearing light PJs has helped a bit
*I bought a tower fan last year in Wickes for £30 which has been an absolute godsend - it has a timer function. I can't see it on their website right now sorry :(
*Cutting out sugar from my diet has helped enormously. I've always tried to use sweetener etc but I am now more aware of the sugar levels in things we think of as healthy such as fruit juice, wine, beer.

Hope you can resolve it, it's bloody horrible.

My bet is on peri-menopause, and your gp, like most, is useless when it comes to peri-menopause.

www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/113666670/perimenopause-lead-up-to-menopause-very-uncomfortable-and-poorly-understood

You need blood tests to rule out other possible causes.

Perimenopause is what's left when they have been ruled out, and is likeliest. In which case you need to find a GP who is competent at managing symptoms and protecting longterm health. HRT is far more important for younger women.

I found, somewhat to my annoyance, that made my hot flushes worse.