Night sweats - worried about cancer

[Blueskip]

I have been experiencing night sweats for about a month. I had breast cancer earlier this year (which wasn't picked up on the original scan and only because I had to push the GP a LOT to get me seen again) so I am a bit paranoid about cancer. It hadn't spread and I didn't need chemo, but my faith in doctors is now very low!

I'm 42 and am on sertraline for anxiety and beta blockers for tachycardia. Other symptoms are tiredness, dry eyes and hair loss.

I'm wondering if this could be perimenopause but I had hormonal blood tests a few months ago that were normal. I'm going to get some blood tests done through the GP but in the meantime I'm worried about things like lymphoma and leukaemia and that my cancer has spread and they just didn't spot it (like the first time).

Just wondering if anyone can provide some reassurance before I convince myself I'm dying...

I can't answer about the sertraline.

But if they had found anomalies on the full blood count (a very routine test, which is usually done on day the lab receives it and which takes about 20 mins to run) then they lab wouid be straight on to haematology, who would review and call GP who would in turn call you. No waiting until Tuesday if there are signs of blood cancer, you're immediately out of the 'routine queue'

And to reassure you, the blood vial shortage may be out of the headlines, but is not yet resolved. For the GP to be taking blood tests, at a time when they are still being urged not, is a sign they attach importance to you and in getting to the bottom of your symptoms

DH did become quite sweaty on Sertraline especially at night.

I had horrendous night sweats when on sertraline - not every night but they came in clusters now and then for some reason. It’s a very common side effect.

Thanks for this. I wonder if the GP is aware of sertraline being linked with night sweats. He didn't raise peri as a possibility on the phone but perhaps he will when I see him in person tomorrow.

Are hormonal blood tests helpful for knowing if it's peri or not? I'm just wondering what the next step is if the blood tests come back OK.

Did they come and go or were they constant?

OK I've just been brave and looked up my blood test results in the GP app and they're all normal. Full blood count, renal profile, TSH and ferritin all normal.

I have an appointment with the GP tomorrow. Is there anything I should be asking? I've been fobbed off in the past but also don't want to go through the stress of invasive tests if I don't need any.

If the GP can find no abnormalities on examination, what next?

The only other symptoms other than night sweats I have are:

Hair loss
Dry eyes
Muscle fatigue
Tachycardia
Anxiety

So it could well just be ageing/anxiety/peri but how would I know for sure that it's not some kind of hidden cancer like before or something like colon cancer @NotPersephone?