Gross night sweats

[cheeseycharlie]

ok I'm posting in this topic because I gather night sweats are entirely hormonal and normal part of pre-menopause. I'm still in my 30s.

It used to occur only in the week leading up to and during my period, but for the last 2 months it has been every night, completely drenching myself and the bed. Waking more than once in the night to change t shirt and move everything around so that I can sleep on and under something dry.

Has anyone found any natural remedies or lifestyle changes that reduced their night sweats? I haven't found an obvious link to days when I drink no/more/less caffeine or alcohol personally. Is there a herbal tea or supplement that helps?

thanks girls :o)

The first thing to do is find out what's causing these sweats. If may be hormones or it may be something else. Please see your GP and ask for hormone tests, at the right time of your cycle, to determine what's going on.
The blood tests need to be done on days 2-5 and repeated twice to be accurate.

The average age in the UK for menopause is 52. You are almost 2 decades younger so your treatment has to be serious stuff, not herbal teas.

If it is premature menopause then you need to see a consultant to discuss treatment. Forget herbs etc- you need the hard stuff- HRT because women with a premature meno are at a very high increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and Parkinsons disease in later life.

Have a read of the Daisy Network site for info.

If you don't do it already try some very strenuous exercise - really make yourself sweat. Last year I was miserable waking in the night drenched in sweat (i'm 49) and I'd read that intense exercise for 45 minutes, 4x per week can help you regulate your body temperature to alleviate the hot flashes and night sweats. I was desperate (I'd tried all sorts of herbal remedies and they were garbage) so I started training for a half marathon, figuring I had nothing to lose but maybe some weight. It's been such a godsend for me. It isn't a silver bullet but the frequency and intensity of the episodes has decreased really dramatically. I know it's the exercise and not a coincidence as the symptoms always come back when I'm off running due to holidays or injury, and leave again once I get back into running. I'm not on HRT - I'm trying to keep that as a last resort if the symptoms get worse, or if for some reason I can't run or exercise anymore - and my weight and blood pressure and other stats are really good for a woman my age, better than they've been in years.

It does sound as if your symptoms at such a young age may require some more aggressive intervention, and if HRT is really indicated then do what your doctors tell you, but while you're waiting for your blood test results you might want to give the exercise a go and see if it has any effect. At any rate I believe body-weight-bearing exercise helps protect against osteoporosis, so if you're at increased risk for that by virtue of an early menopause it's something you should consider in any event. Good luck - I hope you feel better as I know how awful the night sweats are!