Night sweats - is there anything to make it stop?

[Janus]

Just that really! I am nearly 48 and must be going throught the menopause. Not that many symptoms but the night sweats are awful. It’s every night and I wake up soaking. I just sleep in a cotton vest and cotton pants but have to change both every night as they are wet. It’s really getting to me as I actually wake up freezing too as I’m wet and shivering. Is there anything to take to make it stop, natural or from gp?
Thanks.

I think that you can consider hrt.
The night sweats are just the beginning, it’s very possible to have different and more severe symptoms later. Don’t let your body suffer and take care.
If you have extra body fat, your estrogen depletion will be slower and your symptoms milder but the consequences to your bones and heart the same regardless of the symptoms.

So, symptoms can get worse over time not better? My GP said that I could expect the night sweats to ease off after the first couple of years, but that's not happening.

The symptoms change over time and become more dangerous for the health in general, especially for bones, muscles, heart and skin. I started to have hot flushes and night sweats, then they stopped and new symptoms appeared as insulin intolerance, brain fog, muscles asches etc. And all these with almost regular periods. I regret fir not starting hrt earlier!

Worth remembering that every woman is different and not everyone will see 'dangerous' symptoms, or see symptoms worsen over time. For most women nightsweats will indeed ease off over the first couple of years, but for some they will last for a long long time. Very important not to be too hysterical, and not to assume HRT is necessary for all.

Also worth noting that oestrogen goes through peaks and troughs on the way to menopause and for many women it is the hormonal imbalance which causes symptoms rather than simple oestrogen depletion - oestrogen only plateaus at low levels very close to final menstrual period.

Not sure about extra body fat causing depletion to be slower and symptoms milder - is there a source for that Emerald?

Wrt fat, I have read about it and it seems that oestrogen is stored in fatty areas, which causes the body to hang onto fat after menopause, presumably as it attempts to hoard the remnants of this important hormone. I think there are recent studes that suggest HRT can help lose fat as it replaces the oestrogen the body is hoarding. I think I have a link somewhere.

Here you go www.cnn.com/2018/03/27/health/hormone-replacement-belly-fat-study/index.html

Thanks Alberta, I'd read that fat stores oestrogen and that's why our bodies store more fat after menopause, but not that extra body fat caused symptoms to be milder.

When your body can find some estrogen from fat cells, doesn't struggle to find it from other sources as bones or skin, thats why fatter women has fewer wrinkles. Its a common sense Paris!

I don't see ''dangerous symptoms' Paris, they exist symptoms that are dangerous for health especially for young ladies and there are a lot of researches for proving that!

The amount of oestrogen in fat is minimal and I've seen no evidence that symptoms depends on body size - if you come across any evidence I'd be really interested to read it.

Women who are overweight have more subcutaneous fat and possibly more collagen which is why they sometimes have fewer wrinkles.

thenewdaily.com.au/life/wellbeing/2017/10/28/early-menopause-skinny-women/

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749030

www.menopause-metamorphosis.com/A_Menopause_phases.htm

AND ESTROGEN MAKES THE COLLAGEN PARIS, NOT THE FAT!

The amount of estrogen produced in fat isn't minimal Paris, sorry but yours opinions are not based on scientific data.
Actually the obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer and gynecological cancers in general cause the total amount of estrogen in fat can be ver high.
Some obese post menopausal women have more estrogen than women who have their periods and that's a risk factor for cancer.

No need to shout Emerald, I'm not sure smt of those links show that larger women have fewer symptoms. We all do what we can you get through not I don't think putting on weight is advisable at this stage of life. Hrt isn't the only way forward and I think you should reflect on overstating its importance for all.

I’m what a lot of people call skinny (i.e. I’m a healthy weight) and have few symptoms- mainly night sweats. Appreciate I’m a sample of one .

I've always had night sweats. My Dad has too.

The only thing I've found is keeping the room freezing cold.

I'm not shouting Paris and I don't advice that gaining weight is the solution, the opposite! You have your opinion and can have mine. That is good and the forum gives as the opportunity to express ourselves with our individual way! :) Don't you agree?

Not sure if I've said anything already and haven't read the thread in detail - but referring to the title - if you are having menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and are over 45 then HRT is recommended as the first line of treatment and is the best and most natural way to eliminate them.

Some women continue to have flushes and sweats for many years - 14 even - and also those on HRT may experience a resumption of sweats and flushes once they stop - which indicates that they may be the population for whom sweats would have lasted for years. Yes with some women the flushes and sweats do stop - but do you want to do the experiment on yourself ie decide not to take HRT and then 10 years down the line find you are one for whom symptoms lasted for years?

Even if you take it for 10 years and then stop for good and your symptoms come back - you can;t take away the years of better quality of life and bone protection that you have had in the meantime.

It's not all about immediate symptoms anyway - as above - there are the long-term health implications of oestrogen deprivation and some may have 40-50 years in a post-menopausal state.

Of course it is an individual decision, but any decision needs to be evidence based, and goes without saying, taking into account your medical history.

I have tried so many 'natural' things - it is actually quite expensive trying all the natural remedies. When I think I've cracked it, they come back and now I see its cyclical. Currently been having them for 6 months. I'm trying sage at the moment.

To alleviate:
wicking clothing - yoga / sports clothing is often made from wicking fabric and M&s used to have a cool comfort range in lingerie and PJswhich they don't seem to do anymore
Cool gel pillows - keep two in the fridge, put under my pillow at night, whip them out and under me when the flash is at its flashiest, you can get cheap ones from Amazon.
Meno cool scarves - keep one next to your bed/to use in day
Magicool spray
Wool duvet helps

Less alcohol and caffeine too. I love my tea and red wine

All bloody expensive, but 'help'. I think I''ll see my GP soon and think about HRT.

I tried red clover on the recommendation of my GP. It made quite a difference for a while, but then the sweats came back. I agree with DangerEgg that it's perhaps cyclical.

In peri-menopause your hormones fluctuate a lot - and if you try the natural or rather herbal remedies - they may work for a while or seem to work, but then they stop working and then maybe seem to work again. This is most likely due to your own hormones coming into play and in particualr oestrogen levels rising and falling. The same happened to me,. I took Black Cohosh and thought it was a wonder "drug" because my sweats and flushes disappeared - but then they resumed ( guess what I had a couple of periods) and then started again worse than before, only to stay. I ditched the Cohosh and started HRT and have never looked back - flushes and sweats banished for good.

I have Accupuncture and take red clover and it takes the edge night sweats. I also have a chillow pad under my pillow.