Any tips on handling night sweats (am already on hrt)

[reup]

I’ve been on my 4th type of hrt now for 2 1/2 months - my symptoms were really really low mood mixed with bouts of rage, tiredness, plus very achey body. I didn’t have any hot flushes or night sweats. The hrt hasn’t really made any difference to my symptoms but has given me achey breasts some of the time! (Thanks to the posters Pollyperky and Kalifornia who helped me with tips on dosage for gel and tablets)

But last week I started having terrible night sweats. I wake up up in a really damp/wet duvet and night clothes though I don’t feel hot or sweaty myself. It takes me ages to get back to sleep and it happens 1–3 times a night. I haven’t been able to sleep past 6am in years (sometimes it’s 4/5 am ) - so the last thing I need is even less sleep.

Any tips gratefully received.

My way of coping is always having a sheet between me and the duvet and cover. When I over heat the duvet goes but the sheet remains. I also bought a pillow ice pack from amazon to cool the bed and pillow down before I get into bed.

An electric fan is also good and plenty of water by the bed.
Best of luck.

Thanks I tried that last night which worked for the first time but the second time I had to go and wear my fluffy dressing gown as the first sheet (which I chucked off the bed after the first time) and the duvet were damp!

I finished a glass of water last night - might bring 2 tonight.

The weird thing is that I don’t actually feel hot or sweaty at any time - I only seem to wake up after it’s over so I think I would be too cold when I actually went to bed.

Am dreading going to bed tonight.

That doesn't sound great if HRT is giving you additional symptoms and not helping the existing ones, what a shame.

I don't think I feel hot when I have woken up with nightsweats when I think about it, usually I feel chilled. Other nights I am burning up but don't sweat.

Wicking nightclothes might be a plan but worth going to see you doctor in a couple of weeks if none of your original symptoms have improved.

As for sleep, I've felt more relaxed about it now I've realised that I don't actually need 8 hours sleep as I thought and that if I wake up at 3am I can lie resting for the remaining 3 hours and get some benefit from it. I don't panic as much as I used to and try to nap when I can.

Thanks - I was going to go back after 3 months - though I’m not sure if I have a lot of faith in them as they seemed to prescribe in a totally different way to the medication instructions for no particular reason!

reup - what was your cycle doing before starting HRT - had you gone long gaps between periods? Also not sure what you mean about the hormones being prescribed in a different way to instructions? What HRT are you taking and what dose? If your sweats are not controlled and you are well into peri-menopause then it may be that you need a higher oestrogen dose. Also achey breasts can be caused by increased oestrgoen - but this is often temporary, or the progesterone part of your HRT - if you take it. My boobs always expand and often ache on the progesterone part of my HRT.

Periods were a bit random- monthly then a 3 month gap, then monthly again then every 2 weeks then back to monthly.

The Gp had me on progesterone every day with no break rather than than 12 days of a cycle. I also started on one pump of gel a day when the instructions state the starting dose is 2. I’m now onto 3. I queried it but she didn’t really have a reason, I tried it her way for a few weeks and then changed and followed the instructions,

I haven’t really taken proper note of when I get the achey breasts - I think it may well be when I’m taking the tablets.

On the upside I just slept under just a sheet last night and didn’t get too cold and woke up once but the sheets weren’t damp.

reup could you be asked to be referred to a Menopause clinic? Pollyperky recently posted a list of places to go.

I went to the C&W in London recently & was given (at my request) testosterone, Oestrogel & Utrogestan tablets. I was previously prescribed Femoston 2/20 from my GP, but felt the gel would be better (safer).
I was having terrible hot flushes at night, maybe 3 times so broken sleep for 8 weeks, as soon as I took the Femoston the hot flushes stopped.

I've now completed 5 mths & about to change to the gel above.
My periods where 'weird' over the summer , having been sporadic over the last couple of years. Then I had a pathetic last ditch period & straight into the hot flushes, dry vagina.

I will definitely ask. Though I haven’t had them for 2 nights now - this whole menopause thing just keeps changing!!

I get what you mean about non-standard. If you are peri-menopausal then you should not be taking progesterone every day - no wonder you aren't feeling too good. I presume you are taking it orally. If you are in early peri ( sounds like you are) then the supposed dose is 12 days per monthly cycle. Fine to be non-standard if it works for you - but it can give unpredictable bleeding, although if you are ovulating regularly it could make the bleeding less by taking every day.

You may well find once you stop taking the progesterone quite so much you may end up feeling better - at least for part of the month.

No need to see a private specialist of you have the right meds (ie body-identical hormones - estradiol gel and micronised progesterone) from your GP although you could ask for a referral to an NHS menopause clinic but these are few and far between - depending where you live. A private consultant would likely give the same - but some consultants will also prescribe testosterone if you think you are lacking in this ( as well as some GPs). If your libido/response has gone for no good reason then your testo is probably low (unless taking some ADs or oral HRT).

My tips.
Cold bedroom.
Two single duvets thick for DH and thin for me.
A cotton sheet under my duvet and a thin cotton nightie. If you wake up soaked you take nightie off. The sheet helps stop you freezing if you throw the duvet off.

The only thing that works for me with night sweats is getting out of bed for a few minutes to cool down. It kind of resets me and then I’m not nearly so hot and can usually sleep again.

I only did the progesterone every day for a month. The last 2 months I’ve been doing it for 12 days. I haven’t noticed a great deal of difference but I wanted to give it a proper try.

Thanks everyone for the responses.