night sweats?

[anxiousmama1]

Hi all,

Two months ago, I started to have night sweats: Waking up with a super sweaty neck and chest nearly every night. After a month, it went away. As the disappearance of symptoms coincided with discontinuing magnesium supplements, I assumed the magnesium had been the cause. However, this month, the night sweats have returned. Sometimes it's just a hot flush without sweating, but for the past week I have woken up each night due to a hot flush and/or sweats.

I had thorough blood tests a month before the first sweating episode, which showed all great results. I am a 49 year old woman, so could chalk this up to menopause. But as the hot flushes are nearly all in the middle of the night, I am not convinced. My health anxiety is again spiraling out of control, as I know what night sweats could indicate. Other than some digestive issues that I posted about earlier, and my terrible HA, I have no concerning symptoms.

Has anyone had similar episodes? I just want it all to go away! Thank you for any support you can offer.

[nomorepanic]

I get them every night and I am 53 - no serious cause was found and I was told it could be hormonal.

[Carys]

You are 49 !!!! Night sweats (the middle of the night) are one of the first symptoms for many women even before their periods stop and one of the most common symptoms after periods stop. I am 50 and still getting irregular periods and night sweats started 3 or 4 years ago, firstly before a period and now quite erratically at night throughout the month. Are you in menopause - i.e. 12 months without a period ?

[anxiousmama1]

Thank you for your reply. Can I ask how they looked for a serious cause for your night sweats? I just had all sorts of blood work done, all normal, but that was a month before the sweats began. I'm dreading having to re-do the blood work (causes me tremendous anxiety!) or whatever else will need to be checked...

[anxiousmama1]

Thank you for your reply. I am still pretty regular with my periods, but am clearly in some hormonal transition. I know that hot flashes are a common perimenopause symptom, but it does not sound like it's typical to only get nighttime hot flashes. I do not get hot flashes at other times of day. Is this the case for you? Did you go through testing for the hot flashes, or are you just chalking it up to hormones?

[Carys]

I only get the night sweats, nothing in the daytime.

I can only tell you that there are plenty of women out there who just have night sweats, and nothing in the daytime during perimenopause - I've read their accounts on perimenopause forums. I've had no testing, and yes, chalked it up to hormonal changes. I do get one full day of feeling 'hot' the day before a period starts, which started happening a few years ago. I have read myself that night sweats are one of the earlier and more common symptoms, alone and without day flashes.

Hormone levels can be checked, but they are notoriously unreliable. I had mine done a few years ago, with every peri symptom imaginable and it showed as 'normal', my GP informed me that the fluctuations are so erratic and the instability is hour to hour and day to day - so results are often meaningless at this point. They mostly go from symptoms alone when diagnosing the cause as being hormonal imbalance and changes. So, have anything at all altered with your period? Is the cycle different ? The bleeding different in length, heaviness, stop start ? Any irregularity at all? My sweats started when my cycle became regularly shortened about 7 years ago. The only way to know about anything really is to chat with your GP.

[kah]

I've been having night sweats for the past couple of years, sometimes nightly, sometimes only every few weeks. But never had a hot sweat during the day. Hope that helps ease the anxiety x

[Fishmanpa]

My wife has had them for years and its worse now that she's officially in menopause. You're at that age. A simple test at the OBGYN could affirm it.

Positive thoughts

[jojo2316]

Are you on any medication? I have night sweats regularly- and my dr says it is due to sertraline.

[anxiousmama1]

Thank you for taking the time to reply! Yes, my cycles have become shorter over the past few years, with intermittent longer cycles. My hormones are clearly shifting, and everything you said makes sense.

[anxiousmama1]

Yes, that helps ease the anxiety:) Thank you.

[anxiousmama1]

Nope. No medication. When I first had some sweaty nights, I though it might be due to magnesium supplementation. But over time I can see that the sweats don't line up with when I'm supplementing.

[anxiousmama1]

Thank you for your reply! I'm definitely at that age. But I'm also at that age when other health problems are more likely, which increases my worries.

[Carys]

Yes, my cycles have become shorter over the past few years, with intermittent longer cycles. My hormones are clearly shifting, and everything you said makes sense.


Yep, there we go then, of course your bloods have shown - presumably - no thyroid issues for example? So, it does sound like your sex hormones are a likely cause. Shorter cycles, by a few days each month, indicates earlier perimenopause. I had that for 3 or 4 years, and now into year 8 they are nuts irregular. Your 'change' might not take so long though, seems I might be going for the full 10 year max on it lol

[anxiousmama1]

Yes, my bloodwork indicated that my thyroid is working fine. Of course, the blood draw was done several weeks before the night sweats began, so I don't know how useful the results are.

As the night sweats continue, I am having increasing digestive issues, including a lot of mucus in my stool (sorry for this unpleasant detail!). This is adding to my concern that the night sweats are caused by something awful, like colorectal cancer. The coinciding symptoms are very alarming to me!

Anyway, I really appreciate your encouragement to stay positive and hopeful, despite my tendency to spiral into endless anxiety...