Night Sweats?

[CaptainR]

I see no one asked about medications. I had night sweats previously, but only on occassion, not chronic. But then when I began taking Effexor - WOW! Was terrible, almost every night woke up just soaking. So, if you're on an anti-depressant look into that as a contributing factor. For me, too much alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine also seems to make them worse.

Hope you find a way to minimize it, it's a miserable way to wake up in the middle of the night.

 

[Blues in NYC]

For almost 40 years I thought I just had too many covers on for the weather. I would wake up drenched two or three times a week and never remember any dreams. Finally, last fall I was being interviewed by a Veterans Administration therapist and he asked if I had night sweats. I said, "What's that?" The only difference is that now I know what they are. Something is happening while we're sleeping, but damned if I know what it is. It's annoying trying to get back to sleep in a wet bed and ruining pillows all the time, and I'd rather not have them, but other than that they don't seem to do much harm to me.

Suppose I'm learning something new every darned day here. I too thought it was because I was wearing too many layers on the bed. Also for a long time I'd blame the chronic nightmares on either too many or too few covers, waking up uncomfortably hot or cold.

But I don't think I sweat as much as it sounds like some of you do. *sigh* Thank goodness for the small things then, huh? The nightmares are still something awful though.

 

[dharmaBum]

Sweating in bed and insomnia

... for a long time I'd blame the chronic nightmares on either too many or too few covers, waking up uncomfortably hot or cold.

I totally "blamed" my insomnia- an inability to fall asleep in less than an hour, although sometimes I would never fall asleep- on a lack of blankets. My husband is a hot person, and he would also put too few blankets on the bed IMO. So we added an extra quilt to my side only and now I SWEAT like crazy. I had never sweat before while sleeping. Sometimes I wake up drenched in sweat and want to "blame" the quilt, but it is on the floor :(

Last night I woke up from a sweat with the quilt on the floor. Relaxed, chilled out, tried to fall back to sleep, had a disturbing thought, and then literally felt the sweat breaking out across my brow.

Interesting topic and great to hear from both genders on the issue.

 

[her_indoors43]

yeah sure is interesting topic........cool....

 

[dharmaBum]

I've had two acupuncture treatments (once for a sore throat and once for insomnia) since this posting and haven't had night sweats once in the week and a half since the first treatment.

 

[fin]

But then when I began taking Effexor - WOW! Was terrible, almost every night woke up just soaking. So, if you're on an anti-depressant look into that as a contributing factor. .

I found this also Captain, 4 years of it constantly while taking effexor, funny I put it completely down to the pTSD, and didnt really acknowledge that it had stopped some after I had come of the meds. Also really bad IBS while on it too. Both of these things impacted on my going out BIG TIME too. I think in this instance that me and this medication were not a good combination, although I do understand it does work for some people.

I have begun to be slightly more aware again of both of these problems, but I am believeing they will begin to subside the more I work through this and learn to manage myself better. I do think they have maybe increased as my anxiety has fluctuated so much recently. BUt knowing when to slow and resting some will I believe also help me to control and heal this in some way.

~fin

 

[Marine0311]

Night sweats every night... Bright side your losing weight while you sleep.

:thumbs-up

 

[Lucky Laser]

Ever since I started taking Lexapro I get night sweats pretty baed. I had them with Zoloft too when I was taking that some 10 years ago. Its so gross and I keep waking up worrying that I've wet myself or something. =/

 

[BrownEyes]

I don't take any medication, and I do have night sweats. Like some of you I always thought it was from too many blankets on the bed, but I'm realizing now it's a symptom of PTSD. I don't sweat too badly, but the hair at the back of my neck gets wet. Sometimes I wake up in a sweat and realize I was having a nightmare, and sometimes I don't remember having any nightmare.

What makes it difficult for me is that the dark is a HUGE trigger for me, so even though I wake up in a sweat I can't force myself to get up out of bed to cool off. I end up laying there completely still and hyper vigilant until it starts to get bright outside. Then I can move around and try to cool off.

 

[blueangel371115]

I get them when under stress. I wake up soaked and shaking. It reallly is annoying. It throws off my sleep. I'm shaking like a leaf. I have nightmares of the incident when am stressed or feel vulnerable. Then I'm angry but I don't know how to deal with this anger because I'm not sure what I am angry at.

 

[Tija]

I had the sweating and shaking too. It was usually at night when I had panic attacks 8 hours straight. From what I understand it is a sign of adrenal fatigue or hypoglycemia. I don't eat any sugar, so I know it was more hormonally related..

Tija

 

[sidekick]

Wow, very interesting thread. I had NO idea all these years of waking up during the night, numerous times being drenched was from my ptsd.