Night sweats - Immune system or hot flashes?

[susu]

Is there any way to know what the night sweats are from?
Seems I was told hot flashes are felt upper body? only?
If I awaken hot and sweaty ie hair wet etc - I try to remember to see if any sweat lower body - I check behind my knees - and seems more than not - if bent - sweat behind knees.
Sorry, not very scientific.   I keep AC on 71-72 at night in summer.   Am hot when trying to
get to sleep - then too cold when I wake up. 
I have run a low grade fever for 15 years - except when during cold weather when my temp is subnormal.    This was attributed to EBV/CFS.   Now I don't know.    I am middle-aged and take HRT.   (compounded creams).    Again, no diagnosis.    Could be:   Fibro, CFS, Sjogren's, Lyme/Bart.     Only bloodwork "positive" is for HypoGG/CVID - of which I have written - my first IVIG a  month ago.    I felt like I got chilled about two weeks ago ie out in heat/humidity at night - then back in car/house with AC.    Seems past two weeks I am more sensitive to cold.   Weird.   Also thinking no more IVIG I started colostrum supplements about a week ago.    The night sweats seem to have been worse this past week.    Whatever, my body's thermostat has long felt broken - of late more so.     Thoughts?     Another weirdness - if I get cold/chilled I get earaches.   

[cmclien]

I don't have any answers but I get hot sweats too though now that I think about it I haven't had any since I started plaquenil a few weeks ago.  I wonder if that is coincidence?  I don't know how old you are but they of course are associated with perimenopause too.

I've been getting them for 10 years now but I'm on the BCP and it should be masking any perimenopause symptoms like that.  I'm pretty sure behind my knees is wet too but mostly its my hair and upper body, soaks the sheets, gross I know and our house is 73 at night with AC and I only sleep with a sheet and shorts for pj's.

[DesignerS]

I suffer with night sweats and day sweats.  We keep our ac on all summer.  Some mornings I wake up and it is 67 degrees and I am still soaking wet.  The majority is my upper body, but lower is also wet.  I sleep on the couch most nights as I cannot stand to be upstairs, no oxygen!

I am 53 and on hormone therapy. I went for 4 years through menopause without these sweats.  Confusing isn't it. 

Designer

[SueAnn]

I use to have night sweats so bad before I started plaquenil; we use to change the sheets at least 1 time a night  I still get them sometimes but no where near as bad as before. 

SueAnn

[malditogrillo]

i'm 28 and i've been having them for 4 years.  and im not on plaquenil nor do i think im menopausal. 

everytime i mentioned it to a doctor in the past, they inquired about hiv.  and that's it.   

so here i am, 4 years later and soaking my sheets at night.

[eyeamdry]

I think it's the SJS and why do so many of us seem to sweat only from the neck up?  I'm past menopause.  I think it might be some of the meds I take.
I also keep A/C on ALL summer and tell my husband don't bother with opening the windows because I'll just shut them and turn the A/C on.  And, we live in Michigan where it's not very warm. 

My feel are cold all the time.  I usually wear a cotton nightgown or short cotton pj's to bed with socks.  If I am chilly (every once in awhile) I will wear my cotton nightgown under a long flannel nightgown and when I get too hot, take off the top nightgown.  Is that nuts or what?  Many times I use the heating pad for my feet. 

I am off hormone therapy because of breast cancer.  Lucy

[SLEEPY101]

I have had that problem off and on. I am having other symptoms so I might be going through pre-menopause.

What meds are you on? Since I stopped taking narcotics for pain,the sweats seem to be not as extreme.

[Bonnie]

I was having hot flashes a different times of my cycle, but since taking salagen I still have sweats (due to the drug) but these do feel different to the other flashes I was having.

[gurs]

SUSU,

Now after reading that your also on compounding HRT, and we have alot of the same issues with the dryness from the IVIG, in addition to alot of
other things, guessing our hormones are playing a big part is this nightmare. I know its hormone & autoimmune problems combined because all mine
started shortly after my hysterectomy and went into instant menopause. I started to have the CNS issues, headaches, extreme joint pain, hairloss, dizziness
gastroparesis..anxiety, some depression..allergic to everything..horrible headpain, aura migraines, sinus issues...all within 2-3 months after.

Sounds like your low on estrogen?..have you had all your hormone levels checked recently? I guess alot of women have trouble with absorbing the Compounded creams and when I tried another method, like the patch, got super-duper sick...have you tried any other form of HRT?
 I think the IVIG and rituxan just ate up my estrogen storage or something and that is why we have the extreme dryness? I also was reading the HRT can
be the problem too? what a mess...will send you Personal email so we can chat more about this...

Gursie

[sunshine]

Have you had your thyroid tested?  Sometimes with a low thyroid, it can cause sweating, day or night or both.  I have Hashimoto's and I can tell when I am off balance, from being hot and also losing more hair in the shower.  I am seriously thinking about getting my other hormones checked too, a lot of what happens to us women is caused by an imbalance of hormones.  Has anyone read about low levels of DHEA? 

[irish]

I have had the severe sweating for years. Remember this starting when I was around 18 or so and continued off and on for many years. Had the hysterectomy when I was 46 with removal of ovaries and started the premarin the day after surgery and took it for 13 years or so. Would have some sweating at night on occasion but nothing terrible. I still have sweating at night on occasion but less than it used to be. I sweat more during the day and it can be when I am sitting doing nothing or when I start to do a physical activity. Nights now are only if I am having what I consider to be the beginning of a flare or infection is bad.

I can't say that I ever noticed extreme dryness or sweating from the IVIG and when I see my immunologist I am going to ask him if he has ever had patients who have these issues. Will be interesting to find out what he has found in his practice of almost 20 years of infusion therapy and other autoimmune treatment. I have never had anyone in infusion therapy tell me that it makes them sweat. I see both perimenopausal/younger adult men and women and older men and women then me getting the IVIG.

The Rituxin most certainly might cause these issues and I assume you have researched that on google or bing! Just my experiences in life-so far. Irish

[gurs]

I know some women have pretty good levels of Estrogen in them, even without HRT, while others, like myself, cannot seem to get my levels up, nor, can
my body tolerate it either. I think the IVIG and Rituxan just burns out the mucous membranes that are already compromised with the Sjogrens, low estrogen, thryoid? etc.
Maybe that is why SUSU and I have the issue? uhhhhh..

I have almost no testosterone or DHEA either...wished my GYNO would have warned me about this nightmare before my hyster...I asked, but
he didnt seem like it was a big deal...YEAH RIGHT!!!

I asked my docs and they just shook their heads?  our bodies are certainly different, that is for sure..

Gursie

[Rayven]

I've had the night sweats for years I'm not perimenopausal. I actually had that checked. Along with the thyroid.  I don't know if it's changed since being on plaquenil since it's been so hot here.  I do know I'm awfully fond of that 4am shower, though. Ugh.

[Pisces24]

I get the night sweats when either I am starting to come down with something or have it.  Right not I have a sinus infection and am getting the night sweats.

I must be odd as I do sweat through my body but when I wake up it is usually my hair that is all damp and very curly.

[Pegasus47]

Well, night sweats are such a typical pattern for onset of menopause. 

To test this, go to the drug store and get a box of Estroven- it is all natural, soy Isoflavin- see if tne night sweats go away. Isolflavon is much weaker that estrogen and is used by women who have had breast cancer.  Very safe./

I understand for those with hypothyroid, no soy products. 

Give it a try!  Or you can go to your doctor and get a FSH blood test - determine if you are indeed in menopause.

Pegasus