Night Sweats and PCOS?

[SAZ]

Hi,

Every so often I wake up absolutely drenched in sweat, as though someone has literally thrown water over me . I asked my GP who put it down to stress, but to be honest there doesn’t seem to be any correlation between the two. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern with my menstrual cycle either, although I’m on dianette so may not be applicable anyhow.

Does anyone else have the same problem/heard of the same problem? The night sweats began around the time that I first started displaying PCOS symptoms, around 4 yrs ago.

Saz x

[scaz56]

Hi Saz,

I am waiting for a diagnoses of my condition- scan next week as I have had 4 periods this year. For some time I too have been suffering from night sweats- there is no pattern to them and like you I wake up absolutely absolutely drenched. Sometimes I have to change. These can also be accompanied by me waking suddenly and feeling frightened but for no reason. I have on a few occassions shot out of bed and awoke to find myself by the bedroom door. They come and go and I know that I am not too hot as we have no heating on a night and I have the windows on night vent. So no you are not the only one!
Incedently i am quite thin and only very slightly undeweight so I am carrying no extra weight that could make me hot. I am generally a person who feels the cold.

Hope this helps

scaz56

[Mazarin]

Yeah I get this as well....

[Karen]

You're deff not alone on this one. I get them too. Last week i had one so bad, i got out of bed, dumped my soddon pjs in the bathroom and stood naked on the tiles on the kitchen floor. (yuk)
My husband heard me and got a shock when he walked into the kitchen. He said "at least we won't get burgled, you'll scare them all away!" Cheeky sod!

Karen

[Mazarin]

I seem to have had this all weekend..... and it's hardly been hot weather, am wondering if it has something to do with this new anti-depressant I am taking!

[debate]

Hi Mazarin,
just saw your post (as I get WICKED night sweats, too) and thought you should know that it might not be from anti-deps. I've never taken any, and don't take ANY meds at present - hardly ever do!
I keep telling DRs and gynies, and some think it might be early menopause (am 40 now) plus I get other signs. Can't list them all here, as there's loads
Maybe the sweats are to do with the hormone imbalances or the insulin probs or something that seem to come with PCOS?
I know that people with thyroid probs get sweaty, too. My Mum's is overactive.

[Arwen]

When I first had my gynea problems, and just after I was diagnosed with PCOS I suffered from 'hot flushes' where I felt I would spontaneously combust! Although this manly happend during the day, I can appreicated how it can feel at night! I would have to wear layers, and strip off to tiny summery tops in the middle of winter until I cooled down.

Then about a year after the hospital told me I had PCOS, my GP put me on Metformin as he felt I was hyperinsulinemia (I would drink gallons of water, constantly go to the loo and eat all the time, even at night!). Gradually the symptoms of PCOS lessened, my weight went back to almost what it was (I was 4st overweight), and the 'hot flushes' have all but gone none. I get the occassional one, but not several times a day as it used to be.

[Lady Miss Jane]

I was diagnosed 8 years ago, and suffered terrible night sweats for years, woke up every night soaking, luckily was single so no one to see or feel it! But have been taking black cohash for a year now and no had a single sweat at all even on hot nights! Have boyfrind now so that's handy.. Worth a go it worked for me x

[sewzay]

I suffered from 'hot flushes' where I felt I would spontaneously combust!

I get these, and got told by a very unhelpful doctor that I was making it up as I was too young to get them. I was diagnosed with PCOS 7 years ago, but have not yet found a doctor who will prescribe me anything to try and lessen this and my other PCOS symptoms other than Dianette, which I took for a while but had to come off as it was giving me terrible migraines. I was referred to an endocrinologist, but he wouldn't do anything either.

I've just moved down to London, so I'm hoping that my new doctor will be slightly more sympathetic.

[twenty]

Hi guys Im new here today although I do not wish this horrible complaint on anybody it is really nice to finally find others who know what I am suffering from. I too have terrible night sweats sometimes I have to get up 3 or 4 times to dry myself. I live in a house with no heating and we always have the window open for fresh air. My doctors have tested me for TB cancer and numerous other things and cannot find what is wrong they seem to deny that it could be hormonal. In fact they just dont care. I put it down to the hormones but if any one else has any ideas I would love to hear them.

[Issy]

I believe this is all to do with a rapidly-falling blood sugar level.

Try eating no carbs at all after 5pm for a few nights - see if it makes a difference (drink cocoa made with milk just before bedtime)

[Psycho]

Hi guys Im new here today although I do not wish this horrible complaint on anybody it is really nice to finally find others who know what I am suffering from. I too have terrible night sweats sometimes I have to get up 3 or 4 times to dry myself. I live in a house with no heating and we always have the window open for fresh air. My doctors have tested me for TB cancer and numerous other things and cannot find what is wrong they seem to deny that it could be hormonal. In fact they just dont care. I put it down to the hormones but if any one else has any ideas I would love to hear them.

You'll probably find you have excess androgens. My symptoms are exactly the same as yours.

Basically, androgens are male hormones. Men sweat more than women, simply put. It's also to blame for hair growth too.

I'd never have found any of that out if I didn't have BUPA through my last job. It's amazing how private sector doctors can diagnose more efficiently but have the same qualifications as NHS doctors...

[twenty]

I think you are probably right as I do have bad facial hair and my muscles tend to bulk up alot more than other woman when I do weights. My dietican reckons that the metformin should help in a round about sort of way by working on the insulin apparantly the hormones get effected. I will keep you posted.

[sherrylouz]

There are many ways to help relieve night sweats. By keeping a cool glass of water on the night stand and wearing moisture wicking pajamas, many people suffering from night sweats have found relief.

[londongirl16]

I get night sweats too - but don't know if they're linked to my PCOS. I have had them several times now and recently have started tracking them. It seems that they generally come one or two nights before my period.

It's a horrible experience and tends to go along with anxiety and sleeplessness. I suppose it could be anxiety causing them, but I definitely think it's linked to my cycle.
If anyone has any tips about how to stop these happening I'd be VERY grateful