Night sweats are a common, uncomfortable side effect of many prescription and over-the-counter medications. Drugs that cause night sweats typically do so by interacting with the body's temperature-regulating center in the brain, altering hormone levels, or causing blood sugar drops.
medication – antidepressants and some other psychiatric drugs can sometimes cause night sweats as a side effect, as can aspirin and the steroid drug prednisolone. alcohol abuse or drug misuse – especially the use of heroin.
Causes of night sweats
The most common reasons for night sweats are: menopause symptoms ("hot flushes") anxiety. medicines, such as some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers.
You should see your doctor if you're having night sweats when it's not hot. Especially if you notice other symptoms such as: unexplained weight loss. fever.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is common. It is known to cause a wide spectrum of neurological syndromes, including autonomic dysfunction. Three cases are discussed here in which drenching night sweats were thought to be caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. All three responded dramatically to vitamin B12 therapy.
Signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency: A person with vitamin B12 deficiency has signs such as anemia, low energy, craving for meat or often finds himself bruising easily.
Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that may quell inflammation and help provide relief from menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, as well as supporting mood regulation which helps with fatigue, as we've discussed.
Cancers and serious illnesses that include night sweats as a symptom include lymphoma, leukemia, carcinoid tumors, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
If you're wondering how to help reduce night sweats, here are some steps that may help you keep cooler at night:
Night sweats are a common symptom of both leukemia and lymphoma. Other symptoms are usually present when cancer causes night sweats, like fever and fatigue. WHAT INFECTIONS CAUSE NIGHT SWEATS? Night sweats are a common symptom of tuberculosis.
“It's very rare that night sweats are dangerous, so don't be alarmed,” says Dr. Banerjee. “But if they're persistent, severe or come with other symptoms like fever or weight loss, it's time to talk to your doctor.”
While food does not necessarily cause night sweats, eating the wrong kinds of foods and drinks before bedtime can worsen the effects, such as:
Night sweats may also be a side effect of hormone therapy medications that regulate the amount of hormones in your system. Anxiety—Stress and emotional problems that cause sweating during the day can often have the same effect at night.
Drugs that induce hyperhidrosis, or sweating in excess of that needed to maintain thermoregulation, can cause patient discomfort and embarrassment, and include cholinesterase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, opioids and tricyclic antidepressants.
Signs and symptoms include:
How are menopause-related night sweats treated?
Avoid alcohol and spicy foods
Instead, drink a cool glass of water to start your bedtime routine. Remaining well-hydrated helps keep night sweats at bay.
Night sweats can be attributed to a wide range of factors, from completely harmless to potentially serious. The most common causes include hormonal imbalances or disorders, medications, infections, and anxiety and stress. Menopause is one of the most common conditions in which night sweats are associated with.
You could be suffering from anxiety and stress, or you could have a medical condition, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or sleep apnoea. If you are a woman in your 40s or 50s, you may be going through the menopause. Night sweats can also be caused by low blood sugar and low testosterone.
Hormonal Changes (Not Just Menopause)
While menopause is a well-known cause of night sweats in women, other hormone-related changes can affect seniors: Andropause (age-related testosterone decline in men) Thyroid disorders, especially hyperthyroidism. Adrenal gland disorders.
Vasculitis — Rash, night sweats, headache, fever, weight loss, weakness or numbness, aches and pains, and fatigue result from this disease that inflames blood vessels.
Entering or going through the menopause is a fairly common cause of night sweats and is likely to exacerbate any existing problem with night sweats. There are also several medical conditions that can cause night sweats – including infections such as TB and HIV, connective tissue disorders, and even tumours.
Avoid eating spicy foods and drinking alcohol, hot drinks, and caffeine within two or three hours before bedtime. If your efforts don't ease night sweats, consider removing these items from your diet completely. This may help decrease your symptoms.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sweating at night is often a sign that the body's Yin energy — the cooling, calming, and nourishing aspect — has become depleted. When Yin runs low, Yang (heat) becomes more active, rising at night and escaping through the pores as sweat.
If you're struggling with sleep due to hormone changes during perimenopause and menopause, which can be due the low hormone levels in your brain, as well as physical symptoms such as night sweats or needing the toilet, in addition to taking the right dose and type of hormones, a magnesium supplement maybe also ...