Scared of Night sweats

[SighNoMore]

See I am wondering if it actual night sweats if the sweat actually disappears?

[sassparella]

Went to see my doc today about something else and mentioned the sweats again and he's sending me to a gynaecologist to see if they think it's hormonal.

[SighNoMore]

Let me know what you find out. Trying to not stress about sleep here soon.

Hopefully you get some solid answers. So tired of these dumb sweats!!!

[sassparella]

Me too, though I could put up with them if I knew they were harmless. It's the worry of getting them and what they mean that I find so distressing. Hope you have a good sweat free sleep tonight.

[SighNoMore]

Same here. If I knew 100% they were anxiety and hormonal then I couldn't this go. I just worry they are not. It is just so frustrating.

[SighNoMore]

So sweaty last night
So beyond tired of this!! I am not sure if I let this continue or go to the doctor again.

[daisymae]

I woke up sweaty on my chest last night too!  I had a few sweat free nights and thought I was on the right track and then it happens again.  Just sharing my frustration with you ladies so you know you aren't alone! 

[SighNoMore]

Thanks Daisy! I get worried because I feel like more and more of my body is involved. That is what scares me. I feel like because it involves more body parts that must mean something bad.

[gigglesalc25]

I too have night sweats............for the last about 4 weeks! I wake up at night several times...my face and shirt will have a damp sweat on it....I think if I wouldnt wake up so often the sweats would be even haevier~ During the days i will get a sweat on ym face and soemtimes tingling sensation thats warm on my arms along with soem sweat on chest or back of neck/back~ Can this be from anxiety? My doctor just put me on Celexa......havent taken it yet~ too nervous....I hope anxiety can cause sweats like this!

[sixpack]

okay sarcastic remark coming up 

Not that this article will help alleviate you all's out there fears that your sweating is from something sinsiter, cuz we all know reassurance hits are fleeting and another round is needed fairly soon thereafter, but here goes anyway........................  an aritcle about  nightsweats and anxiety.....  btw I googled  "nightsweats and anxiety/stress" and this plus other pages came up.

 



Night Sweats From Anxiety – Causes and Treatment

Night sweats are a common and distressing anxiety symptom. Many people with anxiety find themselves wide awake all hours of the night, dripping in sweat. It can be incredibly uncomfortable, and in some cases it can lead to further anxiety that never seems to let up. It's not uncommon for night sweats to be one of the main reasons those with anxiety struggle to get sleep.
 
Night sweats can be confusing, and in some cases cause health anxiety as people worry that something is wrong. While night sweats can be a symptom of other health issues, it is also something that many of those with anxiety deal with often.
 

Night Sweats = Anxiety?
 
Your doctor is the only person that can pinpoint the cause of your night sweats. It may be anxiety, or it may be a significant hormonal problem. But often when you have other anxiety symptoms or evidence of an anxiety disorder, night sweats are the result.
 
 
The Cycle of Anxiety and Night Sweats

Those with anxiety often deal with negative and worrisome thoughts. This is especially true if you have panic attacks, or are prone to health anxiety. It's not uncommon for anxiety to cause night sweats, and it's also not uncommon for night sweats to cause even more anxiety.
 
It's a cycle that needs to stop, and in order for it to stop, you need to get your anxiety under control.
 
How Does Anxiety Cause Night Sweats?
 
Anxiety is the activation of your fight or flight system. An anxiety disorder (or someone that deals with anxiety regularly) is when your fight or flight system is responding inappropriately to the situation, in a way that acts as though you're experiencing a fearful situation when you're not.
 
When the fight or flight system is activated, your blood rushes to the parts that need it. This causes what's known as vasoconstriction, or the constricting of the blood vessels. Once they've constricted, your body starts to heat up as a result.
 
After your body heats up, it starts to react to cool your body down before you get too hot. That's what cause the sweating.
 
The Cyclical Nature of Night Sweats

An interesting question, though, is why you experience anxiety at all, especially at night. It could be due to several different factors.
 It's not uncommon to have stressful or nagging anxious thoughts at night, and this can lead to anxiety.
 It's not uncommon to worry about sleeping, and then become more attuned to your body as a result.
 It's not uncommon for those with anxiety to simply suffer from anxiety symptoms even without a clear cause.
 
What makes night sweats problematic, especially for those with anxiety, is that they can often cause further anxiety. When you're suffering from night sweats, you may also feel like something is wrong, or that you're so uncomfortable that something is wrong with you. Those feelings may cause further anxiety, which in turn leads to further night sweats and an even harder time sleeping.
 
For these reasons, night sweats may be cyclical in nature. That's why it's so important that you reduce your anxiety as best you can before suffering from night sweats, because once you start feeling a hot flash it becomes almost impossible to stop.
 
How to Stop Night Sweats

When you feel yourself starting a hot flash there are a few things you can do. First, adjust your clothes or sheets so that you don't overheat. Your physical environment does affect how hot you become during a hot flash, and so a cooler environment can reduce the extent of your night sweats.
 
Also, if your night sweats cause you so much distress that you cannot fall asleep while you're suffering, don’t try to fall asleep. Instead, get up and walk around so that you're more comfortable. Trying to sleep when you're suffering from night sweat insomnia can cause further anxiety. It's better to get up, move around, and do things to help you relax rather than trying to force yourself to sleep.
 
If your anxiety is caused by a thought or thoughts that you simply can't shake, write the thoughts out in a journal. Writing out thoughts tells your mind that it's okay to stop focusing on them, and that may have an effect on your ability to relax your mind and prevent your night sweats from spiraling out of control.
 
Cure Anxiety to Stop Night Sweats

For better or worse, when anxiety causes your night sweats there is little you can do to stop them. There are some anxiety symptoms you can control. For example, there are ways to reduce muscle tension even when you're suffering from anxiety, in order to relieve yourself of that type of symptom.
 
But night sweats are a crucial part of your fight or flight system, so you cannot just stop night sweats on a whim. What you can do is learn to control  your anxiety
 

Now put that in your peace pipe and smoke it   

what I don't want you to do (but I wouldn't be surprised you did---OOOPS there goes my sarcasm again  ), is for you to pick apart all of these valid points provided above because your anxious thinking won't leave it alone.   REMEMBER we are the driving force of our anxiety.  So if you ALLOW yourself to step back and see that your nightsweats could possiblye or maybe or could be a product of your anxious lifestyle  and then start working on your anxiety, your body/mind will begin to become less reactive.  Then your body's fight/flight will calm and you'll note that not only have your nightsweats diminsh but your overall anxiety will have too.   OF course peeps, this takes time and patience and commitment.  Then more time and patience and commitment.

[gigglesalc25]

Thank You Thank You Thank You....I needed to read this. I have stayed off the internet for the last few hours and I thought over the last couple days my sweats have been decreasing....but silly me just got a little sweaty and it's during the day. So got online, I swear I am going to disconnect my internet...well I have thought about it anyway. I needed to read this!!!! Thank you again.....I have never had health anxiety up until about three months ago....then got on the internet and wow.......the things I have thought and still randomly think I might have...or get! Whew~ my sweats were a big problem for me......

[gigglesalc25]

Matter of fact I might print this out and hang it up!

[sassparella]

Thank you for the info sixpack. I'm not trying to pick apart all the points above as they all seem pretty valid, but for me my night sweats started when I was going through a good spell with my anxiety and even my doctor said he doesn't think anxiety is causing them. They came on one night and have been my companion ever since. I didn't really give them much thought to start with as I thought they'd clear up but they didn't. Now I AM very anxious about them which may be making them worse as anxiety can affect them but I'm pretty certain anxiety is not the initial cause. But thank you for taking the time to write the post.

[sixpack]

Thank you for the info sixpack. I'm not trying to pick apart all the points above as they all seem pretty valid, but for me my night sweats started when I was going through a good spell with my anxiety and even my doctor said he doesn't think anxiety is causing them. They came on one night and have been my companion ever since. I didn't really give them much thought to start with as I thought they'd clear up but they didn't. Now I AM very anxious about them which may be making them worse as anxiety can affect them but I'm pretty certain anxiety is not the initial cause. But thank you for taking the time to write the post.

I disagree with your assessment.
also people with nightsweats and cancer, well they honestly get tons worse.  my father in law being a prime example.
You can choose how to react to the night sweats.  Which will eventually be what decides if they go away or not.   If I were betting person, odds are I'd be the one winning the bet.  I guess time will tell won't it? 

[sassparella]

I'd love to think it was anxiety but as I say my doc doesn't think so. I'm going to see a gynaecologist as the doc thinks it may be hormonal. Also I'm getting a rescan of a lump on my liver, as liver cancer can cause night sweats, to see if it's changed any. The radiologist said it was most likely a hemangioma but you can't tell 100% that's what it is without a biopsy so my doc said they'd do a rescan to see how it is going. I'm just hoping that I don't have liver cancer as it's pretty much a death sentence

[sixpack]

what I find interesting is that you find some of what your doctor says legitmate other things not.  In your first post you said the doc listened to you and ran tests.  He came to the conclusion that it was hormonal and that the only thing in the liver was a likely hemingioma.

so you say your doc says this can't be anxiety.  so you believe that.  according to your thread he says it is likely hormonal but you don't believe that because all of your hormones come back normal.  You are 48.  hormones still fluctuate and minor fluctuations will cause this.  But you don't believe this either, as per your thread.  then you question the docs comments about hemingiomas.

so as I see it:  you believe that doc is correct that it can't be anxiety, but don't believe him in that it can be hormonal and the hemingioma finding is really not that but a cancer.

this is typical hypo thinking

also MOST doctors are loathed to say anything other than dizzy or panicky feelings are anxiety related.  and most mds are woefully uninformed about how the mind affects the body.  That is why they refer to shrinks. Your doc listened to you about sweating because that is what docs do.  they detect illness.  once testing is done, they give the reason why they think you are having said issue..... in your case sweating.  he is saying hormonal  as that is the most likely cause in his medical opinion.  NOT liver cancer as there is no evidence.  He seems to be brushing you off--as per your original post---because he has done his job and checked you out and found nothing sinister and you won't believe him.  so most docs would begin brushing off...  IMO.

It seems you don't think it can be anxiety.  Even though I posted a well thought out article above explaining HOW it can be anxiety.  In all likelihood you have hormonal stuff and have anxiety continuing it on. 

btw--I've know 3 people with forms of liver cancer.  Actually a friend succumbed on Saturday from a rare form of a liver type cancer.  These three people all had significant issues going on at diagnosis.  Night sweats  were not a presenting symptom of their liver cancer.  sorry to tell ya    None of them dithered around for months with their symptoms without docs finding the cancer.  yes I know you will say that you are in the "beginning" staGES.  Interesting thing about liver cancer is that the "beginning" stages really don't have symptoms (and/or it often is a swiftly moving cancer), that is why it is detected so late in the disease.  it is pretty darned silent.....

So, respectfully, you can continue this line of cancer thinking if you so choose................   but, again, I think your assessment is wrong.   

[greend]

I didn't read all the other postings on this thread, as there are so many of them, but I do have something to say about liver hemingiomas (or how ever you spell it).  I was diagnosed with one about 8 or 9 years ago.  It was found inadvertently during an MRI.  It is really nothing to worry about and about 20% of people have them without even knowing it.  We really shouldn't even know we have it, but the damn MRI's detect them.  This is the problem with MRI's they detect things we shouldn't even know about.  So really, if your doctor says you have one, then you do.  No big deal.

[sassparella]

mine was detected on a CT not an MRI unfortunately as the MRI is more accurate for hemangiomas. They thought it was a cyst and asked for an ultrasound to be done. The ultrasound said 'most likely' a hemangioma. I asked my doctor about why it was most likely and not a definitive diagnosis and he said that it was because they can't tell for certain without a biopsy hence the repeat scan to check if it has grown. So now I'm really worried that it's liver cancer not a hemangioma

[colls22]

I don't think I've asked you this, but what is actually making you think the spot is cancer, aide of course from typical HA worry? You seem to have no symptoms at all. I haven't and won't research the night sweats and that, but I'm sure the two aren't connected.

Something I haven't shared before is that I handle liability claims for a living. These include medical malpractice claims. So, trust me when I say that doctors are extremely aware of the potential of a missed diagnosis, and don't take the situation lightly. If your doctor was concerned about the spot he/she saw, further testing would be ordered right away.

So easy for me to speak such words of wisdom, while at the same time having such issues of my own! Hope I've helped a bit.

[sassparella]

I don't think I've asked you this, but what is actually making you think the spot is cancer, aide of course from typical HA worry?

Mainly a couple of reasons the report from the radiologist said 'most likely' a hemangioma it wasn't a definitive diagnosis and I've read that only a biopsy can give you a definitive diagnosis so my HA brain is now thinking it's cancer and that it's in the small percentage that is misdiagnosed as hemangioma.
Also there is a link with night sweats I won't go any further into that as I don't want to scare you.

[sixpack]

well I am going to post here one more time in an effort to get you to think a bit differently.  It is my hope but not an expectation.   As I know how hard it is when fear has infiltrated so much.  IMO your ha thinking is greatly leading you astray.


RE CT scans:  25 yrs ago when my eldest was but 4 months old, she had a brain CTscan.  The scan, even though it wasn't an MRI (which I don't even think those were available in '87) found a malformation.  It is called unilateral schizencephaly.  The scan also revealed other 'suspected" malformations.    Okay now move onto 2007.  We moved and the new neurologist wanted to get an MRI of her brain.  Guess what?  we didn't find out anything new about my daughter's brain except the malformation extended a bit further into a different section of the brain at much less severe rate  AND it confirmed what the CTscan "suspected".   In essence all the MRI did was show her malformation in better detail.  It didn't change anything.  There were no new significan findings.   

I've known several people who have had CTscans on lungs, kidneys, livers---bascially the innards---that have revealed masses.  It seems CTscans are THE go to scans for such diagnoses.  None of these peeps had MRIs to confirm anything.  My mom had her lung cancer and lymph node issue found via CTscan.  My father in law had his kidney cancer that moved to liver and lung.  My friend, who died on Saturday, had his gut cancer found via CTscan.   Now each person had these found on CTscan.  The radiologist didn't say it was nothing or a hemangioma, but MASSES found that indicate cancer.  From there biopsies were ordered.

Both scans--ct and mris==have strengths and weaknesses.  one scan is more often used in some situations than others.  the big difference between ct and mri seems to be that MRIs give better detail and are more accurate when predicting size.  That doesn't mean CT scans don't see masses.  As you can see they find them.  In fact both my dads and sis's brain tumors were found via CTscans.   The radiologist may have said "likely" hemangioma not because he was guessing but because in his experience that is the way they look on CT scans.  BUT NOT the way cancers look.  CTscans show cancers all of the time.  Radiologists look at these things all of the time.  We don't we just think about such things all of the time and read or research or google stuff all of the time to the point that we think we know more than radiologists. 

and now a scary statement from me but there is a point:

biopsies are not 100% definitive.

as ONE example in my own life:

Back in 2011 my mom had a lymph node found on CTscan.  It was about the size of a quarter.  Docs were SURE it was a cancer because of its size and brightness on the scan.  She had surgery to have it removed and tested.  About 75% was removed.  the other 25% was left in because it was wrapped around an artery or her esophagus.  Well the 75% was biopsied and found to be benign.  the docs were incredulous.  In all of their experience, such a finding was highly unusual...   At any rate they opted to rescan it in 6 months.  Guess what?  the remaining bit was brighter than it had been AND it had grown.  The docs said "this is NOT what a benign thing does.  It has to be malignant".   Due to the position of it it wasn't operable.  So she went through 30 radiation treatments.  She had another scan in 10/12 and it was no longer found on the scan.  the radiation treatment worked.

so what is my point........   well docs saw something on a scan. KNEW it was not right.  Biopsied it found it benign but didn't trust that conclusion.  they kept a close  eye on it.  As it turned out the docs were right.  that node was bad and they took care of it.



I am well aware that you are seeing things COMPLETELY differently.  You've decided based on our fears mostly that you have cancer.  However, your conclusions are based on fear and sweating.  You've taken some of what docs tell you to heart and discard the rest.  this is what hypoes do.  We take what we THINK or FEAR is true and hold it up as the ONLY explanation.  We don't allow other information to color our point of view.  In other words we only look for what bolsters or confirms our fears.  I do believe that is what gcalex calles "confirmation bias".


I'll just leave you with this: 

our bodies are greatly affected by stress and anxiety.

I am not sure if you are aware of how my body reacted to some recent stresses in my life..... one being the death of my mother.

I began having issues with my right eye.  It began developing over the last few weeks.  I did post a thread about it.  At any rate my vision is quite affected by it---there is a grey/brown blob in the center of my vision.  It makes light dim, colors dim, visually acquity is gone to crap--- the text in my right eye is 1/2 the size of what is in my left eye. It is very disconcerting.  I really don't enjoy reading because everything is so hard to see.  Even typing this message is not easy. Seeing anything close up-----forget it, I can't.  Thank goodness it isn't impairing my ability to drive.  I'd be sunk then.

I knew I needed to go to the opthamologist.    I was diagnosed with Central serous chorioretinapathy.  Basically the blood vessels in my eye are leaking behind my retina.  I have a fluid that has built up behind my retina.    After the eye doc found this, he asked "have you been under stress?"  I told him all of the things that have been going on.  He said, when we are under stress our bodies over produce cortisol (fight or flight).  This CAUSED the fluid build up behind my retina.    He said this is quite common.  It usually resolves itself and 95% of the time vision returns to normal.  End of Feb I go back.  He told me that he expects to see improvment.    I did look this up online.  In some cases it doesn't resolve and laser surgery is required... 

So imagine what happened to me.  Do you think your doctor would have said that stress would cause this?  IMAGINE.  blood vessels in only ONE of my eyes leaked behind my retina due to stress.

difference with me and what most anxious peeps is:  I could pinpoint my stresses.  Often, around here anyway, anxiety is so rampant or entrenched or everyday, that pinpointing a stress or stresser is near impossible.


I do hope you can move passed this. I do think you have a combo of things going on:  hormones and anxious over thinking.

Good luck and be well.

[hamsterswheel]

Hi

I have not read all of the posts on this. But can offer my experience on night sweats.

I too have lesions on my liver. One I a benign cyst and the other a haemangioma. Harmangiomas on the liver are very common and people don't know about then coz they rarely have ct scans and MRI scans.

On the nigt sweats. Mine first started when I was doing better anxiety wise. I was working full time and not focussing on the anxious thoughts. But the thoughts were still in my head and it seemed that when I was going to bed at night my body was releasing all that had been on my mind that I had been unconciously suppressing. I began to fear the sweats and dreaded going to bed and the more I feared them the more they happened.

Eventually I stopped fearing then and guess what? They went away.

Then I was very anxious on saturday night obsessing over something to do with health. Do you know I woke up through the night sweating, sweat on my hair and chest. I knew it was because I had been anxious. Since sat night I've had not sweating. I like in the uk and its cold here and no heating on so know I wasn't just too hot.

Hope this helps x

[hamsterswheel]

I also meant to say two things.

When I had the anxious night sweats I had then for at least every night for 3 months.


Also I am pregnant too, now 33 weeks. Between 12 weeks and about 25 weeks I had the nights sweats again every night. I asked the midwife and said its hormones and all the extra blood. Plus I had started to get a bit anxious about them. After that chat with midwife they wants away and I've not had them for weeks now!!!!

[SighNoMore]

Still sweating here. Just trying to not focus on it and set it out of my mind. Easier said than done! I just keep telling myself that anxiety + hormones = me sweating. I have been doing this for a year so just trying to hang in there!

I appreciate Sixpack slapping me upside the head the other day!

[sassparella]

Thanks again for your post sixpack I hear what you're saying I really do and I wish I could let go with my crazy HA brain but I can't. To me night sweats and liver lump = cancer and I don't know how to let go of this thought. It's driving me crazy and I'm dreading my Ultrasound next week - I hate having to wait so long it's not until next thursday so over a week to wait then another for the results.

I just want my sweat free life back, I just want to know that I'm OK that I'll live to a ripe old age, that there's nothing wrong with me all of which I know is impossible for anyone to be able to tell me. I want assurances no one can give me and I don't know how to cope without them. I'm so scared of dying so much so in fact that I'm not really living at all. I have no friends, no job, I don't go out the house much, I'm terrified of public transport, I have social anxiety I've basically cut myself off from the world with all my fears. I don't want to be like this any more but I don't know what to do to change it all. Everything scares me.

Anyway sorry to go on, I will just have to wait and see what happens at my scan and my gynaecologist appointment later in the month.