Night Sweats

Tina Brown

I am having real problems with night time sweats. It is something I used to have when I was first diagnosed. At the time my oncologist said it was the "activity of the cancer" causing the heat. It soon went as the chemo began working. However, it is back. My numbers are up to 1,600 ish and I know my cancer is growing.

I was wondering if anyone else experienced anything like this? It wakes me up at least 3 times a night. My night clothes are damp and cold and I have to change. My bed sheets are also damp and my hair is wringing wet with a wet pillow case.

I am back on carboplatin so I am hoping it will stop soon as the chemo will begin to work.

Tina xxx

missmordie

Night sweats
Some time ago..after suffering from not just night sweats...all day hot flashes...fevers..etc. I went on anti-depressants.. low dose. They helped enormously. Not only for the uncontrollable thermostat, but as a psychological help with what was going on. I'm still on them and the sweats come and go but they're not nearly as bad as they were. Don't be afraid to ask for some help in this. Anything that makes your life more comfortable is now not a question of "should I"...but "I will try it". I also wear pure cotten night attire (and daytime layers for when I get hot). Have a hand-held fan in summer and a small fan in the bedroom at night aimed at me!. Can't be away from an air conditioning situation at any time in the summer and love the cooler months!

Best of luck for a more comfortable outcome. Take whatever steps you need to be comfortable and don't worry about other people. My doctor told me that there is such a thing as cancer fever. I have experienced that for a long time.

garden gal

missmordie said:

Night sweats
Some time ago..after suffering from not just night sweats...all day hot flashes...fevers..etc. I went on anti-depressants.. low dose. They helped enormously. Not only for the uncontrollable thermostat, but as a psychological help with what was going on. I'm still on them and the sweats come and go but they're not nearly as bad as they were. Don't be afraid to ask for some help in this. Anything that makes your life more comfortable is now not a question of "should I"...but "I will try it". I also wear pure cotten night attire (and daytime layers for when I get hot). Have a hand-held fan in summer and a small fan in the bedroom at night aimed at me!. Can't be away from an air conditioning situation at any time in the summer and love the cooler months!

Best of luck for a more comfortable outcome. Take whatever steps you need to be comfortable and don't worry about other people. My doctor told me that there is such a thing as cancer fever. I have experienced that for a long time.

night sweats
I'm having night sweats too. My numbers are now over 2000 and this is the first time I have had them. My last chemo stopped working and the cancer is getting worse now. I probably wake up 3 to 4 times a night with them. Kathy

snowbird_11

I've also been having night
I've also been having night sweats the last couple of months. My number has jumped from 400 in Jan to over 9900 last week! I have also just started on carboplatin and am hoping it slows things down a bit. I now put an extra sheet around me that I can quickly toss and replace with another so as not to have to redo complete bed daily. A small towel over my pillow helps as well. Hope the chemo gets to work quickly for you, Tina.
Annie

sandyinmi

I have them too...
but my CA 125 is not elevated. I'm currently getting carboplatin too - my first round.

I don't have the night sweats every night, rather only about 1 - 2X/week. I too have to change my nightclothes, wet sheets, etc.

Sandy

phoenix23

Hello,
I'm new to this
Hello,

I'm new to this site. 30 years old and scheduled for surgery on what they believe is OvCa. Very strong strong family history...

Anyway, one of my new and frightening symptoms of this past year has been Night Sweats. At first they began as very sporadic, all out drenching in the middle of the night to the point I too, had to change clothes. Over the course of the last year, they've progressively gotten worse by coming more frequently, up to once or twice a week now.... and in the last 2 weeks, I'm having these sweats during the day! Hot flashes I was told.... yes, I had to be told what they were because at 30 I was like 'what the hell is this going on?????' These sweats are one of the reasons my Primary Care Doc. finally took notice that I was serious when I said, something wasn't right in my body.

I normally sweat the most, like its a water tap running, from my chest and my lower back and the base of my skull.... Anyone else had sweat patterns like that?

Phoenix

lulu1010

phoenix23 said:

Hello,
I'm new to this
Hello,

I'm new to this site. 30 years old and scheduled for surgery on what they believe is OvCa. Very strong strong family history...

Anyway, one of my new and frightening symptoms of this past year has been Night Sweats. At first they began as very sporadic, all out drenching in the middle of the night to the point I too, had to change clothes. Over the course of the last year, they've progressively gotten worse by coming more frequently, up to once or twice a week now.... and in the last 2 weeks, I'm having these sweats during the day! Hot flashes I was told.... yes, I had to be told what they were because at 30 I was like 'what the hell is this going on?????' These sweats are one of the reasons my Primary Care Doc. finally took notice that I was serious when I said, something wasn't right in my body.

I normally sweat the most, like its a water tap running, from my chest and my lower back and the base of my skull.... Anyone else had sweat patterns like that?

Phoenix

I had them too
At the time of diagnosis and again with recurrance. Both times they went away with chemo.

Tina Brown

lulu1010 said:

I had them too
At the time of diagnosis and again with recurrance. Both times they went away with chemo.

Lots of really helpful advice
It is so great that I have had so many replies. You all seem to be experiencing the same thing as me.

I am now convinced that these night sweats are the result of the activity of my cancer. When I wake my hair is wet through and on one occasion I had a pool of sweat in my ear. My neck and chest area are the worse and when I remove my pj top it is wet through. I do use a towel on my pillow though as I run out of places that are dry.

However on a positive note, I started Carboplatin just over a week ago and for the past 2 night I have only woken once and was only mildly damp. I am taking this as a positive sign that the chemo is working its magic and "kicking cancers' butt".

So be hopeful ladies that the chemo will do it's thing and this horrible side effect will eventually go away.

Lots love Tina xxxxx

lovesanimals

Tina Brown said:

Lots of really helpful advice
It is so great that I have had so many replies. You all seem to be experiencing the same thing as me.

I am now convinced that these night sweats are the result of the activity of my cancer. When I wake my hair is wet through and on one occasion I had a pool of sweat in my ear. My neck and chest area are the worse and when I remove my pj top it is wet through. I do use a towel on my pillow though as I run out of places that are dry.

However on a positive note, I started Carboplatin just over a week ago and for the past 2 night I have only woken once and was only mildly damp. I am taking this as a positive sign that the chemo is working its magic and "kicking cancers' butt".

So be hopeful ladies that the chemo will do it's thing and this horrible side effect will eventually go away.

Lots love Tina xxxxx

Hi Tina
So glad that you haven't had any night sweats since starting Carboplatin. I myself haven't experienced any night sweats and like the first lady who responded to you, I am on an antidepressant (for anxiety and panic attacks) and I feel the medication has done wonders in preventing me from having to go through any night sweats (or hot flashes too). I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that your chemo is working its magic!

Kelly

Mwee

Tina Brown said:

Lots of really helpful advice
It is so great that I have had so many replies. You all seem to be experiencing the same thing as me.

I am now convinced that these night sweats are the result of the activity of my cancer. When I wake my hair is wet through and on one occasion I had a pool of sweat in my ear. My neck and chest area are the worse and when I remove my pj top it is wet through. I do use a towel on my pillow though as I run out of places that are dry.

However on a positive note, I started Carboplatin just over a week ago and for the past 2 night I have only woken once and was only mildly damp. I am taking this as a positive sign that the chemo is working its magic and "kicking cancers' butt".

So be hopeful ladies that the chemo will do it's thing and this horrible side effect will eventually go away.

Lots love Tina xxxxx

Hi Tina
Let's hear it for carboplatin...... here's hoping it "kicks butt". I, too, wake several times a night with those sweats. Covers on/covers off, clothes on, clothes off. I think someone suggested wrapping one of those freezer ice packs with a towel and having it in bed. I think I'm going to try that tonight and I'll let you know if it helps.
((((LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU, TOO)))) Maria

carolenk

Mwee said:

Hi Tina
Let's hear it for carboplatin...... here's hoping it "kicks butt". I, too, wake several times a night with those sweats. Covers on/covers off, clothes on, clothes off. I think someone suggested wrapping one of those freezer ice packs with a towel and having it in bed. I think I'm going to try that tonight and I'll let you know if it helps.
((((LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU, TOO)))) Maria

Fever, too?
Has anyone checked to see if there is a fever with the night sweats?

LoveButterflies

carolenk said:

Fever, too?
Has anyone checked to see if there is a fever with the night sweats?

Tina, I do take Effexor 75
Tina, I do take Effexor 75 mg one per day. It is an anti-depressant, but I was prescribed it for my hot flashes and it has really helped me. They're not completely gone, but they are much fewer per day and much less intense. Talk to your doctor about it.

Hope this helps.

Carmen

Tina Brown

carolenk said:

Fever, too?
Has anyone checked to see if there is a fever with the night sweats?

Hi Carolenk
I do take my temp regularly and it is normal. I am thinking it is the cancer because as the chemo is starting to have an effect (my tummy is less bloated) my sweats are getting less and less.

lulu1010

Tina Brown said:

Hi Carolenk
I do take my temp regularly and it is normal. I am thinking it is the cancer because as the chemo is starting to have an effect (my tummy is less bloated) my sweats are getting less and less.

So glad...
I am so glad they got the carbo started for you and that you are feeling better. I hope this continues to help you...I am sure it will.

snowbird_11

carolenk said:

Fever, too?
Has anyone checked to see if there is a fever with the night sweats?

fever with sweats
Carolenk, in response to your question about fever with sweats. I have always believed the sweats came after a fever broke so never worried about checking temp @ night. However, the last couple of months I have been experiencing chills in the early evening. I would just curl up under a blanket and rest. It usually passed in about 30- 60 minutes. In April with family visiting it happened and I went to ER with temp of 102. After 2 tylenol, it resolved and stayed down. The gyyn-onc noted it could be occurring when there was a rapid tumor growth during which toxins can be released into the blood stream causing short term unexplained fever. Just to document what was happening prior to my next visit with gyn onc I did take temp with evening chill and it was 100.4. Since I started carboplatin 2 wks ago, I have had no more episodes like this.