This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I'm having night sweats and have had for some time. When you go look around at those 'diagnose thyself' websites... one usually finds - HIV (nope)... Menopause (very unlikely since I'm a guy)... blood sugar...and a few other unlikely maladies depending on the website...

Looking around in the MS areas I don't find too much either.... I did find on some discussion lists a few folks who had discussed with their doc but the doc said - not really a symptom of MS.... Am getting no joy with my doc either on this...

Then I saw one thing that kind of made some sense to me - and this could be an offshoot of MS possibly - That your autonomic nervous system is also possibly compromised and you can sweat involuntarily... but why only while sleeping? Seems to happen more post booze or Rebif.... but not always

I'm puzzled and it may have nothing to do with MS... Any thoughts or similar experiences. I'm tired of these wet icky pillows.....

Hugz n Blessed Be )O(
=Greg

_________________
I'm learning to breathe under water. It's quite beautiful down here.

I used to think that if I tried, I would drown.

Greg

I have exactly the same. I've also wondered if it was an MS symptom or something else. At least I'm not alone, horrible isn't it?

Robin

Hi, seelie. Well, since I'm up and at it, I'll take a stab at this one.

A person's body does a lot of regeneration and recovery processes during sleep. In order to do that effectively, your body regulates internal body temperature (thermoregulation) differently during sleep than it does while awake.

Since MS tends to affect the body's reaction to external AND internal temperature changes and/or temperature extremes due to neuronal dysfunction, etc., my opinion would simply be that the messages your brain is sending out regarding thermoregulation during its regeneration and recovery during sleep is being interrupted or "misinterpreted" by the nervous system.

I'd say it simply comes from the normal process and difference in thermoregulation during sleep that is resulting in night sweats. That hypothesis would probably also go along with your doctor's statement about it not being MS causing it. As a DIRECT cause, no, it probably isn't. But it MAY be indirectly affecting the normal process of thermoregulation during sleep.

If it was a DIRECT autonomic dysfunction or damage to that part of the brain or brainstem, my understanding from what little I can put together, is you'd exhibit more symptoms (and probably additional and more severe temperature regulation dysfunctions) at any time of the day, not just during sleep periods.

So..........unfortunately, although it's a big nuisance (trust me, I know what you mean, but since I'm a woman, I didn't want to make a direct comparison), there may not be a whole lot that can be done about it.

I'd still check with a physician to see what types of suggestions they can come up with to help with the symptom. I "think" the problem with trying to ask a doctor for a "diagnosis" of WHY this is happening, is where and why you'll get such vague responses from them. They simply don't have enough information about what causes night sweats in general to be able to say anything specific one way or another.

But, if you ask for suggestions from your doctor or even from the thisisms audience here on what they may have found that helps TREAT the problem, you may get some pretty good suggestions.

(I'd be interested myself! ) I tend to turn on and off the ceiling fan and kick on and off the blankets all night long. So that's not much advice, huh?

Deb

i also have nightsweats. sometimes i wake up so drenched i need to change pajamas. this seems to happen when i'm my sickest.

I don't get nightsweats but I do sweat sometimes for no reason. Before MS I was always cold, now I am always hot. Seems to be since I started Avonex. Maybe something to do with the drug.

Seelie, do you take any other meds? If so what? I too was getting night sweats. I would sometimes wake being cold, I think because my pillow was so damp(yuck)! I have a couple of theories but depends on other meds. I take Betaseron but the sweats were occuring before I started it. Guess I can't blame that med.

Treez

Hi Treez,

We're sorta in the same boat - This started way prior to taking any MS meds....Probably about 1984... (but not prior to MS like symptoms that my doctor nor I could explain way back when) and of course my meds have changed many times since then. Seems to have been with me a long time... as far as what else I'm on... not sure it matters.... and it would be a decent list.

Regards )O(
=Greg

_________________
I'm learning to breathe under water. It's quite beautiful down here.

I used to think that if I tried, I would drown.

Seelie,

I recently have been getting night-sweats. The occaisional symptom started soon after I started Low Dose Naltrexone. I thought that my night-sweats were a side-effect of LDN, but after reviewing this thread, I think that Deb's (OddDuck) hypothesis makes more sense.

In 2000 I participated in a NASA sponsored trial conducted by the Rocky Mountain MS Center (RMSC) on "cooling therapy." I had a flare-up in the middle of the trial, so I was removed, and never got to see the final results. However, they must have been positive, the RMSC have vests that people can use.

That there was such a study initially indicates that there is a large enough sub-group of people with MS who have body temperature issues. Why else would they do such a study?

What is the place of thermoregulation in understanding what is Multiple Sclerosis? If it happens to so many of us, why isn't this a window to understanding what the disease is?

Greetings Rev....

Yeah... I never did thank Deb for her hypothesis... but I'm with ye... makes more sense than anything I've heard or read. What surprises me is how many folks here are saying me too. I knew if I said "My left side tingles all the time" -- I'd get plenty of me tooz.. but didn't expect it for the sweats.... It doesn't keep my pillows any dryer - but now I know at least some other folks are having this too.... and I hate it for You All!!! And it's icky... but I'll take it over Optic Neuritis every day of the week!

Regards )O(
=Greg

_________________
I'm learning to breathe under water. It's quite beautiful down here.

I used to think that if I tried, I would drown.