Fibromyalgia and Night Sweats

fibromyalgia night sweats
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There are just so many things that people do not know about fibromyalgia. One of the most mystifying mysteries about the condition is in the way that it affects your body, as well as your body’s internal body temperature. Cold temperature can worsen your fibromyalgia symptoms, at the same time, getting overheated can also affect your symptoms. Regulating your body’s internal temperature can be hard and this is why people with fibromyalgia tend to suffer from night sweats.

What Causes Night Sweats In Fibromyalgia

In general, there are many things that could trigger night sweats. These triggers usually result in the fluctuation of your body’s internal temperature. One of the most common reasons why people suffer from hot flashes is the hormonal changes due to menopause. However, if you have fibromyalgia, you have higher chances of getting night sweats. Unlike night sweats in menopause, night sweats in fibromyalgia is not caused by hormonal changes. The main cause of night sweat in people who have fibromyalgia is usually the body’s inability to regulate its internal temperature.

Nonetheless, it still unclear why night sweats are so prevalent in those with fibromyalgia. One theory suggest that fibromyalgia may affect certain mechanisms of the body that regulate temperature, such as the thyroid glands’ activities.

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31 Comments

  1. says: Tracy

    I suffer with bd night sweats.very bd mood swings.have broken a bone in my foot.with this condition.getting very emotional.irratable.anxious.weight gain.carnt take anymore of this.got atheritus in my spine and right hand.wrist.fingers as well.

  2. says: Jayne

    At last someone else is talking about night sweats which I have day and night now! They leave me a weak wet mess from head to toe… which in turn makes eating out a huge problem as the sweating quadruples when I eat.. nothing makes it better unless I sit in a cool bath…who wants to do that. Sometimes I am burning up but the back of my head is icey cold and wet from the crown of my head. Life is miserable like this any advice is welcomed.
    Best wishes Jayne

    1. says: Mary

      Make sure your thyroid is OK. I had to adjust mine recently for this very reason. Also consider taking female hormones. A low dose of Estradiol has very few dangers, (unlike some other estrogen prescriptions), and is GOOD for your breasts. Kept me from ever having hot flashes as I was going through the change.

    2. says: Debbie

      OMG!! i have the EXACT same thing! I knew it was related to my FM but it’s so extreme and uncomfortable. Seems like my muscles ache more too! I heard it had something to do with pain also. Hang in there…. good days and bad.

  3. says: Stephanie

    Thank you this was very informative and has helped me with my fibromyalgia, as I have just recently started having night sweats but I have had some changes in normal routines the sweats have woke me at once a night sometimes twice I now see where your suggestions could help

  4. says: Kathy

    Thank you for posting sweats with fibro. I had an inkling my awful sweats day and night were due to internal ‘clock’, and you have confirmed this…I unfortunately, take meds. Pregabalin and morphine for chronic pain., so that double or triple the sweats….not good!! I do now know that many of my ailments can be attributed to fibro.which for me is good news, I thought I was slowly loosing the plot!!
    many thanks…look forward to your next posting, kathy

  5. says: Efreye

    Oh God I suffer terrible with night sweats.. I have sleep apnea with secondary fibromyalgia so my sleep is even more disturbed now with the sweats. I get a maximum of 2 hours a night if I’m lucky. I’ve followed all the above but I guess the morphine is contributing towards the sweats.. I just don’t sleep anymore. …

  6. says: Dena Robles

    I have secondary fibromyalgia per my Doctor. I was alittle shocked because I have suffered from Lupus for over Twenty Years and this came out of nowhere. I Questioned my Doctor on my next visit and he told me there is no test but I have shown all the symptoms in my complaints and consistant Lab results for my Lupus. I suffer from Night Sweats and I am soaken wet around my neck and head of Hair is drenched. I do also take Morphine and Oxycontin for my Pain and Fatigue. Without pain relief I dont get out of bed , cause I am so bad with stiffness and pain. Once I get moving after Pain Meds I am pretty good for the rest of the day. I have a Myriad of other Illnesses that are factors in my symptoms. I have lost weight and taken care of my Health with my Doctor’s advice and Education. I will not allow my illnesses to get the Best of me. It is my Responsibility to work together with my Doctor’s to live out a full life and enjoy All that I am able to do. My point is to Communicate clearly and Have a possitive Attitude and it will Carry you along Way. Demand the Time it takes to satisfy your Questions and try and Learn something new to your Fibromyalgia and other illnesses that can go Hand and Hand. And if you can Live with all of its menacing facets you have got it Beat.

    1. says: Kelly

      I like the positive attitude and try to practice it as well. I also do everything I can to learn about my health conditions and what I can do to improve my health. Swimming in a therapy pool, doing gentle exercise is helpful. I have bad sweats day and night. Moving to Florida from Minnesota has helped in many ways, but has made the sweating worse. I also have thyroid issues as well as female issues and take morphine for pain. I believe all of these things contribute to the sweating and itching that comes along with Fibromyalgia (the “F word”)
      A positive attitude goes a long way; but we all have “those days” when it gets so old fighting the same issues day after day and not being able to do what we used to do. My saving grace is a network of very understanding friends locally and back home in Minnesota as well as on Facebook. I’ve made a lot of friends at the fitness center where I swim. Many of those friends also suffer with Fibromyalgia, arthritis or similar issues

  7. says: Dena Robles

    Continued
    The Brain Fog I dont understand how to Get a Grasp on how to overcome it. I Tried continuing my Education and came to the conclusion I had to resign. I just could not concentrate and answer simple logical Math equations. I am not giving in and giving up , I need more Education and to Seek Learning Aids and maybe even a Tutor to attempt another try at it. Is there anything proven to combat the effects of Brain Fog?

    1. says: Jo Ann Bean

      Juice a fresh lemon, add to water, then nuke it. sip it warm. For thee days in morning before you eat any thing. It really cleaned out the fiber fog for me..

  8. says: Linda Rennie

    I have night sweats and day sweats the worse thing is i cant go anywhere cause i feel embarrassed cause my whole bidy is soaken from head to to im so depressed with it feeling suicidal at times to along way pain all over my body constantly i cant bend down if i do i can’t walk after it

  9. says: Dee

    This article speaks volumes for me. My Fibromyalgia and ME have a myriad of horrible symptoms to contend with including 24 hour pain, debilitating exhaustion, fibro fog among others but the most frustrating and irritating symptom is that I am always on fire especially my neck and head. I have to sleep with the windows open in winter in order to sleep comfortably and by that I mean shoot for 3-6 straight hours sleep. I get hot/cold sweats too.

    1. says: Barb

      I also have to sleep with the windows open in winter at night. I have found limiting foods with sugar and caffeine help reduce my night sweats.

  10. says: Janice Bryan

    I’ve had day and night sweats for years. The Doctors seem uninterested. I went to the Doctors after I started having them hourly and they went on for 15 minutes sometimes. The Doctor gave me a tablet that slows down my heart? It helped I think, I have sweats frequently but not for such a long duration. Has anyone found a solution that works? Anticholinergic came up on the Internet but it seemed to suggest taking them for a while caused Dementia!

  11. says: Rose

    I was diagnosed over 20 years ago. I have seen numerous doctors, including rheumatologists and so called specialists. No one has ever addressed the sweating or the reactive hypoglycemia, even though I have told them of these symptoms!! I am being tested for diabetes now! Your articles have taught me more about my symptoms than 20 years of doctors! Do any of you have a hot flash, get really thirsty, and then the pain spreads throughout your body? I would also like to mention that the meds we are given have side effects and withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop them.

    1. says: Marie

      Hi ! I was diagnosed over 30 years ago, with fibromyalyia, had it for many years prior to that. I’m always cold, even in the summer, the only time I’m not cold is when it’s very humid. Was in cuba in feb. Everyone was sweating, hot, and I was just warm. When I get hot I barely sweat, so I’m oposit. Also I do take hormone patch, since full hysterectomy 22 years ago. Don’t sleep much, most I can take is advil, once a day. Anything stronger gives me very bad side effects, I even have to stop taking it for a few days. I get so frustrated, some of you are lucky you can take strong meds for your pain. My doctor sees me allot to make sure my depression don’t take over, can’t take anything for that ether. Also have osteoarthritis, all over and 2 pinched nerves in my spine. Neck pain, head pain , incontenance. Affects eyes, ears, Anxiety, gets bad try to control, I exercise, use Dr. Ho, helps allot, and a natural spray for pain called “That stuff for pain, ” keeps me going.works really good. I hope you all find what works for you, and don’t give up.

  12. says: Eric

    If you look on Amazon there are sheet sets for people who sweat a lot. They are made of performance material. My head sweats a lot at night, so I got the pillow cases. I have only had them a couple weeks, but so far they have really helped keep my head cool and my sweats down, which has helped my sleep.

    1. says: Kathleen

      I get the worst night/day sweats but it with my head radiating heat till my hair is drenched then the gross clammy cold. Going on amazon to look for those pillow cases!

    2. says: Jo

      Hi Eric,

      Do you have the name of the sheet sets please? I’ve looked on Amazon UK but can’t find any.

      Thanks
      Jo

  13. says: Julie Neria

    My night sweats get so bad that I soak through my pajamas. Many nights I have to change pajamas twice during the night. My top and bottom sheets and pillow case become too wet to sleep on, so I have to put a towel under me, a different cover over me, then flip my pillow over. I’ve even had times when I had to change towels. My sweats seem to last a week or two, then I get a break for a couple weeks. It seems like if I take a luke warm shower prior to going to bed, it’s not as bad.

    This is a change of topic, but I think it’s important. I’ve stopped saying “my” fibromyalgia and now call it “the” fibromyalgia, because I don’t want to own it. It doesn’t define me. For me, it helps with the depressing aspect of fibro.

  14. says: Pauline

    I can relate to all these comments and it really is a depressing illness and I appreciate all the info. I can get on f ibromyalgia . I really don’t have anything to add to this you all have pretty much covered everything I also have the sweats day and night I had to quit my volunteer job because I was sweating through my clothes how embarrassing I have been off for close to eight months I believe and it’s a Mennonite Thrift Store and the people are wonderful and so understanding and I love working there. Well thank you all for sharing your stories and try to stay strong. HUGS

  15. says: sharon

    It doesn’t happen all the time… I had no idea my night sweats was done to the FM.
    I get so sick and tired of reading about all these symptoms it depresses me.
    I’ve been suffering since adolescents most of which I’ve learned to live with. I’m now 63 when I turned 50 I had a very near death accident any the FM went wacko.
    We’re all suffering.
    Gods blessings to all that suffer your not alone.

  16. says: Mollie. Caryll

    I have chronic and constant extreme sweating and cold chills. With the sweating I get rapid heartbeat and constantly feel it in my head. It is the worst and keeps me from sleeping. At the end of my rope. Doctors say it is anxiety, lol

  17. says: Elizabeth

    I use cotton sheets and pillow cases; also a cotton gown. I keep the AC low and start out cold. But always in the night I wake up sweating, so I kick off covers. Daytime, I keep a folding pop-open fan in my purse and I frequently wear a cotton bandana around my neck to absorb sweat on my neck that ruins my hair.

  18. says: Philomena

    I to have fibromyalgia and the night sweats which were so uncomfortable I bought a cold gel filled may from Amazon I put it in the freezer for some 2/3 hours before bed so it’s ice cold then place it Inside my pillow case and wow does it work nice cold head and keeps my body cool

  19. says: Deborah heading

    I’ve had fibromyalgia for 20 years and I have the night sweat to the point my sheets are wet. But I take tramadol and it causes sweats too. I just found that out. And I also take Vicodin for hip pain a couple of days a week. Don’t like to take the pain meds, but I’m helping in raising my youngest granddaughter and I have to have the meds in order to function.

  20. says: Carolyn

    I have had fibromyalgia for 25 years. Have taken tramadol for the pain for that long with ever increasing dosage. I was finally at one every four hours and that just made it where I could almost function. Then my doctor said I was taking too much and lowered the dosage. I decided to try CBD (cannabidoil which is from the hemp plant not marijuana). There is not a high from it but it has done wonders for the pain. I am able to sleep six yours at a time instead of three. I still have some stiffness when I first get up in the morning, but it loosens up once I move around. The best I have found for the price is from CBDistillery.com I buy the 1000 CBDrop and take one fourth of a dropper two to thee times a day. You can adjust your dosage for what works for you. This was not supposed to be an ad for the company just what works for me. I don’t work for them nor do I get anything from them but pain relief. It is easier to deal with the other systoms when you aren’t in pain. Good luck to all of you.

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