Remedy for night sweats anybody?

[dointime]

Anybody know a remedy for night / day sweats from the virus.  I'm past the menopause so it's not hot flushes.  The sweats stopped when I was UND on Tx.  Now the virus is back and so are the sweats.  They are really disturbing my sleep.

Thanks,
dointime.

[ellendunnam]

Thank you. I think you are very right about the depression. It's really sinking in ...the seriousness of this thing. I am very glad you guys are out there and I am not alone. I have been quite consumed with myself lately. Usually if I help someone else, I feel better about me.
I am in AA and have a young man coming to stay with me and my roommate starting tonight. He is in a bad way and needs some direction and basically someone to talk to. I hope I can focus on someone besides myself for a while.

[ladybug52]

Sounds as if you're very depressed to me. Forgive me if you find that forward, but your lack of interest in going out with friends, your anxiety about getting to and from the clinic, and LOL seemed to set you off.

I know this is very tough, physically and mentally, but do you think it would be easier knowing you had this disease for years? I know it takes time to adjust, but you're not in this alone.

It takes a while for the effexor to kick in. Tx isn't a picnic, but focusing on how difficult it is can't help your spirits.

Try to remind yourself that you have friends that want to get you out of the house, you've found a free clinic, and you're moving forward in your fight against this very obnoxious disease and tx.

And lighten up! Laughter is good for the soul.

Bug

[ellendunnam]

I was glad to see your post about foods we should be eating. You didn't mention dairy; is it bad in some way?

[ellendunnam]

Thanks for your words. I think you meant well but you closed with "something we are going to deal with!!!!!!LOL ".
Maybe I would have a sense of humor about having this disease, or maybe if I took Ativan...but I was very recently diagnosed and I just don't think I'll just laugh it off.
I am trying to get the proper medical care with no insurance of any kind.
I go to a free clinic, trying to find a way to even get treatment, and then trying to find a way to get 30 miles away to the only one hospital that offers treatment.
Forgive me if I don't find humor in it.

[ellendunnam]

Thanks for the words. I know you meant well, but "LOL"? Maybe I would find this funny if I had this disease for years, t since I recently was dia

[IMstacie]

I am tired of changing the sheets and pjs in the middle of the night.  I'm always cold except in the middle of the night.  I take a 1/2 of benedryl about an hour before bed.  I don't know if it helps the night sweats but I will get a good night's sleep most of the time.  Oh, and it is worse a few days after my shot.

[14cheri]

I know how you feel. I have the exact sx. Sometimes at wk I want to get out of my chair and lay in the floor. I do at home. I have the muscel aches only when walking. Thank goodness I don't have the throwing up. I have the itching, I take benadryl, it helps some.The night sweats only happen sometimes. I get depressed, I take 3 effexor a day and1 mg ativan 3 times a day. They seem to help but I think this is something we are going to deal with!!!!!!LOL

[banarep]

I try and keep only a small light cover on me and keep a towel or two close.  but can never predict when I will get em.  sometimes for nights on end and then not for months or years.  funny how this stuff works.

[ellendunnam]

I was recently diagnosed and am having a time with what I believe are extreme symptoms. I am continually exhausted, to the point of not being able to do anything. I just want to be lying down all the time. My  friends do not fully understand and act as though they think I a depressed so they try to get me "out of the house".I don't want to get out, I am too tired.One person tells me I need to be pushing myself to do more. I am a little depressed but I am taking Effexor just for that. I also itch alot...everyday. I have sweats every time I sleep, night or day. I never used to sweat hardly at all. I vomit, if I eat until I am full. Please advise.

[hippygem]

Western medicine advises approaching night sweats based on their cause. Since HCV is currently an infectious disease without a cure, this approach provides little relief. Below are some practical tips on managing night sweats:

· Avoidance – Avoid alcohol (this is a given with liver disease), cigarettes, recreational drugs, spicy foods, caffeine and sugar. All of these can raise body temperature.

· Drug check – Talk with your doctor about your medications to see if they could be contributing to night sweating.

· Cool down – Keep your bedroom cool. If weather permits, keep a window open, or try using a fan. However, avoid a draft directly on you.

· Shower – Taking a cool shower before bed may lower body temperature enough to prevent an attack of night sweats.

Traditional Chinese Medicine perceives night sweating as an indication of a person’s state of health. According to Chinese medical theory, night sweats are associated with an imbalance of yin, where body fluids and nutrients are depleted.

In TCM, the well-known yin-yang symbol is the embodiment of balance. Although they represent opposite forces, there can be no yin without yang, and vice versa. Yin is the material basis for yang. Yang is the functional manifestation of yin. The three most relevant properties of yin are as follows:

1. Cools – Due to its fluidity, yin cools the body and maintains an even body temperature.

2. Nourishes – Yin supplies nourishment to the body at all levels.

3. Provides rest – When in balance with yang, yin enables us to use our energy efficiently, recover easily from fatigue and preserve health.

In cases of chronic disease, particularly when the liver is affected, the proportion of yin to yang diminishes. Symptoms of yin deficiency include night sweats, fatigue, restlessness, insomnia, flushed cheeks, warm palms and soles, a dry mouth, red lips, and low-grade afternoon fevers. Therefore, TCM approaches night sweats by fortifying yin. Those trained in TCM utilize a variety of techniques and/or herbal prescriptions to tonify the yin. Countless case studies document night sweats disappearing under the care of a TCM practitioner. Although less potent than acupuncture or Chinese herbs, consuming the following foods can also help fortify yin:

· Grains – barley, millet
· Beans – adzuki beans, kidney beans, black beans, black soya beans, mung beans
· Protein – eggs, beef, pork, duck, oyster, clams, crab, octopus, fish
· Flavorings – sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, walnuts
· Vegetables – asparagus, artichokes, peas, regular and sweet potatoes, seaweed, yams, tomatoes
· Fruits – apples, pears, pomegranates, watermelon, bananas, avocadoes

http://www.hepcaustralia.com.au/symptoms-news/night-sweats.html

[dointime]

merryBe - I am so hoping that neither of us has blockages to worry about in addition to our livers.  But hoping won't make it true so thanks for the info and I'll do my homework on it as you suggest.  Good luck and let us know if you have any progress with your doc.    

nygirl / amazzon - I never even thought of a fan.  Sounds drastic to have a fan on all night in winter but hey, if that's what will fix this then I'm up for it, thanks.  Seems I also need to review my nightwear.  At the risk of lapsing into girlie talk, I always wanted silk pajamas but never was able to wear them because of the risk of freezing to death.  Well, here's my chance.  I just knew there had to be some upside to having this cr@ppy virus!       dointime

              

[nygirl7]

Oh my I'd forgotten all abuot them.  I didn't believe it when I woke up the first time just COVERED in sweat and- stood up and it just poured off my body.  UGH!

I don't think there is really an answer but I found if I wore a light undershirt underneath my pjs...I could at least change it in the middle of the night and go back to bed - rather than just keep on pouring all night long.  

DO NOT wear fleece pjs whatever you do.  Fleece is such a nice warm thing but it has NO absorbtion abilities AT ALL and it is the grossest thing in the world.

I too kept a fan next to my bed (even in winter) and kept it on "low" all night long.

I'm sorry dointime I wish I had a magic answer - I never found it.

[dointime]

It's my whole body that gets covered in a layer of sweat.  It seems to start in the chest area then spread out everywhere.

[merryBe]

the bile ducts start secreting as soon as you eat, and the higher the fat the more they do....any impingement, even if it isn't gallstones can cause probs. I'm working on trying to get them to scan all my ducts for blockages. You can get cysts or nodules blocking the flow and hence inflamming the liver, which trie to secret the bile....if it stays in the liver...it digests it, rather than your food.

so far, no doc wants to give me the scans since my ultrasound showed clear, but this test is notorious for not showing stuff.  I figure a fever after eating accompanied by liver gall bladder pain is symptomatic of some sort of blockage, especially in a liver full of fibrosis known to cause blockages.
But what do I know.....just read up on gall inflammation, and gastritis, and then see if you can get a doc to think beyond the little narrow liver box you've been put it....as if they aren't all connected..sheesh.....hope you can get them to care, but mine seem to think it may all be the HCV...which I seriously doubt.

[amazzon]

I carry a small fan with me from room to room at all times directly pointing to the area of my head and neck and back, which is mainly where it hits me.  I do take a shower right before I go to bed and buy only 400 count sheets, which I find are a lot cooler to sleep on.

Amazzon

[sfwandwow]

i use to sweat realbad and since i started tx i never sweat except when iam on the treadmill

[Harry Potter]

I have the occasional night sweat from time to time--nothing compared to the 10 days or so straight of night sweats when I was first diagnosed.  I've always been a heavy perspirer (I wrote a "heavy sweater" before--too many jokes there!), especially during exercise or in the sun, even if it's not unduly hot.  I have noticed something new--I start to sweat a bit, mostly on the face, when drinking a large cup of hot coffee, or any hot beverage.  It's a little annoying, but I can live with it--it's just weird!!  I used to have a friend who sweated PROFUSELY from eating anything even mildly spicy.  I'm glad I'm not in that category!

[copyman]

is it your whole body that breaks out in a sweat when awaken from sleep or more in one area like the neck, etc

[dointime]

Thanks for all this info.  You point the way, which is to figure out what the triggers are.  I noticed already that I'm all sweaty and clammy about 10 mins after eating, every time, even if it's cold and the heat is off.   And yes, the sweat brings out a sweat rash and the itchies in body folds, under boobs and other bits.

Haven't figured out the night sweat thing yet, only that it's more likely to happen in the first half of the night.  So maybe I'll try missing out the bedtime snack.  But then I'll wake up early from hunger and I hate that too.  Oh oh, whinge mode coming on.  

dointime

              

[merryBe]

ice packs (gel type) on liver and head, or cool rage on head. Also take riba w dinner early....no caffience or pop. Use Ambian CR for sleep.  ride it out, try not to eat too much at a time...as this flares up the whole area. Sometimes an ice pack on the right back mucles will help selttle the liver pain down.   Drink water only, no high carbs/sugars, eat easy to digest things, like oatmeal, simple amall amounts of white proteins, not red, complex carbs i.e. veggie, fruit, whole grains,

a lot of the episisodes are linked to digesting, or trying to digest....so these will help lessen those episodes.

[R Glass]

I wish I had the answer. It appears to have a mind of it’s own. I had night sweats before tx. Now that I am txing,  It does seem to be worse on the weekends when I do my shots and it also has a strange odor (not B.O.) I know my wife is tired of washing sheets.

[susan400]

I wish I could say that I did have a remedy.  I've found that if I drink the right amount of water, it helps.  Caffeine seems to make them worse.  If I drink TOO much water, it seems to make it worse-don't know why that is, but...   If I get in the sun - worse.   Therefore, since my skin doesn't tolerate the sun, either, I don't do the sun thing.  This is hard to explain in the winter, but I live in FL and it's been in the 80's here.  We might actually get a cold front in a couple of days.  Anyhow, during the course of my many TX's, I acquired a skin condition that may or may not ever go away.  It's aggravated when I'm on TX, but is still present off of TX.  The triggers are sun, hot water (so that rules out those relaxing showers and tub baths), exercising in the heat-have to run the A/C and exercise indoors; NSAIDS and IV dyes.  Anyhow, if I get the sweats - then, this skin thing starts making me itch alot.  I don't really get a rash with it most of the time; except when TX drugs(specifically Telaprevir) cause the rash.  This skin thing was diagnosed by my dermatologist when she did a skin biopsy on me.      Anyway, if you're in a cold climate, don't run the heat up too high because that will make it worse, too.

Susan