Night Sweats Before Period

[shavasana]

Hi there,

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this and/or has any solutions. For a few years, I have experienced night sweats about a week to a couple of days before my period. They usually stop the first day of my period and then start up again the next month. And when I say sweats, I mean drenching... getting up at night at least twice to change and wanting to change my bedding but being too tired to do so. I have spoken with only gynecologist who blew it off. I have since changed gynecologists, but haven't met with her yet to discuss this. I read on the internet that it may have something to do with my progesterone level or that I may be premenopausal... but I'm only 33 and have been experiencing this for many years already. Hard to believe I'm going through menopause.

Anyway, any insight would help. I've tried everything... different sheets, different pajamas, turning the heat up, turning the heat down, fans... Nothing is helping.

Thanks!

[Scarlett1132]

Hi

I am totally the same with night sweats before my period.  Mine started about 3 years ago and i get them usually a week or a few days before I am due to start.  I often wake up freezing cold because i am soaked through.  I have not found any answers from my GP but I was tested for menopause but they were negative.  I am guessing that it is a hormone that changes or switches to overdrive just before I start.  But I too would like some suggestions, advice etc.

Thanks

[mootch]

Hi there, I've had the same for years also, however seems to be more random when I'm on the pill. I"m currently seeing  a specialist who is doing a lot of different tests, so will let you know how I get on! I'm 37 and have probably had these problems since I was about 30, but it causes me a bit of anxiety because I keep thinking it could be something serious, so hoping for some answers!!

[rosie028]

Ladies monitor the night sweats keeping a calender for each episode and see how often they occur that way when going to the GYN and he asks is it random or during menstration you can tell him definitively. I have night sweats also but they are due to removal of ovary and will continue until menopause! So good luck on your quests for the answers.

[shavasana]

I hope you find some answers. Please post, if you don't mind, if you find anything out. My new ob/gyn had no ideas, other than saying that I should check with a dermatologist and get on some pills to reduce the amount that I sweat. It only happens right before my period, so I guess I could time taking the pills pretty well, but I wish there was another answer.

But, it feels better that I'm not the only one!

[shavasana]

I'm sorry you're suffering, too. Do you remember when they started for you? It's been about 5 years for me, and counting.

[Maddie118]

I am 37 and this started for me a couple of months ago.  It is only the week before my period and then its gone.  I have an appt. with my OBGYN next week.  Sounds more common than I thought.  I have had nothing but problems since I had my tubes tied about 6 years ago, I am thinking after doing some research that the tubal ligation threw me into menopause- post tubal ligation syndrome.  Has anyone else had a tubal?  

[shavasana]

Hi Maddie,

No I haven't had tubal. I wonder if the sweats are related to your procedure....

[itwokemeup]

Hello, Im a 29 year old female and I've just started getting night sweats right before and during my period. When this first happened I was Freaked Out!!!! I went to my doctor and ordered a TB and HIV test, and that's because when you google night sweats everything that is fatal comes up first.LOL. And that freaked me out. Thank GOD that the test were negative. Then I started to wonder if it was premenapause. I just dont know, I guess this is more common then I thought.I hope we all find out why we got the sweaties! LOL

[chkpf]

Hi, glad that I found this forum here. I'm 44 and started the night sweats in the 30's.  Usually it is about a week or few days before my period. I'm about to have my period 7 days ago but it is late.  I'm not pregnant and feel really bloated.  I had my night sweat last night and all the chills that I used to feel just before I get my period.  Not sure if I blame it on recent traveling and my cold mediation during my vacation 2 weeks ago that could have delayed my period.  Or I could be starting perimenopause. Anyone experienced the same when they were starting perimenopause.

Thanks.

[AmericaMC]

I don't have answers, but I do have night sweats!  I am 24 years old and have been having night sweats days to a week before the start of my period for a couple of years now.  I am, and have been, on birth control (Nuva Ring) the entire time.  My doctor did not have any answers for me, either, but did not think that I am going through early menopause.  No tests have been done, though.  I want to investigate the reason behind these premenstrual night sweats; I'm sick of them!  A google search reveals only perimenopause or, as itwokemeup wrote, conditions such as HIV and TB!

[Totie]

I have the same thing happen to me. Mine started about 2yrs ago. I am now 38. My doctor told me i could be perimenopausal, although she said there is a test to do i have to have NOT had period in 6 months. Strange thing is I am on my third period in 30 days....Not any fun. ...This one is lasting longer than my usal 3-4 days, it is going on 9 days....

I gave up on my doctor for this and have scheduled an appt. with a gyno, but it is not until next month...

[DyingRose]

I'm 24 and started having this started in March (23 at the time), but I never thought anything about it so I ignored it and then I laid in bed one night and realized when and how often they were coming. A few days before my period and during my period then they quit until it's due again. I still have no answers to this. So if anyone finds out anything, please feel free to share!

[chkpf]

Based on all the answers that I've read, it seems like night sweats are pretty common just before or during your period.  Each person starts at a different age and forget about the doctor, they have no clue on anything if you want answers...

Based on what I read on the internet, it seems that a drop in certain female hormones will trigger the night sweats. I used that as a sign to get ready for my monthly thing so if you are used to getting it but stopped, that could be a signal that your body is changing, either you're getting pregnant or a change of lifestyle can trigger the change.

Mine is really strange this month as I experienced the sweats a couple of nights ago and feeling really bloated but my period is running a week late.  Not pregnant as I've done the pregnancy test so not sure what is triggering it.

[Stardust629]

I am in my forties and have had this problem on and off since my late thirties. A couple things seem to help. First, change your diet a little as your period approaches and eat less red meat, dairy, sugar, chocolate and processed foods and try to eat more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables and maybe even some foods with soy protein. Dairy and red meat contain hormones that can contribute to estrogen dominance causing hormonal balance. Make sure you drink plenty of water and exercise at this time. Another thing that helps is aloe vera juice taken orally from the health food store. Just as aloe vera gel is used topically for burns, the type you drink cools down the body and removes toxins and also helps the digestive track and is great for colon activity. A good one to try is Lily of the Valley. Just follow the dosage directions and store in the refrigerator. The taste is tolerable and it is also good for your skin. I also use all natural progesterone cream several days out of the month for hormonal support when my progesterone levels dip.

[shavasana]

Thanks Stardust for all that great advice. Now that you mention it, I notice that if I drink a lot of water and do a lot of cardio exercise in particular before my period, the sweats are far less severe. I still get a bit damp, but not the drenching. I'll will certainly try Lily of the Valley. Do you drink it before your period or just on a regular basis? Also, I recently met with another gynecologist and she advised making an appt with a dermatologist and getting a scrip for Xyzal or Telfast or a topical cream that reduces the amount one sweats. Has anyone tried these? Xyzal and Telfast appear to be antihistamines. I'm not sure how these would work.

[christoeuan]

so glad I found this discussion! I am 38 and have suffered from night sweats for the past 4 years, 6-10 days before each period. It is a complete nightmare. I thought originally that I was menopausal or perimenopausal - my mother, maternal grandmother and great aunt all had menopause in early 30s. All docs (gyn clinic and menopause clinic) have no idea what the problem is. They all say I'm not menopausal (according to test), and I do still have very regular periods - but extremely heavy for 2 days then spotting for a week. I also have thrush for 6/7 day after each period - which also started with night sweats. does anyone ele have this problem? All the docs have said that I have a 'unique' set of symptoms - clearly this is not the case!
To me, with no medical training - it is clearly some sort of cyclic hormonal inbalance.
I have tried all solrts of meds (combined pills), however, they either make the sweats worse or move them to during my period! My last option is either they switch off my ovaries and give me HRT, or I try a low dose anti-depressant called Venlafaxine - which seems to help with bad PMS?
Has anyone tried either of these?
I have complete empathy with all of you guys suffering this - I wish someone could get to the bottom of it!

[Mai_Mai]

I have been having night sweats for a number if years now. I have pinned it down to just before my period...I really hate waking up in the middle of the night feeling completely drenched....it's like taking a shower with my clothes on. I will try the dietary advice above and see if that works...

I feel much more normal after reading all these posts!

[carsmommy]

This link takes you to a forum where this same question was posted and a Dr. answered the post.  Worth checking out..He says to have a couple blood tests done during the third day of menstration.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/511655

[shavasana]

Finally, a doctor SAYS something about this. I've been to several who just said it was common and said to try the pill. THANK YOU for posting this. I'll call my doctor tomorrow.

[omni007]

I'm 24 and I have night sweats too, but only a few days out of the month. I've been charting my fertility (FAM)- taking the morning temps & checking the cervical fluids- I think my night sweats are related to when I ovulate! Ovulation causes a huge change in your hormones- last night I had all the fertile signs & had that monthly dull ache in my ovaries. In the morning, I woke up with soaked sheets.

[omni007]

I'm 24 and I have night sweats too, but only a few days out of the month. I've been charting my fertility (FAM)- taking the morning temps & checking the cervical fluids- I think my night sweats are related to when I ovulate! Ovulation causes a huge change in your hormones- last night I had all the fertile signs & had that monthly dull ache in my ovaries. In the morning, I woke up with soaked sheets.

[ladyfriend]

I have this issue also. THis month it was really bad. I also noticed my period was a couple of days later. I had a 3 day timeframe where each time I would lay down to sleep I would wake up sweaty. went away when my period finally started. I do notice that working out really improves or even completely gets rid of the night sweats. from my googling I do believe somehow my liver is involved. as it controls menstruation and hormones. I think working out eases strain on the liver and allows for proper menstruation.

[NceGrl72]

I had my tubes tied in 2000.  Prior to having them tied, I NEVER had menstrual cramps, night sweats or terrible mood swings.  I now have severe cramps, night sweats a few days before my period and one week of  " pure crazy emotional roller-coaster".  I'm a RN and have asked several docs that I work with about my problem and most have told me they have no clue what is going on.  I have also been to several GYN's and they all tell me that chances are it's from having my tubal ligation done.  I'm 37 now, but this has been going on for years.  I've actually considered having a tubal reversal just to get rid of the problems....but that is not a guarantee.  So, the answers I have found are this, it's nothing to be concerned about - there is no threat to your health, it may not be permanent if you have a reversal done, (if your tubes are tied) it may last for years, it's a hormone imbalance, and it *****!  If I find out anything more, I will be sure to post.  

[Deni_b1]

My goodness. I know it sounds bad, but I'm so glad I'm not the only one.  I was going crazy.  I'm 43 years old and my night sweats start about a week before my period.  I had blood tests and am not premenopausal. As many people, when checking out the symptons on the internet, the first thing that pops up are all the sinister things and no doubt, freaks me out!!  Reading your posts has certainly put my mind more at ease.  Thanks Deni x

[Koolaskat]

Hi, I have been diagnosed with a hormone imbalance, estrogen dominance, and have the same night sweats during ovulation and also just before my period, amongst other symptoms such as extreme tiredness, bloating, water retention, sensitivity - the list goes on! I am not producing enough progesterone to balance the estrogen increase in the cycle during ovulation. My doctor has put me on a low carbohydrate diet (no grains) and high "good fats" (fish, nuts, seeds) and high leafy greens diet as well as the use of progesterone cream to help balance out the estrgogen. There is a really good book about this called "What your doctor did not tell you about prememopause" by Dr John Lee, (don't worry this doesn't mean you are going into perimenopause), you can get it on Amazon. I hope this helps, I wanted to share this as I have bounced from dr to dr trying to fix this and I finally got lucky with a dr that understands womens hormones.

[jessicaxyz]

I had mild night sweats about a year ago when i first started taking the pill, and they were only light sweating on my chest and neck.  Eventually they stopped, but I just recently stopped the pill and last night I woke up drenched and cold.  I haven't had a period in over a year.  The sweats last night terrified me, because of course i did a google search, and now think I am doomed,  Could stopping the pill cause the drenching night sweats?

[BRIEKITTY]

I HAVE THE SAME THING, I AM 34 YRS OLD.   FIND A BETTER GYNE THAT WILL SIT AND LISTEN WITH YOU.   YES, YOU ARE PREMENOPAUSAL.  EMBRACE IT AND MOVE ON, IT IS PART OF LIFE.  I KNOW THAT DURING THE DAY IF U FEEL A HEAT FLASH COMING ON, DRINK AS MUCH ICE COLD WATER AS FAST AS YOU CAN, AND THAT SEEMS TO HEAD IT OFF SOME.  AT NIGHT THOUGH, YOU ARE JUST SCREWED.   YOU CAN HAVE EXTRA JAMMIES READY, AND PAD THE BED WITH PUPPY PADS OR SOMETHING, HOWEVER, MY MD GAVE ME A ESTROGEN PATCH THAT I CAN APPLY THE WEEK BEFORE MY PERIOD IS TO START, AND THAT HELPS SOME.   HE SAID IT IS DUE TO THE SUDDEN DROP OFF OF ESTROGEN YOU GET PRIOR TO YOUR PERIOD.  IT MAKES SENSE.   OH, AND MOST OF THE TIME IF YOU HAVE THE MENOPAUSE TESTING DONE, IT DOESNT SHOW ANY THING BECAUSE, SOME TIMES DURING THIS STAGE, YOU HAVE NORMAL LEVELS AT TIMES.  THATS WHY YOU CAN STILL GET PREGNANT.

[jess181]

Hi. I am 19 years old and for the past year I have been getting night sweats a week or so before my period starts. I have read all the comments and it seems to be I am the youngest. If anyone knows anything, please comment back. Thank you

[cristal777]

I read everyone's comments and just wanted to say I am having the same night sweats a week before my period. I started taking Yasmin three months ago after being switched off my old birth control. I notice the sweats happen one the two days when I start taking the white "sugar" pills. I am a 26 year old female with no other problems. I am certain the link is my hormones but changing clothes in the middle of the night from these sweats is annoying! I hope this helps someone and lets other women know your not alone in this! I also read the other comments about exercise and eating right and I do both and they don't help me.

[annieo36]

I too am glad to have found everyones comments here because I have night sweats too (at 36) and you've comfirmed my thoughts that it's just hormonal changes. I've had mild period related night sweats since I was in my late teens for just the first one or two nights so I got used to it. (For me, it's not pill related as I've never been on it.) Then, right after giving birth (both times), for several weeks, they got really really bad. (So basically, with the leaky boobs and all I was a right sleepy wet mess!!) After some time, they got a bit better, maybe only two or three nights of it but for the last two periods it seems to be worse again. I guess I have always suspected it is strictly hormonal changes due to my patterns and the fact that my mother has had the same pattern all her life, and still now after menopause (which she went through late at 58?). I have not approached this with my dr as it has seemed 'normal' for me. Isn't it lovely to be a woman?

[Magpie058]

Hi there,
I am 42 years old and I have had night sweats a few days before my period for the last 20 years.  My mother also had these at the same time in her life.  I am otherwise healthy and have normal thyroid and hormone levels.  I have never found a doctor who can explain it, but I have always just associated it with the dropoff of estrogen before menstruating.  The diseases you see on the internet that are associated with night sweats are really scary, but my mom and I are very healthy and this is just seems to be a natural side effect of female hormones.  

[abbykins]

Hi, i too am a pre-period night sweater. i went to a dr years ago for it and wasted money getting tests done and of course there was nothing wrong. When i was pregnant I think I had the sweats almost every night and as soon as she was out they stopped. I have just got my period back after 12 months and the sweats have started up again pre-period. So, there must be something hormonal going on. I don't think I am prememopausal as the sweats are only at night. The joy!! Good luck everyone

[cloudySunshine]

I'm 29 but have had night sweats every month 4-5 days before my period. This started years ago. I can't quite remember when but maybe when I was 18 or 19? I noticed that the sweating usually happens early in the morning opposed to right after I fall asleep. It's definitely hormonal but I haven't met anyone else with this problem. I hope that some of us are just more sensitive to hormonal changes and body temperature changes and that it's not a sign of something more serious down the road.

[Tnt09]

Thank you so much for your insight! I have been suffering from these night sweats for 11 years (I am 31 now) and have been tested for every disease imaginable including HIV and Hodgkins Lymphoma. Not one doctor was able to determine what was causing these night sweats. Not my gyno, general practitioner, nor my endocrinologist.
I forwarded the link to each physician I mentioned, because it seems about time that our doctors stopped shrugging their shoulders and giving us a pat on the back as we exit their office.
BRIEKITTY. I appreciate your thoughts, but peri/premenopause for this many women in their 20's and 30's may have already been a feature on 60 minutes by now. Not everyone is entering premenopause when suffering from night sweats before menstruation.
Ladies, keep the posts and ideas coming! Hopefully some smart women's health guru will shed more light and end our evenings of suffering.

[1centwiz]

Hey Girls, Thanks for all of the above comments and yes, we all seem to be in the same boat. I can only imagine that it's normal and that we can do something about it. I take aloe, I seem to want to work out just before my menstrual cycle, I stay away from sugars, caffeine (chocolate too), and drink tons more water. When I follow this game plan, the sweats are no more than a slight fever sweat and only come once maybe twice. Staying away from the sugars, including alcohol, keep the yeastie beaties from taking over and that goes for Thrush too as it is I believe the same type of yeast infection. The other thing I've added is Mild Thistle for the liver. It helps the liver process the toxins and for centuries has been something the monks have used to regenerate damaged livers. No scientific resources I can quote, just that it seems to work for me.
One thing I'll keep an eye on is if I get the night sweats when I ovulate. As I'd love to get pregnant, this would be an awesome way of knowing if I'm fertile.
For me, at 45 the night sweats have just started. Due to my age, the doctor says I'm peri menopausal, but my menses have only been regular these last 10 years due to being overly active and thin is what the doctor said. I'm in no way a dieter or have any other issues with food except the I get distracted easily and forget to eat...
Also, I've noticed with me and it was true for my Grandmother as well, that when I travel it's as if my menses takes a vacation as well. If I was due a couple of days before my trip, it would just stall until I got back home and two days after getting back home, whammo it would start. I just chalked it up to being like my grandmother and hopefully will go through menopause without any major issues as well... or I could hope.... My mother had a full hysterectomy at 38 after my sister was born, so no history to follow there as she was put on hormone treatments.
Anyway, thanks for this conversation. It gave me some sort of peace knowing that there is a reason to why I'm having these issues and why, without knowing it, sometimes they are better than worse because of what I do for myself.

[Mrskilljoy]

I'm 35 and I just googled this subject.  I woke up to the feeling of sweat pouring off me last night.  This has been going on for about 6-7 months and I was really worried.  I'm on the pill and have been for years.  I just wondered if any if you other ladies have fibroids and if that could be a factor.

[smurfette1984]

I am 25 years old and i have just started having severe night sweats before my period....it wakes me during the night and i have to change what im wearing and if im awake enough my duvet cover.ive also started becoming very hormonal for a whole week before my period which also never use to be that bad.i have no idea why this is , its never happend until now.Is it normal.hope someone can give me some advise on what i can do as it feels so horrible when it happens.

[christoeuan]

I have been suffering from these awful night sweat for a number of years, as I noted in my last post. After seeing a range of medical professionals and trying all sorts of pills etc - including anti depressants, around 6 months ago I was told that my last 2 options were - artificial menopause & HRT or full blown removal of ovaries / womb & HRT.....with no guarantee that either would work...! At 39, I was understandably quite distressed at the thought of either (and also worried that if currently have these sweats which are so 'unusual' - god knows what symptoms I might end up with going down these routes!!) I think that my specialist thought I was just being difficult when I told him I wouldn't consider these options. He then said that there was one other option (which he made clear he didn't really believe in) - progesterone pessaries. He said some medics thought that this hormone might be lacking in second half of cycle, and maybe this might help. Now, I am in no way medically trained, but I have always thought (and expressed to many doctors) that I must have a drop in some hormone or other on a cyclic basis. I have now been using these for around 3 months (day 14 - 28) - and imagine this.....my night sweats have dramatically reduced. They have not completely gone - but instead of 8-10 nights of terrible sweats - I now have maybe 2 bad nights and 3 or 4 nights where I sweat a little bit. What a difference after all these years! It is not perfect in any way, and my periods have become a little irregular - but it is so so much better.
I don't know if this is of help to anyone - but it may very well be worth a try. I don't have a return appoint for a few months - but I cannot at all understand why such highly trained medical specialists would suggest these major / life changing measures before trying out something so simple first?
Good luck to you all with this.

[cara_uk]

Hi there,
I am also a night-sweater. It is awful...I wake up drenched, cold and feeling very grubby!

I am strongly considering going to the doctors regarding my periods...regaring the night sweats, headaches and that the 'gap' between bleeding keeps varying too - this time my period appeared only 19 days after I finished the last one, grrrr :o(

I have terrible night-sweats around the time of my period, I wake up with headaches (my theory is these are either hormonal, or that the headaches are due to dehydration where I have sweated so much fluid out in the night) and my periods seem to be too frequent for my liking and also very heavy but can last between 3 or 7 days long....when theyre 7 days and heavy it leaves me sooo drained and exhausted.

Anyone else get the headaches? And does it sound normal to not even get a three-week gap between bleeding?

Gosh, being female ***** sometimes.....!

[lian911]

I am so glad I found this site, here is my sweaty story :-)
I am a 28 year old and since giving birth last November I have sufferd with really bad night sweats. Just 3 days after giving birth to my son these sweats started, after reading in a magazine and on Google that the major causes of night sweats was the menopause and Cancer!! I was totally freaked out and went to see my GP. They orderd me to have blood tests, when the results came back all was normal apart from my inflamation (inflammation) markers was a bit high, but the doctor assured me that could be down to any slight infection.
After a few months these sweats stopped and would only return a few days before my period was due. I have just last week been back to my doctor who really could not give me any insight on why this has happend, or what is causing these sweats. I am going next week for more blood tests to mae sure the infllamation markers have come down and that my Oestrogen levels are normal. I have regular light periods each month and until having my second child I had never had this problem before.

Reading this forum has really made me relax a bit, I am jst hoping all my bloods are normal :-).

I shall keep you all posted.

[leguin]

Hey all! So glad to find this list. I am 33 and have gotten night sweats a few nights before my period for years. I've also been tracking fertility and seem to be having the lutein hormone spike that signals ovulation, so am hoping it's not early onset menopause. Hoping to hear from some women's health experts.

[redvase]

I'm 34 and have had the night sweats for 5 years. 2 things changed 5 years ago: I got married, and, 5 months later, I had an ectopic pregnancy that required a laparoscopy and fallopian tube removal.

Since the surgery, the Mr and I both know when I'm going to get my period because of the excessive amount of heat and sweat radiating from my groin (lovely, eh?). It is severe enough to wake me and the Mr in the night, make him sleep in the guest room, and scare the living **** out of me.

This leads to fighting, misunderstanding and frustration for the Mr and myself. Lack of quality sleep and the inability to understand exactly WHY I -- and more importantly, why do I HAVE TO -- go through this, leads to psychological stress (demonstrated by rampant "Googling" of symptoms) and physical tension (back pain, shoulder tightness).

I have tried to get answers from GP's and GYN surgeons on the NHS (I'm in the UK), but none have been helpful in the slightest. I've kept a calendar of symptoms (night sweats is one of several PMS problems I've had, however night sweats is the most troubling for me), yet none even touched it, much less showed the slightest interest in reviewing it.

I am moving to a new country next year and will look into what options are available there. In 2009, almost 2010, its hard to understand why womens health is still such a mystery to the medical community.

[steadyb]

I am stating nothing new, and in fact, you can probably guess!  I am 30 and have been having nightsweats from 1 week to a few days before my period.  Another thing I noticed is that these night sweats are starting around the same age!  It seems that they are starting in our mid twenties.  I wonder if it may have anything to do with body changes during this time of life.  I have no idea, but it sure is annoying.  Is anyone else having these nightsweats also on medication?  I also read that medications like antideppresants, cortisones (even otc meds like advil) can cause nightsweats.

[julramssmith]

I am 30 and I tooo have night sweats that started about 6 months to a year ago.  I had a chemical pregnancy last month and new something was wrong when I had a night sweat 5 days after my period was due (and had a confirmed positive HPT).  This night sweat meant my progesterone dropped and the pregnancy ended.  I immediately woke up and took another HPT and it was lighter than the night before- called the dr and bllod wk confirmed my hcg and progesterone #'s dropped.  SO....the sweats have to do with your progesterone level dropping which has to happen for your period to start as the drop in levels thin your uterine lining.  I don't have FSH (low egg reserve) or a progesterone issue...both have been tested serval times as we go though fertility treatments.  It has ALL to do with porgesterone dropping and estrogen increasing...Atleast now I know whether or not I'm pregnant- hope I don't sweat next month!!