Question

Do people with ME have night sweats? This is a new symptom that is causing myself and my partner considerable distress.

Answer

Yes, night sweats, sometimes quite profuse, do sometimes occur in ME/CFS. This is a symptom that was highlighted by the late Dr Melvin Ramsay when he produced his original description of ME. Here is Dr Ramsay’s description of one particular patient who:

….used to waken in the night to find himself lying in a pool of water. His wife is a nurse and reports that his temperature in these episodes is 94 or 95 degrees-f. His condition remains unchanged and the sweating episodes are still occurring.

However, there are various reasons why people with ME/CFS might have night sweats. Entering or going through the menopause is a fairly common cause of night sweats and is likely to exacerbate any existing problem with night sweats. There are also several medical conditions that can cause night sweats – including infections such as TB and HIV, connective tissue disorders, and even tumours. There are also some drugs – including aspirin, antidepressants and prednisolone – that cause sweating as a side-effect.

Among the ‘red flag’ signs/symptoms/history that indicate the possibility of a more serious cause are a fever, persistent cough, a change in bowel habit, joint pains/stiffness, weight loss, recent history of foreign travel, risk factors for HIV and enlarged lymph nodes/glands or other unusual lumps.

So this is something that you must discuss with your GP – who can take a proper history, examine you to make sure there aren’t any signs that indicate another medical explanation (enlarged lymph glands for instance) and arrange some blood tests (to check for indicators of infection or inflammation).

At the same time, it’s worth keeping a diary of what happens each night with a record of your temperature (using a thermometer) at the time the sweating episodes occur. Referral for hospital based investigations may also be necessary.

When it comes to treatment I’m afraid there isn’t a great deal that can be done to help if the cause is ME/CFS – apart from simple self-help solutions like keeping cool at night, wearing breathable natural fibres and using a cold, wet flannel.

If night sweats are related to the menopause, then there are some drug treatments, including clonidine, gabapentin and HRT, which may be of help.

More Information:

We have several leaflets available to download from our Free Literature that may be of interest:

• Menopause – Overview, Hormone replacement therapy/HRT and female hormone research in ME/CFS
• Sleep Management