POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Wrist on June 16, 2010, 10:20:11 am
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I'm sure this question has been asked before but what causes these night sweats. Is it just my bodies way of fighting off the virus while I'm sleeping?
I was infected in October of '09 and even during ARS my night sweats weren't as drenching as my recent sweats.
I've had 3 labs done so far.
Nov. '09 - cd4 631, %18, vl 5 million
Jan. '10 - cd4 794, %41, vl 6,500
Jun. '10 - cd4 655, %38, vl 2,400
Other than the sweats I feel great. The forum and website has helped me to understand and except this virus. Thank you all.
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Wrist,
Here you go:
http://aids.about.com/od/otherconditions/a/nightsweats.htm
Night sweats ---- ugh! I think your conclusion is correct. It seems to be your body fighting the virus. By the way, it seems to be doing a pretty good job considering your numbers. Mention it to your doc.
v
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Wrist, is this happening every night, or is it a couple times a week or even less frequently?
I've been poz since '97, good numbers, no meds yet. I occasionally get night sweats, sometimes once or twice a week, sometimes only once or twice a month and sometimes less. I have a washable (not plastic, those can make you sweat more) mattress protector on my bed, plus a big thick towel under my sheet and that saves my mattress. I also wear a cotton tee-shirt.
My doctor has told me as long as my numbers are good and the sweats aren't happening every single night, that it's my body keeping the virus in check while I sleep and nothing to be overly concerned about.
Of course, you should also discuss this with your own doctor. You should also get in touch with him or her sooner rather than later if you also start having other symptoms, such as fevers during the day or a dry, persistent cough, or anything else that seems unusual.
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Right on. Thanks for the replies. They have been once or twice a week for the past 3 weeks, from what I can remember. I do have the mattress protector ( not plastic ) and I have buckwheat pillows ( which stay cool unlike normal pillows ) but it's usually only my head that sweats.
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They have been once or twice a week for the past 3 weeks
with your good numbers, I have another option to suggest. I'm not certain of your location; but just how warm is your house at night?
Here in the states it's Summer time. Where I live in SC, with daytime temps in the high, high 90s and the AC running, I've still woken up hot and sweaty in my house on a few warm nights (>75 degrees) in the last month.
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I live in jersey I have an ac in my window and use it. Last night I woke up sweating with the ac on. I flipped the pillows over bc they were soaked and fell back to sleep. A few hours later I woke up dry but cold so I turned the air off and fell back alseep. Woke in the morning dry and comfortable. My sweats seem to happen within the first few hours of sleep, I never sweat twice in a night that I know of. I guess it's just the body settling down after a long day.
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Wrist,
Normally night sweats associated with hiv don't just happen to your head - your body ends up totally drenched in sweat to the point where you have to get up and change your shirt and sheets. It can look like you've pissed the bed. That's why I have not only a mattress protector, but also a thick towel under my sheets. When I get up and change the sheet, I also change the towel and it's usually fairly wet. If I get up in time, I don't have to bother changing the mattress protector.
What you're experiencing sounds more like weather-related.
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I understand what you are saying but every person is different. Before HIV this never happened and it started during ARS. I will say I usually sleep naked and with only one blanket.
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Here's a good article (http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/8-causes-of-night-sweats) that talks about what night sweats are:
In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.
In one study of 2,267 patients visiting a primary care physician, 41% reported experiencing night sweats during the previous month, so the perception of excessive sweating at night is fairly common.
and some of the causes:
Menopause
Infections
Cancers
Medications - Antidepressant medications are a common type of drug that can lead to night sweats
Hypoglycemia
Hormone disorders
Neurologic conditions
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It can look like you've pissed the bed.
Yes, real nights weats are serious things. :D up until recently, I always slept in a waterbed, so when I had NS I was always worried that my bed had sprung a leak. :o
When my last late partner was having NS (little did we know then that it was a symptom of the non-hodgkins lymphoma, which would eventually kill him just a few months later), we thought it was an issue of the waterbed heater turned too high or a mattress leak.
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Sorry to hear that Leatherma. My gf has cronic Epstein Barr. When it acts up she soaks the sheets. I still believe mine are night sweats. I'm just different then others. Even when I work out my body doesn't sweat much it's just my head and my armpits don't sweat at all.
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I always slept in a waterbed, so when I had NS I was always worried that my bed had sprung a leak. :o
I had a waterbed while pregnant with my daughter. My waters broke while I was in bed asleep and that's the first thing I thought - the bed had sprung a leak. I sat bolt-upright in bed and it wasn't until a contraction hit a few seconds later that I realised what was going on.
Wrist, sure, everyone's different, but hiv night sweats have long been documented and they're just nothing like what you're describing.
We see people thinking they've got night sweats over in AMI all the time - and it's just stress related in their case. Are you under any extra stress lately?
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Jebus, I haven't seen a water bed since the 70's. Do you two still wear mood rings as well?
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We had our waterbed in the early to mid 80s. I haven't seen one since we moved and couldn't take it with us, but I'd sure love to have one now. It was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.
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I have a great story involving country fried steak, vomit, sex, and a water bed in Yonkers but I'd hate to hijack a thread so I am not going to share.
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I have zero stress and my gf hates me for this lol. Whether or not I'm having the correct sweats for HIV...I am i sweating while I sleep there is no doubt about it. Thank you for the info tho.
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I haven't seen one since we moved and couldn't take it with us, but I'd sure love to have one now. It was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.
amen to that sister! A heated waterbed is the best thing in the winter! (especially up there in Ohio)
I have a great story involving country fried steak, vomit, sex, and a water bed in Yonkers but I'd hate to hijack a thread so I am not going to share.
thanks for NOT sharing ;) ;D
I am i sweating while I sleep there is no doubt about it. Thank you for the info tho.
I hope you find some relief. Definitely bring this up with your doctor on your next visit. I (knock on wood) would hope it's not a sign of some other problem than just HIV infection but still it's good to always advise your doc about anything you think might be a symptom.
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When I was having night sweats they were every night for at least 2 or 3 months and they would literally soak the bed. I was washing my sheets daily. This was coupled with all the other terrible things that accompany this disease. Looking back at that time I have to wonder how the hell I'm still alive as it was the most miserable time of my life.
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I thought i was having the night sweats thing too -- but everything I read about it and from talking to other positive friends was that when you have actual night sweats the bed gets drenched and they come on pretty sudden during sleep.....
I get the head sweats that you described --- wake up and my pillow is soaked - rest of me is okay and the room is cool (even though I live in South Florida, I keep the place cool) I also sleep in my most comfortable state ;)
These sweats also started after I was diagnosed ---- I think they probably are related to HIV - maybe a mini/modified version of night sweats???? But, if that is my biggest issue (in regards to being positive) I'll take it ;D
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I thought i was having the night sweats thing too -- but everything I read about it and from talking to other positive friends was that when you have actual night sweats the bed gets drenched and they come on pretty sudden during sleep.....
I get the head sweats that you described --- wake up and my pillow is soaked - rest of me is okay and the room is cool (even though I live in South Florida, I keep the place cool) I also sleep in my most comfortable state ;)
These sweats also started after I was diagnosed ---- I think they probably are related to HIV - maybe a mini/modified version of night sweats???? But, if that is my biggest issue (in regards to being positive) I'll take it ;D
You and I have similar numbers with out meds. Maybe ours aren't as bad because the vl isn't very high? Good to know I'm not the only one sweating only from my head lol
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I don't think I had the night sweats. It say that, because the only times I did sweat a lot were the times I fell asleep with the heating pad on--so, it was obviously the heating pad. My partner who is negative often sweats in his sleep. He went through a long period where the sheets would be really wet. I think they happen to many people, but being poz would make you think it was HIV related and I don't doubt that is the cause.
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We had our waterbed in the early to mid 80s. I haven't seen one since we moved and couldn't take it with us, but I'd sure love to have one now. It was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.
Back in '96 I had a f-buddy who for some odd reason owned a water bed (we used to have a place here in Miami called Waterbed City till 97 or 98, I guess people were still buying them). Doing it on that bed was a lot of fun (and you are right, quite comfy).
Now, about night sweats... Nasty things they be. During my acute infection I had them so badly that the bed looked as though I had peed in my sleep. In time they went away and I began to have only "head-sweats" (same as the OP). Even in the nasty Miami heat I had never experienced this back in my neggie days, so I imagine that le HIV was a factor (maybe from a "stress" angle). I never had them again, thank heavens.
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I get teh head sweats frequently and have since getting teh AIDS. Right now, however, I have a poppers headache.
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Right now, however, I have a poppers headache.
I never get those. I hope you weren't inhaling on your own. Ideally one of your boys, Paco or Gerardo, came by to share that experience.
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Night sweats are good for your dreads, helps them lock up faster. Seriously though, if I didn't have them so often I wouldn't have to wash my hair every other day like I do.
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I never had night sweats until I started Atripla. ???
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with your good numbers, I have another option to suggest. I'm not certain of your location; but just how warm is your house at night?
Here in the states it's Summer time. Where I live in SC, with daytime temps in the high, high 90s and the AC running, I've still woken up hot and sweaty in my house on a few warm nights (>75 degrees) in the last month.
THANK YOU! One of the reasons I overlooked my seroconversion was because NONE of the symptoms...including "night sweats"...were all that peculiar. I've had "nigh sweats" to varying degrees my entire life. Its a hallmark of hot weather.