Night Sweats

Last night I experienced my worst case of night sweats. My bed was completely soaked. I would awaken drenched and chilled, and would move to the nearest dry spot only to awaken drenched again. I was so frustrated. I don't understand what causes night sweats, but a rheumatologist confirmed that it was related to my AS. Perhaps as a result of the inflammatory process, I thought. I will investigate existing research and provide you with an update.

Below are the comments of others with AS on night sweats:

"My rheumatologist told me that my night sweats are a result of the pain... That was actually the first symptom I saw improve after I started taking Enbrel. I used to wake up completely drenched and freezing and have to change pjs and find other sleeping locations - the couch, the recliner, the other side of the bed. Then I started thinking about it and got some good silkweight capilene thermal underwear - they're designed for a little bit of insulation, but mostly to wick moisture away from your body. That helped a lot. They're kind of expensive, but Patagonia and Helly-Hansen make good ones. My guess is that any good exercise clothes designed to wick sweat away would work, too. ."

"I get night sweats as well. They seems to happen for several nights in a row and then start up again. I can go months without having them and then all the sudden have them for seveal nights. I am not sure what causes them, but it is listed as one of the common symptoms. Many people with AS get low grade fevers which could be one of the reasons. As far as what to do about I have no idea. I just have learned to live with it."

"Night sweats here, too. Always, when flaring, and sometimes just out of the blue. It can range from a bit sticky to completely drenched. Mornings when I wake up in the latter state, I know I am going to have a really bad day."

"I only get night sweats after I've gone through a bad flare. I always thought it was due to stopping pain medication, narcotics, too abruptly. Mine goes away within a few days and is not too bothersome."

"Hey guys!I also experience these night sweats. Usually I will get the chills before I go to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night or early morning all wet and shaking with chills real bad. That's when they are the worst. When I wake up and have to go change my all my clothes, not just like my shirt. Sometimes the sheets get wet a bit too. Once I get changed I usually just try to get warm, stop shaking and fall back asleep hopefully. Other times I might get the chills and wake up with a semi wet shirt and have to get up and change just my shirt. I do think it is from the A.S. inflammation personally, but since I don't run a high sedrate so far it's not something I could prove. I also know that my pain does increase after a night sweat. My body feels like it is more "sick" and the pain stems out from the spine more to all over. Oh and I would say I feel stiffer after. I used to take my temperature before I was diagnosed and for some time after but I don't really do that anymore. I did find that I often ran a low grade fever at night. But sometimes when I take it now it's below normal but that's when I take it after the night sweat when I wake up wet and cold. Also, it doesn't seem to matter the time of year or time of month. I haven't been able to correlate it with anything except the pain increasing. Hope this helps. Great topic by the way!!! "

"I have had the 'night sweats' for almost all the years I've had AS (about 20?) and the only thing that works for me is sleeping with a fan blowing right on me, hard, all night. When it's single digits outside, I still have the window open at least 4", and another fan bringing in air from there to 'intersect' with the path of the fan that's blowing on me. In the summer, I have an 8000btu A/C running on pretty much max, 24/7, and I rarely use any kind of blanket, other than a comforter that I roll up as a body pillow, and occasionally snuggle under 'a bit', in case the room gets extra cold. It's either this or wake up soaking wet from head to toe, freezing my ass of in the morning, and having to change the sheets every darn day. If it's not COLD in my room, I just can't sleep worth a damn. "