Hot sweats.

[Maggydripping]

Does anyone else suffer from almost constant sweats then freezing cold. My husband had a TBI 35 yrs ago, with frontal lobe damage. Epilepsy well controlled, no sense of taste for smell, visual problemsand personality change. The sweats started some yrs ago. Gp investigated, but getting much worse in the past year, now has hot sweats at least hourly. Very draining.

[Papillion007]

Could be going through menopause. Hot and cold sweats. It affects both females and males. Going through change of life.

[cat3]

Absolutely Maggy ! A couple of months on from discharge after a SAH (frontal lobe) I asked for a referral to an endocrinologist because of a sudden overheating issue.

After tests came back negative I was told the only effective treatment would be HRT which I'd stopped 3 years earlier after breast cancer and which definitely wouldn't be re-prescribed !

I get odd looks when out shopping in mid-winter as I can't bear coats, scarves etc for more than a few mins and end up wearing just jeans & vest top, even in icy weather. Hyperhidrosis is a horribly invasive and overpowering condition which others mostly consider trivial or even amusing.

There are various treatments for blocking nerves or removing sweat glands including medication and minor surgical procedures, but with risks of side-effects. My sweating is restricted to forehead, face and chest although I feel the overwhelming sensation of 'burning up' from head to toe.

Has your husband been tested for thyroid and/or diabetic issues ? Cat x

[Maggydripping in reply to cat3]

Yes cat3. He had tests 3 yrs ago, which were all normal. The sweats weren't a problem when we were abroad on holiday. The worsening has been during the past 6 months, following a stroke and subsequent falls and fractures.

[cat3 in reply to Maggydripping]

Please take a look at this link and scroll down to 'treating hyperhidrosis' :-

google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q...

Hope it's helpful Maggy. x

[sospan in reply to Maggydripping]

It depends on what "tests" the GP ordered. With a lot of blood test they don't look for the finer details. As a Cat mentioned an endocrinologist is are the best people to look at this.

Sweating (and cold) is quite common with people whom have received a head injury. It can be caused by a hormone imbalance, stress, fatigue or damage to some of the nerves inside.

Six months after a stroke is still quite soon and what he may be finding is that the brain plasticity is underway. Plasticity, is when the brain develops new pathways around damage. With everything new, it takes time to settle down and adjust.

Additionally, I would imagine is that your husband may be on some medication post stroke which after 6 months may be building up in his system. The sweating may just be a side effect of the medication.

Whilst it will be difficult at the moment to have a face to face consultation, perhaps your GP can write a referral to a Endocrinologist or a Neurologist.

All the best

[paxo05]

Hi there.

I can sympathise with him. Had my bi about 21 years ago. Initially it wasn't a problem ( it was way down the list of problems).

I to have frontal lobe damage and have controlled epilepsy. I have lost some sense of taste and smell and suffer hot sweats. Mine seems to be once I start to sweat I don't stop. I also never feel the cold ( usually good for living in England)

I also have pitruitry ( think thats how its spelled) gland damage so have problems with hormones. This has been one reason put forward to my temp issues.

Let him know he is not alone with these issues and getting a good diagnosis and successful treatment can be hard to come by.

Pax

[Maggydripping in reply to paxo05]

Thankyou paxo05. It really is as though his thermostat is broken !! Good to know though that he's not alone. Once the current situation settles we will see the gp for more investigations.

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to Maggydripping]

It's interesting to hear you speak of the thermostat being broken. I always feel freezing. Which is not at all what you were asking about. But just interesting to hear someone say this. I was told I had damage to the something gland that regulates temperature. Hoping you can find some answers and help for your husband.

[ExPat352]

My husband has difficulty regulating his temperature since his TBI (mainly frontal lobe damage). Interesting my father had a similar very bad problem as his vascular dementia progressed (my mum had to get him changed 5-6 times a day as he was dripping wet). My theory after witnessing both is that the brain is much slower giving off the temperature signals. Both dad & hubby felt/feel the cold a lot, peripheral circulation seems slower post BI. They feel freezing cold & wrap up warm then ‘late signal’ they’re raging hot; no in between. Hubby fine in hot summer months with fewer layers but winter tricky. I basically monitor his temperature (visually) & suggest he removes layers gradually before we get to the soaking wet stage. It’s been/is a learning curve & he’s learnt to trust me but is very fond of his fleece. Hope this helps you with a few simple ideas.

[Maggydripping in reply to ExPat352]

Hi ExPat. Thanks for your reply. Your comments are a mirror image of Mike's issues. Interestingly I've been concerned about dementia for 3yes, but difficult ti know how much is BI , age or dementia. Started with becoming unsociable and behaviour has gradually changed. Past 6months after a fall and fractured vertebrae , he's deteriorated . We had a referral to mental health with an appt within a week , but it was cancelled due to the lockdown. The lockdown suits him fine because no one can visit !! 😅 . Although the thought of dementia is frightening, if that is what it is , it won't come as any great shock.

[Amber-11]

Hi, I have been warmer since tbi and wear vests in winter when people I live with need jumpers and higher temperature central heating, this started when I had tbi before menopause in early 30's. I also sweat more and need to wash tops more for bo.

I find my breathing stops too, is not automatic, but was told recently this was not possible from a mild head injury, I wish I knew more how to treat the hotness and breathing?, it might help me get less migraines. When I was looking on internet it said breathing can be affected by head injury, sorry to go off topic, I was relived to read this as it started straight after rta and tbi , but now have been told not from a mild head injury, I wonder if anyone else has breathing problems after a mild head injury, and what the explanation might be?

[sethbovey in reply to Amber-11]

Hi. I had a mild to moderate tbi three years ago. The only after affects have been mood swings, mild balance problems and breathing issues. I have always held my breath for some reason but since my operation I have sort of panic attacks from time to time. I find deep breathing always gets me out of tricky situations. I don't like being in enclosed, stuffy rooms. Never have actually.

[Marleyboo]

Absolutely, im constantly hot. Bit different maybe as im 51 and going through menopause so obviously docs have put it down to that. im not so sure its absolutely that as its not like hot flushes its literally all the time and all over. I was on HRT but not anymore as i didnt think it was helping and i was only allowed patches which kept falling off. I describe it as feeling like im combusting from inside. Everyone else is saying how cold it is and wearing loads of clothes and im in a t shirt burning up from inside. Not sure what else i can do to relieve it, so know where your coming from. Actually reading these stories on here is helping me feel a bit better as I know im not alone.

[tennijul]

I have frontal lobe epilepsy. I put the sweats down to hormones and the cold just due to sitting in the cold sweat. Sense of smell reduced too. And auditory processing reduced too. It's as if I am deaf in background noise but nothing wrong with my ears

[sashaming1]

I had a TBI 4 yrs ago, with frontal lobe damage. Seizure (2 years later!) well controlled with Hospital visit and afterwards with Vimpat. Little sense of taste or smell - both good and bad. No sweats. Got ringing-in-the-ears. Maybe from hitting my head on my ear and then hitting the back of my head. Fortunately the ringing is not too bad.

[Hidden]

Hi Maggy, when writing the extensive list of problems that the BI has caused, the body's thermostat was way down there especially at the beginning (4 years ago), but after approx 6 months I always felt cold, had the heating on constantly even through summer and had an electric blanket and massive duvet etc through the winter. Now for the last year or more my temperature fluctuates during the day, getting the sweats very easily with little exersion and then come bedtime, I regularly wake up several times a night with a damp sheet through sweating so much!.

Now my partner has the duvet and I have a thin blanket...until morning when I am freezing again!

I did some research and like our friends replies here, it helped to know what was causing it, just that part of the brain not working properly

I suffer from spikes of high anxiety when I am going to sleep and more often than not have very bad/negative dreams or nightmares, so sometimes I may link those two symptoms together.

Sorry to hear about your Husband and sorry that I have no advice just a similar symptom.