sweating a lot!

[Dariada]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone might be able to give me some guidance. I am sweating profusely multiple times a day. It's as if I stepped out of a shower. I've told my doctor (primary care physician) and he assumes it's menopause given my age (54). Something about it doesn't feel right though. I was never a sweater in my life and this not happening due to exertion or stress - it happens at random times and it's very embarrassing. I've heard that sweating can be a sign of cancer. I had a lobectomy on 8/28 on my upper left lung for NSCLC and was told no further treatment is needed since I'm stage 1a. I'll be scanned every 3 months, then every 6, then yearly. Has this happened to anyone else?

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Dear Dariada

Welcome to the forum where you will find support and encouragement. Sorry to hear you have had lung cancer but encouraging that it was at a very early stage.

Sorry to hear you are suffering from excessive sweating, for some cancers and mainly the treatments they can happen but mainly at night.

It sounds like you experience them at any time of day, there can be many reasons for this, with menopause you tend to get more of an intense heat in your body then sweat, or for some it may be a cold sweat afterwards.

However it could be an overactive thyroid and we advise that you go back to your GP or a different GP in the practice and ask for this to be re assessed or to have your thyroid and bloods checked.

It can be quite distressing when you feel yourself that something is not right and important to be listened to and exhaust all investigations to find out the cause.

It may be helpful to keep track of when they come on, what you were doing at the time, how long did they last for, what helped and what made it worse, this could help in the medical assessment of these.

NHS have some advice for excessive sweating, which may be helpful until you find the reason for them and what can be done: nhs.uk/conditions/excessive...

If there is anything else you would like to discuss you can either email us at [e-mail] or call our freephone nurse led helpline number on 0800 358 7200

Kind regards

The Roy Castle Support Team

[Dariada in reply to RoyCastleHelpline]

This was so helpful - thank you so much!!

[diane55]

Hi I had lung cancer treatment upper lobectomy 2015 I was 55 had turned the corner on the hot flushes after surgery I had adjuvant chemo (belt and braces approach) this reactivated hot flushes .Like yourself I never really sweated much before .I never got to the bottom of it .I do have more recurrence of lung cancer now which started in2017 and hot flushes have never gone away but I think chemo immunotherapy was the initial trigger .I just have got used to them and layer clothing ,have fans around my house and cold and hot water bottles around me .Cold face sprays are also useful .

I am not suggesting your cancer is back just that maybe it is the menopause or a body response to previous surgery .It might be a traumatic response to that time. When my cancer returned I had seizures caused by a brain metastases which then sent me in a different direction ,things are not always that straight forward with lung cancer but if it has returned you will be aware of something else going on as well as hot flushes .

Hopefully all will eventually settle down and it is just (which is difficult in itself) the menopause .Take care Diane.

[Dariada in reply to diane55]

Thanks very much for responding. I’m grateful to hear from you!

[JanetteR57]

I've had similar especially around my head and neck for months - I'm 62 and way past the menopause. Like you not a sweater - I swim regularly which seems to help control any issues as I had no such symptoms in the menopause. I had a lobectomy on upper left lung in Dec 2010 for NSCLC and no further treatment (stage 2b 7cm) I had blood tests last year as part of a health check and told there were some irregularities with my thyroid - a blood test earlier in the year had shown something amiss with pituitary gland - however due to lockdown, was due to have follow up test but health services stopped routine blood tests. he'd said it would be redone in a year which thinking about it is probably now - so you've reminded me to rebook the blood test. may not be related to the cancer at all - it's too easy to think everything is - I found the book 'cancer is a word not a sentence' by Dr Rob Buckman helped me put things in context. good luck.

[Dariada in reply to JanetteR57]

Thanks for responding. I'm glad this post reminded you to follow up!

[Paddie1950]

Yes, this happened to me after I was treated for lung cancer.

I had SABR Radiotherapy for NSCLC lower left lung in 2016 when I was 65 years old.

The sweating was terrible, but I eventually found a treatment that works for me.

I take Propantheline (Pro-Banthine), 15mg 3 times a day and it has helped me.

I hope you get some help soon.

[Dariada in reply to Paddie1950]

Thanks so much for this - I’m going to ask my doctor if I can have Propantheline