Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could possibly have some insight as to what is going on here?
Some nights (not every night), I will wake up in a cold sweat. My pillow, blanket, sheets, and pyjamas will all be drenched in a cold sweat as well, and I’ll be so chilled that I will need to change into different pyjamas.
All replies are appreciated. I just want to get to the bottom of this, and want to know if it’s anything that I should be bringing to the attention of my doctor!
Hi, I get them a lot but not every night, have done for years before diagnosed with RA. I think it's part of the RA, I assume you have RA?
I actually don’t have RA, so that’s what is making me think this is even more odd
Hi Nanda,
I too get them!! 😥
Really bad, every night, I get woken up by them, I don't 😴 sleep, tossing and turning, quilt off, then freezing cold, I've had them for years now, and it's nothing to do with the menaupause, they are different, you know your own body don't you??
It may be worth mentioning to your consultant, although I when I mentioned it, and it was a few years ago now, she tried blaming the menaupause!!
Good luck hope you get some answers!!
X
Yes and me and it’s defo not menopause I’m well past all that, I got some stay cool pillows and cases from m/s but I think it’s meds and ra take care
I used to get them before I started RD medication. When I mentioned it to my rheumatologist she said it was menopausal, although I had been through an early menopause at the age of 41 and I was 58 at the time.
I now understand that night sweats can be a symptom of RD, many people on this site do mention them.
I find it bewildering why some rheumatologists do not acknowledge night sweats, raised temperature, thirst and many more symptoms despite them being well documented.
Getting your RD under control will probably solve the night sweats problem.
I guess because there is not much they can do about them apart from juggling doses of hormones....& that could interfere with the RA drugs.
I had night sweats whilst on Tamoxifen after breast cancer & my oncologist & rheumatologist both said to stop the Tamoxifen...the frequency stopped, but pre flare they often return....so was it the Tamoxifen...or the RA?
But often the menopause is 'blamed' when it clearly isn't. Should an acknowledgement of night sweats, raised temperature and do on not be a starting place ?
If the symptoms are not acknowledged we have no hope of treatment ?
Why ignore ?
Maybe once the NHS uses the funding it receives differently there would be sufficient cash to put into research for more conditions associated with RA? But with so many people suffering...all taking different RA drugs it would be a huge undertaking.
But while RA is regarded as the Cinderella disease it is now I can’t see things changing any time soon can you?
Have you seen the latest Versus (!) advertisements on TV? I think they have employed Miss Haversham from Great Expectations!
So disappointing.
I don't have a TV AC, so don't see adverts. But I did get a letter with a flyer through the post about JIA. A younger woman was pointing her finger at the reader with something about going blind. I didn't think much of it ( how did they get my address ?).
Anyway it costs nothing to say to patients yes night sweats and raised temperatures can be a part of RD. Saying it's the menopause makes the the rheumatologist look like a fool and wastes valuable time.
When you buy something on a DB/CR card companies sell a list of their customers names & addresses....hence you get approaches from companies you have never heard of.
Every time I hire a car in the US I am inundated with offers from all sorts of companies.As far as I know you can’t stop it happening.
Versus does seem to be spending out on these Ads.....But they still just say Arthritis...still don’t differentiate!
Hi AgedCrone
Regarding the 'Versus Arthritis' ad, I completely agree with you, RD is simply not just arthritis, and the ad is certainly not educating people about it, RD is the worst kind of arthritis we have, and it's not just a bit of pain!! Is it!!
X
When the two charities that formed Versus made the announcement....there were high hopes they would point out the difference...but they didn't....& don’t.
I was so irritated I stopped my monthly DD & took the charity donation out of my will.
Both OA & RA are painful horrible conditions.....but they are DIFFERENT!
I don’t know why they obstinately stick to just saying Arthritis....I’m sure they must know how sufferers feel about being misrepresented.
Plus illustrating it with white haired old ladies creeping around does nobody any favours.
Cancer charities are hopeful...Versus is doom laden & gives no hope as far as I can see.
I've only recently started suffering from them. I wouldn't put them down to RA or the drugs, as I've had RA for 32 years, but no sweats until this year. I'm stumped.
I think all us with RA suffer with this and it’s so annoying, downiest on downiest off xxx
I get them in the day too but not quite as badly as at night. Deffo different to menopause sweats. When I asked my rheumy she said they were due to steroids but I stopped getting them when my steroid dose was increased ? Also I had reduced sweats with incresed mtx dose. The nurse says they are due to increased disease activity. Its yet another mystery of our changed state .
I posted on here the same thing about 6 weeks ago Gp did blood tests ( his favourite thing ) all clear spoke to Rhuemy clinic definitely said it’s not RA mentioned it to rheumatologist got no answer. I was worried but I’m not now as so many other people are suffering with it. I believe it’s part of a flare but not acknowledged by medics along side other problems like feet and fatigue. Go to your GP have blood test just to make sure.
I get these too. They are not quite the same as the ones I had during the menopause, but very similar.
The medical team seem to put them down to the Rheumatoid Disease and to the medication. I can't find any information about them but loads of people have them. It suggests to me that no-one knows...
me too both day and night the night ones in many ways worse as it breaks the sleep pattern and I hate it. Work I sweat and dripping like it 160degress in the office for about 10mins a time usually 2-3 time a day and i know I am in a flare so I know its down to this.
I get them too mainly at night but also when it’s hot in the daytime I can find myself perspiring much more than I used to. I’m definitely well past the menopause but I do have unstable blood sugar levels but not diabetes. I had assumed the oral steroids I’m still on mess with my blood sugar levels and cause the sweats. It had not occurred to me that it could be the RA causing them. I’m seeing my Rheumy next week and ask what he thinks.
Hi, I had them too when one of my strange illnesses were about to happen. Also had drenching sweats, not every night, when I was diagnosed with lymphoma and I put up with it until I discovered a lump n my neck and went to doctors. Worth getting checked out.
I get Night sweats when my inflammation levels are high with my RA.
Yes unfortunately this is side effect of methotrexate I have been bothered with this since taking the drug . My rheumatologist confirmed this xx😔😔
Always get them checked.
You should see your GP just to rule out other causes.
I've had this problem myself but have managed to stop it - the wife no longer wears 'baby doll' nighties........phew.......... Keep well, Eric.
Hi I get the same. All night tossing turning changing clothes it’s awful I’m on Benapali I am wondering whether it could be the meds but reading your posts it seems to be the RA. Does it happen forever?
Hi there
My doctor also tried to blame my terrible night sweats on early menopause at age 42 at the time / I am now 44, I also thought the sweats where because of the hot weather, but then I also had then in the winter 😞this was before I was diagnosed with indifferential inflammatory arthritis, this January, I have not read all your lovely replies but you most probably already have answers / advice, I have since learned a lot on this site and through the rehumy nurse that when we have flares, or feel like we have flu, the sweats are our body's way of fighting any inflammation in the body. Also if you search this site for night sweat you will find more information on that topic. Hope this helps and you feel better soon. X X
I would personally get it checked out, it could be a number of things, the more you Google the more things it could be, hope you get it sorted soon
Best wishes sarah
Are men with RA also reporting night sweats?
Are you diagnosed with RA? I had a quick look at past posts but none are about RA.
When getting sweats as severe as that, do you have a fever?
You’d be far better seeking advice from your GP or Pharmacist, if you live in the UK.
The OP replied to me at the top of the thread that they don't have RA, bit baffling really?
I actually indeed don’t have RA! That’s why this is confusing me so much!!
All sorts of illness or the menopause could give you night sweats not just RA, most of the replies here will be related to RA. Probably a GP appointment would be the best thing. Good luck.
Why did you choose the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society’s Community if you don’t have the horrible disease? There are others you could be a member of and which could be of far more use for whatever condition you might have been diagnosed with. 
Hey...I have a similar skin condition around the nose like you did 4 years ago.. could you you please check your messages and help me ..? I've been struggling with this for about 3 years now..And I couldn't find anyone with the same condition, just you..!
Would really appreciate it if you helped me..
Ps : I hope you check this.. your last post was 11.months ago !
My post is titled Advice please
I often miss posts if not looking for a few days or if I think it is not within my experience to respond. Hope you did enjoy time away.
I’m still away but really struggling.walking is a problem and I’m in bed for 9pm. I’m drinking loads but not much coming out.🙄 lovely place but I feel guilty i can’t participate with my husband and son
Just having you with them probably gives them pleasure. Precious time to share. A need for you to rest up means maybe they can go do something they like but you would not. It is only 24° here, Warner than usual, and not helping me cope with head pains.
Thanks for asking
Hi there - I started getting them about 9 years ago aged 41 ish. At the time I thought it was to do with heat, the wrong fabrics and my new husband being naturally extremely hot (!) They would come and go. No other signs of anything hormonal (still not at 49). This was however, the same time that other strange symptoms started: Raynaud's, puffy knee for no apparent reason, spontaneous bruised and puffy elbows. This has all carried on and off over the years and then aches and pains in my joints started. A ranking up of migraines to cluster headaches, terrible neck and upper back pain, sacroliliac pain. These episodes have been acute and painful but usually short lived but becoming more widespread. Have sudden pain and ache in feet, hands. Hundreds of appointments and diagnosed with undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis after ultrasound scan showed synovitis (or something) in my wrists. so far seronegative except for the test for antiphospholipid syndrome which is associated with Lupus and Raynaud's. Been taking hydroxychloroquine for just over a week. So far so good but my joint symptoms are actually getting worse. Elbows quite bad and feet getting worse. This however, as I understand it, is because it takes a while for most of these drugs to work. It appears that because of my persistence with appointments and referrals, whatever my problem is, it has been caught fairly early or while mild. I'm also very active and every time I feel a twinge I go for a run! More twinges; more running! So I think I have managed to stave off the worst.
In these past of couple of weeks I have for the first time experienced the 'fatigue' that people talk of and it worries me that there will come a time when I simply haven't got the energy to go for a run.
Hope that all that has been of some help in making sense of your diagnosis!
Cold Sweats????
Night sweats
Noddies of the night unite.....
Cold sweats are driving me to the brink
