I’ve been on steroids for over a year .. just new to mtx 2 months .. I’m getting the worst night sweats ever literally soaking it’s horrible and disrupting my sleep massively… I’m so tired all the time and get anxious about going to bed as I now what’s going to happen.
Has anyone else suffered from this ?
is it the steroids? I’m hooding to come off them as soon as possible.
Hi Nancy… sorry to hear you have these symptoms. I’m wondering why your RA team have left it so long to prescribe treatment and have just left you on steroids! It will the steroids making you sweat.
The good news is methotrexate really works well for most people. It stopped my symptoms in there tracks. It will give you a good chance to taper off of these steroids under medical supervision.
Good luck with it all
Jayne
It’s most likely to be the steroids, but I hate to say age could also be a factor especially if they’ve suddenly got worse.
I suffer from night sweats when my RA is poorly controlled. They go hand in hand.
I've also been on steroids for around 5 years, they don't cause night sweats in me, quite the opposite, they cool me down and prevent night sweats.
Possibly when you are established on MTX they should subside.
Many on here get the sweats and again many on here will say consultants dismiss it though a know. For RA.
I also found it was worse when Vit D was low too apparently this is a symptom of it.
Bed becomes a tussle of heat exhaustion and totally fed up. Maybe a cool Pillow to assist and things that make sleep easier or audible books to aid sleep too.
It’s trial and error
Methotrexate did not agree with me at all. I stuck it out for over a year but finally was brave enough to say I couldn’t continue with it. I was in a very bad way but this drug didn’t help and the many side effects were as bad as the pain I was in. Three years on and now on a biologic and still prednisolone and topped up with painkillers my life is so much better. I know it works for many but not me. Good luck! If it’s not for you there are other meds.
I’ve been on steroids for 10 years & MTX 14 & not had night sweats with either. I did when going through the menopause though, I'd be wet through & used to keep a fan on my nightstand , a really quiet one that didn’t disturb my h. That said I got away lightly compared with others, Imdiscussed it with my GP & decided to hold off in HRT.
If you think it could be med related do report it to your Rheumy. Sleep deprivation fatigue isn't the best with RD which can cause fatigue itself, the MTX will need to work extra hard.
I’ve been on mtx 25 + years and took pred for the same amount of time and did not have night sweats. It’s possible it could be your age or something else and nothing to do with mtx but I’d see your GP if you’re concerned or it continues, just to get checked over 😊
For me the night sweats started at about your age (and a bit later, various other "lovely" symptoms) due to peri-menopause and I eventually went onto HRT which was great for me. I well remember the soaking sheets (I kept a towel by the bed to wipe myself down and sometimes had to put it on the wet bed and lie on it 🫣). I was diagnosed with RA at 59 and started Methotrexate (and had a short course of steroids) but the night sweats (and daytime hot flushes) only returned when I came off HRT a year or so later. I did consider restarting HRT but none of the other symptoms have returned and the daytime flushes are slowly decreasing. I have about 3 night sweats each night but I wake just beforehand which gives me a chance to throw off the quilt and fan myself before I really sweat and because I'm on a small dose of Mirtazapine I'm able to drop off again quickly.
Disturbed sleep is awful (there's a reason for sleep deprivation being used as a form of torture!) so it's definitely worth a chat with your GP to try to work out what's going on and get some treatment whatever the cause is in your case. Good luck!
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