night sweats..but not all night!

[Bunny4jeff]

Hi, a mystery, well to me anyway...is why I am having night sweating on my neck and upper body, but only until 4 or 5 am. I wake up, change, then usually manage to go back to sleep. Waking normally a couple of hours or so later, but this time no sweating! I had this problem a few years ago; but only occasionally, so put it down to weather changes. I am 72, usually healthy, taking Lansoprazole 30mg for a hiatus hernia. I have had lung xrays recently, all clear. I have a condition which causes runny nose, blocked sinuses, and persistent cough with clear phlegm which has lasted over 9 months now, including occasional hoarseness. I lost my voice completely for a few days about the time my persistent cough started. As my voice came back about a week later it must have been a viral infection. This too may be lingering...I have coughed on and off during the day and night for so long that I feel my voicebox has become affected as my voice is sometimes very weak, and I am producing clear but thick phlegm from my throat as well. The doctors can't seem to diagnose me, I have been tested for asthma a couple of years ago, negative. Now I have been given a costocortisteroid lung spray to use twice daily to see if it helps. Ive been using that plus checking my lung meter readings twice daily for the last 3 months. The night sweats were only occasional until recently, now they are most nights. I am using a wool duvet which I read was supposed to regulate the body temperature to help prevent night sweating but in my case it doesn't work. I am wondering whether the costocortisteroid spray is causing the night sweats? The odd thing is that once I wake after a sweat, around 5 am, get dry and changed, I find I can drop off back to sleep no problem, and wake dry! This waking early is making me tired, I have to go to bed earlier than I used to, around 10 pm, and find myself nodding off during the day occasionally too. Blood tests and urine tests come out normal. Mysterious isnt the word for it! Any ideas would be gratefully received. Could it be an adrenal gland problem? I have also had a blood test for thyroid problems..all normal.

[Jazzw]

The clue here is lansoprazole...

Because its job is to reduce stomach acid, it means that your gut struggles to absorb vitamins and minerals from food.

Night sweats can be due to low Vitamin B12. Have you had that tested recently?

[Bunny4jeff in reply to Jazzw]

Hi and thanks for your reply. No I havent had B12 tested, but would that not be checked as part of the full blood test? I'll ask the doc next time I'm in, wait..I'm seeing the practice nurse soon as part of the asthma and lung testing process; I'll mention it to her. As for the lansoprazole, Ive been taking it for more years than I can recall, and only first thing in the morning. Would that be something that could affect night sweating? Thanks jazzw x

[Jazzw in reply to Bunny4jeff]

No, a check of Vit B12 isn’t usually part of a full blood count. It does sound like it would be well worth checking. It’s quite possible you’re low in iron and other vitamins and minerals too. It won’t be the lansoprazole itself that’s causing the sweating but it is possible that low B12 is causing it.

The blood test for serum B12 usually has a range of 150 to 900+. A result below 500 shows deficiency in B12 (although many doctors take the view that if it’s in range it’s fine!).

[Bunny4jeff in reply to Jazzw]

I'd never have thought of lansoprazole having that effect, but it makes a lot of sense, as it puts a barrier over the stomach lining and it figures that not all thats good will necessarily get through, and 've been taking it for years. I've not shown up as beimg anaemic, but doctors will only make a point if your levels are unusually low, not just generally low as mine might be. I'll definitely look into this, and let you know what happens. Thanks so much x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Presumably you are hypothyroid and on Levothyroxine ?

Do you know if the cause of your hypothyroidism is due to autoimmune thyroid disease? Also called Hashimoto's and diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

The sinus, runny nose (post nasal drip) and coughing may well be dairy intolerance

Dairy intolerance is very common with Hashimoto's

schoolafm.com/ws_clinical_k...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

Night sweats are linked to low B12

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Low B12 is common when hypothyroid, especially if you have Hashimoto's

Taking any PPI long term, like Lansoprazole of omeprazole can badly affect B12 levels

pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/m...

Ppi can also lower magnesium levels too

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/p...

Most /many patients who are hypothyroid with stomach issues, are suffering from LOW stomach acid, not high acid. Similar symptoms, very different treatment.

You must NOT ever just stop taking a PPI. They must be weened off incredibly slowly

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/hypochl...

scdlifestyle.com/2012/03/3-...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Low B12 is also common with autism

[Bunny4jeff in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon,

Wow...thank you for taking the time to check all this out for me, I'll certainly have a good read, as it all makes sense to me, a lot of sense. No, I am not taking Levothyroxine. I have had a thyroid blood test, which the doctor said was normal. I presume that means it is not too high or low. I have heard that the usual blood test does not always accurately diagnose hyper or hypothyroidism. Is there any other more reliable method? Can I ask for an autoimmune thyroid disease check? That sounds likely in my case. I was never dairy intolerant as a child or young adult, but the post nasal drip began in my 30's. I wasn't given any treatment so I assumed none was available. The coughing began about 9 months ago following a virus that affected my bronchial tubes and voicebox. This has left me with a perma-cough with clear or white phlegm. At present I am being tested for asthma symptoms, using a beclometasone dipropionate spray twice a day. After 5 weeks so far, there is some improvement to my nasal symptoms and cough. I will discuss all this with my doctor. Many thanks!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bunny4jeff]

Medics are often reluctant to consider food intolerances that they can't easily test for. Eg coeliac is recognised, but gluten intolerance often considered "imaginary", in part because there's no medical test available. yet endoscopy can reveal almost identical damage.

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, TT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies. Plus very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting.

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .

[Bunny4jeff in reply to SlowDragon]

Many thanks again, I will check this out Snapdragon.

[jgelliss in reply to Bunny4jeff]

Bunny4jeff

Great and very Valuable advice . If I may suggest to check your Adrenal/Cortisol levels too . It can be very telling .

[Bunny4jeff in reply to jgelliss]

Adding that to my list for the doctor! 😷 just picturing his face as he squares up to a firm-jawed, newly Google-savvy OAP waving a list of demands at him. 😂😑

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bunny4jeff]

Never open with anything that sounds like

"I read on the internet......."

They glaze over and stop listening

[Bunny4jeff in reply to SlowDragon]

Ha ha so true... I never mention the Internet any more 😉

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Bunny4jeff]

The only way to see if it's dairy intolerance is to cut all dairy out for a month or so, see if it improves.

[Bunny4jeff in reply to SlowDragon]

Anything is worth a try, to find the source of the trouble. Will do, though I do hope I am not dairy intolerant, as I am exceptionally partial to all dairy products, though I realise there are perfectly acceptable alternatives nowadays. Thanks again SlowDragon.