Q and A on night sweats from Spring 2014 issue of ME Essential magazine
QUESTION: NIGHT SWEATS
Do people with ME/CFS have night sweats? This is a new symptom that is causing myself and my partner considerable distress.
ANSWER
Yes, night sweats, sometimes quite profuse, do sometimes occur in ME/CFS and this is a symptom that was highlighted by the late Dr Melvin Ramsay when he produced his original description of the illness. Here is Dr Ramsay’s description of one particular patient who
….used to waken in the night to find himself lying in a pool of water. His wife is a nurse and reports that his temperature in these episodes is 94 or 95 degrees F. His condition remains unchanged and the sweating episodes are still occurring.
However, there are other reasons why people have might have night sweats. The list includes infections such as TB and HIV, connective tissue disorders, tumours, going through the menopause and some prescribed drugs.
Among the 'red flag' signs/symptoms that indicate the possibility of a more serious cause are persistent cough, change in bowel habit or rectal bleeding, joint pains/stiffness, weight loss, recent history of foreign travel, risk factors for HIV and enlarged lymph nodes/glands or other unusual lumps.
So this is something that you must discuss with your GP - who can take a proper history, examine you to make sure there aren't any signs that indicate another explanation (enlarged lymph glands for instance) and arrange some blood tests (to check for indicators of infection or inflammation). At the same time it's worth keeping a diary of what happens each night with a record of your temperature (using a thermometer) at the time the sweating episodes occur. Referral for hospital-based investigations may also be necessary.
When it comes to treatment I'm afraid there isn't a great deal that can be done if the cause is ME/CFS - apart from simple self-help solutions like keeping cool at night, wearing breathable natural fibres and using a cold wet flannel.