Night Sweats (Every Night)
My 85 year old DH was diagnosed three years ago with Alzheimer. Other than not remembering 5 minutes ago, he is doing well; still easygoing and volunteering at a local garden where he has been volunteering for at least 16 years. He grew up on a farm and has retained ability to plant, harvest vegetables, and other tasks. They know him and love him and are very protective. He is skinny but strong, has maintained good balance, and in most respects is healthy. EXCEPT he has started having heavy night sweats sometimes twice a night. His doctor tested him for everything including a chest X-ray and everything comes out normal.
So, my question is this: has anyone had this problem with their loved one? Could it be related to Alzheimers? I would love to know if there is anything we can do, as getting up twice a night and changing linens and night clothes is not sustainable (for me!).
By the way, the doctor has asked me whether I want to pursue other tests looking for cancer and if it is found, would I want to put him through what that entails. This just came up today and I need to ponder this very moral question. However, he does not have tiredness, loss of weight etc that would point to cancer. He likes to be active and busy, no lethargy etc.
Comments are very welcome. Thank you.
Comments
-
Is he on any medications like celexa, sertraline, Lexapro, prozac? All of these can cause night sweats. Probably others too.
0 -
If his blood sugar drops, that will also cause him to sweat. You can pick up a simple test kit for less than $20.00 at a drug store, and test his sugar when that happens. If his sugar is too low, it could be dangerous. Is he diabetic? Low blood sugar can happen whether or not he is a diabetic. I deal with that myself.
1 -
The first thing I thought of was low blood sugar. Also, was he tested for tuberculosis with an intradermal PPD, not a Tine test?
Iris
0 -
My DH 78 was diagnosed 2 years ago. They now think it's Alzheimer's-Posterior Cortical Atrophy. He has had 3 episodes of sweating, dizziness, nausea & vomiting. Blood pressure was sky high in all 3 episodes. Blood sugar normal. The last time they took him to the ER, kept him overnight and ran every test in the book and found nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. Except he could have had a mini stroke that caused no damage. I read that there is a part of the brain that controls blood pressure, etc. When I asked the Neurologist if it could be brain related her answer was yes. My DH was scheduled for a colonoscopy. I spoke with the Gastroenterologist and the Neurologist about the prep and procedure and explained that if they found anything, we would not want treatment. I have a DPOA. They cancelled the procedure. Many people have reported here that after procedures their LO went downhill fast. We have to weigh the trauma of the tests and treatment against the benefit. Will he live longer with treatment? Such a tough decision.
0 -
Sunnyside, if it happens to be caused by low blood sugar, you could have him eat something high in carbs just before going to bed. That could bring his sugar up high enough that his sugar won't drop low enough during the night to cause the symptoms. If that seems to help, let the doctor know about it. He might have to see an endocrinologist.
0 -
Eating high carbohydrates just before bed might induce hypoglycemia in a few hours during the night, due to a surge release of insulin. Was he checked for diabetes? What is his A1C? Is he also shaky with the night sweats?
Iris
0 -
My DH has night sweats severe enough to soak the sheets. His Dr told me to try and get him to eat something small prior to bed. They ran some basic blood tests and all were normal. Snack made no change. The Dr’s conclusion is it’s a side effect of aricept. I’m not convinced it is otherwise why wouldn’t it be every night not just several times a week. I wonder if part of this awful disease has effected his temperature regulation. I know this doesn’t help but at least we know others are having the same symptom. Hugs to everyone
0 -
If your LO takes any medication near bedtime containing ibuprofen or acetaminophen, his internal thermostat would be lowered, forcing the body to eliminate heat, especially while under the bed covers. Many OTC sleep aids contain one of these culprits.
0 -
Thank you all for the helpful comments. Today I received a text from his primary doctor who said that all the tests including chest X-ray came back with no indication of anything. His heart, blood glucose, urine, thyroid and every other thing they test with blood sample, are all normal. The next step, he said, is testing for things like pancreatic and other cancers. But, if found, and in light of his Alzheimers, he said would you want to pursue the chemo and treatments involved in that? He asked me to think about it and let him know. I haven’t shared this with anyone in our family as I have been thinking it through. Of course my instinct is to not put him through everything treatment would entail. But you still have to weigh the guilt. My husband is 85 and in terrific shape other than he doesn’t remember 5 minutes ago. He is energetic and helpful, easy going and volunteers 3 mornings a week at a local community garden (which he has been doing for the past 16 years). The physical and camaderie components of that has kept him feeling useful and satisfied. I would love to hear from those who might have faced or are facing a similar situation.
0 -
Sunnyside, I did the MRI for possible tumor that would affect my blood sugar. I was in the tube for a whole hour. You might want to consider if that is something you think he could do. It isn't fun. No tumor showed up in the MRI. but my doc still thinks I have a tumor. I take an injection every morning, and I have my blood sugar pretty much under control, although my blood sugar is something that is always on my mind. It will be three years in January since diagnosed, and I've been on the injections for about 28 months.
0 -
You should probably heed Iris' post because it would pertain to most people. I posted what has been working for me for quite a while, but that might be different for someone else.
0
Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more
Categories
- All Categories
- 458 Living With Alzheimer's or Dementia
- 230 I Am Living With Alzheimer's or Other Dementia
- 228 I Am Living With Younger Onset Alzheimer's
- 13.7K Supporting Someone Living with Dementia
- 5.1K I Am a Caregiver (General Topics)
- 6.6K Caring For a Spouse or Partner
- 1.7K Caring for a Parent
- 144 Caring Long Distance
- 102 Supporting Those Who Have Lost Someone
- 10 Discusiones en Español
- 2 Vivir con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 1 Vivo con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 1 Vivo con Alzheimer de Inicio Más Joven
- 8 Prestación de Cuidado
- 1 Soy Cuidador (Temas Generales)
- 6 Cuidar de un Padre
- 22 ALZConnected Resources
- View Discussions For People Living with Dementia
- View Discussions for Caregivers
- Discusiones en Español
- Browse All Discussions
- Dementia Resources
- 6 Account Assistance
- 16 Help