Many women experience feelings of high body heat and excess sweating while sleeping during menopause. The fluctuation in hormones during menopause can bring about sudden feeling of profound warmth accompanied by excess sweating without warning. When these sudden rushes of heat are referred to as hot flashes and can occur at any time, without warning. When hot flashes occur during sleep they are called night sweats.
Unfortunately, some women continue to experience these night sweats long after menopause is over. This continued problem can be a huge disappointment when all other menopausal symptoms have been alleviated signaling that the menopause cycle is complete. When Night sweats continue to be a problem, it is time to see your physician. There are several other medical conditions that can cause night sweats in women.
Many women who experience the mood swings that often accompany menopause, will be prescribed antidepressants by their doctor. Night sweats can be a side effect of some antidepressants. If you are taking medication for depression, anxiety, or mood swings long after your menopause cycle has been completed check with your doctor to see if this could be causing your problem. Never under any circumstances decide to discontinue taking antidepressant medications without medical advice this can cause severe depression, feelings of hopelessness, and even thoughts of suicide.
Stopping any long-term medication needs to be done carefully and slowly and under the advice of a physician. Never just assume your medication is causing your problems.
Some cancers have been known to cause sweating while sleeping, along with several other medical conditions such as diabetes, hypoglycemia and infections. These are all serious conditions that must be treated by your doctor he or she will need to have tests performed to decide the cause and treatment of your condition.
If, after all of the tests have been completed and no medical or hormonal condition or medication side effects are found to be causing your night sweats, it may be time to seek help through counseling or therapy. Often, night sweats can be caused by excess stress, depression or other psychological problems. Once medical conditions have been ruled out, many women who regularly experience night sweats have found that the only way to alleviate the problem is through psychological therapy.