Night sweats - do they ever end? (no HRT, no ovaries)

I had a TAH/BSO on 3/28/05. No HRT due to family history of breast cancer. I am 49 and had experienced only mild hot flashes and night sweats for several years pre-op.

I am almost 6 weeks post-op, and return to work in four days. The hot flashes during the day so far are tolerable, but the night sweats are so bad I cannot get a good night's sleep, and I am worried about how this will affect my work performance.

But mostly, I just want to sleep through the night for ME!! I miss sleeping well. Here's a picture of me in the mornings.
Really looking forward to going in to work next week looking like this!

I don't mind putting up with this for a while, if I know it won't go on for years. I found something called a "chillow" in another thread and I'm going to give that a try.

Anyone out there with similar experience (maybe further down the road?) with some encouraging words to let me know that there is a good night's sleep somewhere down the road for me?

Thanks for any encouraging words. This site has already been a great help to me.

Barbara

I started having profuse, soaking night sweats occasionally at age 35. At age 44 I had TAH/BSO and noticed I was warm last night. No biggie for me, doesn't worry me or scare me. Neither do the chill flashes, had those for along time too-along with hot flashes. Now on HRT, too soon to tell if they will lessen, don't much care anyway-figure it's just mother nature visiting me. Love Noom

I had night sweats and hot flashes for 8 years before hyster...

Now...they are actually shorter! only about 10 minutes now, they were 1/2 hour before.


I do have a "Chillow" [get it at Walgreens $14.95] and I LOVE IT. It has really helped with my sleeping.


Kate

I bought my Sister a chillow, and she likes it very much.

Thanks for all your responses!

It sounds like the Chillow is definitely worth trying; I'm going to see if I can find one at Walmart.

Would love to know what it feels like to sleep 7-8 hours straight, like I used to.......

Barbara

Yes I also had the night sweats and cold chills. I'm not on HRT. I did go on Promensil. Not sure if it would have worked this quick. My dr. says no. But in the past few days have not had any night sweats or the chills.

Maybe it's like they say it took my ovary awhile to wake up.

Hi There,

I havent posted anything in a long time but when reading your entry I knew that I had too. I had a complete hyster in June. Of course my incision opened up a week post op and I was on antibiotics it seemed like forever. I went back to work the last of August and would come home drained the first month or two. Now it has been almost a year, I havent felt this great in a long long time due to endometriosis. I should have had it years ago.

Anyway, on to the subject of the night sweats. I too was getting them every night and was not getting any sleep. With this came panic attacks which I used to have about 20 years ago (I am 47). I have a great ob/gyn doctor here in Michigan. I told her that I felt like I was coming out of my skin during the day, I would be at work and just get hot flashes and my nerves were just on end. I would come home at night and try to rest and just couldnt because of all the night sweats. She didnt want me to take any hrt therapy because of the endomitrial cancer that they found (which they removed all of it and there is no further sign of it) according to her and the oncologist and the head surgeon IT WAS A CURE. So no hormones for me. Instead she put me on Effexor XR, an antidepressant that seems to be having great results with women unable to take hormone therapy. Well it did the trick, no more hot flashes during the day and no night sweats at night that wake me up (although I do wake up at times where I knew that I had one).

So there is hope for everyone, you just have to find what works for you.

My thoughts are with all of you during this first year after surgery.

Gayle

Gayle,

Glad your doing so well now. It's nice to see a post from someone a year later. On the Effexor XR did you gain any weight? I seen where someone had gained being on Effexor XR. My Dr. said some people do and some people don't.

I wrap and ice pack in a towel and lay it on the bed beside me to keep it cool. It's the only way I get to sleep through the night. What is a chillow?

A Chillow is similar to an ice pack, but apparently it is low maintenance. You put water in it once, and it's good to go, according to the website I found about it. It is made to be inserted inside the pillow case, or can be used on top of your pillow. I'm going to pick up one (or two) tomorrow at Walgreen's.

I called all around (other pharmacies and also Wal-Mart) and Walgreen's is the only place around me that carries it ($19.95).

My thanks to Waldo and other ladies who posted on earlier threads about the Chillow. Every single post swears that it works, so I'm going to give it a try!

I'll let you know if it works for me too.

Barbara