Night sweats

[andrew1974]

I have had a cold for the last two weeks which has resulted in be having a mild cough.

Over the last three night I have been waking with heavy sweats and am absolutely drenched. I test my bg levels and they are not to high or low. Have anyone had night sweats with diabetes.

Its not the first time I have had these and probably had 5 or 6 episodes over 6years.

In addition my diabetic nurse thinks I might have something called lada but I have not mentioned the sweats yet.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Andrew, sorry to hear this. I suffered from night sweats for a few months after I was diagnosed and my levels, although on the low side, were acceptable. It's possible that because prior to your diagnosis your levels would have been running on the high side, the levels you are getting overnight are lower than your body is used to - our levels tend to fall to their lowest during the night, usually at around 2-3am. What are your levels when you test? It's also possible that your levels have dropped into hypo levels (below 4.0 mmol/l) and that you are woken as the symptoms take hold, but by that time your liver has responded by releasing extra glucose and therefore when you test they look normal.

Do tell your nurse about this as she will be more familiar with your particular situation. Are you on any other medication for your diabetes besides insulin? Many people who are diagnosed in adulthood with Type 1 are what is known as LADA - this stands for Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adulthood, and is a slow-onset version of Type 1 (sometimes referred to as Type 1.5) where the pancreas gradually loses the ability to produce insulin. So, you may still be producing some of your own insulin.

 

[Copepod]

It's also possible that you have a raised temperature which is causing you to sweat. If you have a thermometer, might be worth checking? Paracetamol works to bring down adults' temperatures, not just children's.

You mention 5 to 6 previous episodes over 6 years - were these associated with coughs / colds?

 

[andrew1974]

Thanks. I think it might be bg cuasing them but the reading when i wake is around 6.5. Did not get them when I first came down from high readings.

The first time I had one of these heavy sweats was after a trip to egypt. A few days after I came back, I started getting very heavy sweats but the sweat smelt very sweet. That cleared up but then I then had on/off sweats that would appears for a few days and then disapears for months if not years.

I am now wondering if it was this bug in egypt which has lead to the type one and that there has been a weakness all this time.

Still I have had BG test during thid time an nothing came up until a few weeks back.

I will talk to my nurse. I am due to go on MDI in next couple of days so this might help