Fibromyalgia is such a complex condition and befuddles even the complex experts when it comes to cascading myriad symptoms.
As night sweats, familiar to so many fibromyalgia sufferers come into play, the suffering is dynamic.
The trauma is far more than simply waking up soaked in sweat. It is a poignant, drowning nightmare leading to sleep deprivation; dream disturbances, psychological distress, and more problems than any normal person should have to endure.
Sometimes medications prescribed to control the symptoms of the syndrome actually worsen the night sweats.
There are some solutions to explore. Ultimately we want to understand the scope of this association of fibromyalgia and night sweats.
A Night Of Sweating For One With Fibromyalgia
The following is drawn from many stories composed of very real descriptions from gracious volunteers:
Finally, the aches and pains of the day have settled him down to sleep. He lies in bed hoping for good rest. The covers are light, as he tends to get hot.
His thoughts are racing, but this is nothing new. Soon, he begins to fall off to sleep, but there is itching, so he has to scratch.
Then comes more itching and scratching and so on and he has to scratch the itches because they are the deep kind. Now he is too hot. He takes the thin cover off.
He starts to fade off but he is sweating and the sweat is tickling his eyes and it burns. Now he is cold because of the sweat so he covers back up.
The covers get wet from the sweating so he starts to shiver and sweat at the same time. He gets up. He changes the sheets, the covers, showers off in a cold shower.
He feels hot but goes back to bed and falls asleep. When he awakes in the morning, he is drenched and freezing. The whole bed is soaked. It hurts to move. This is fibromyalgia and night sweats.
Fatigue and Sleep Disturbances
Sleep disturbances come about from daily stresses of various sorts. Chronic pain is a huge player in this field. Fibromyalgia means chronic pain just as many other medical conditions.
Sometimes, even with the best pain relief available, it just isn’t enough and, at the end of the day, you are still left with a cluster of anxiety and some rough memories.
There is probably a load of a list of troubles slated for the following day as well.
It isn’t any wonder it can be difficult to fall asleep. Once you do, the body can go into a fight or flight response.
This is when the hormone adrenaline is released, your body temperature increases, you begin breathing harder and sweating and dreams become terribly vivid.
This can happen from chronic stress. Often, the physician prescribes certain medications to keep this from happening if this is what is believed to be causing the sleep disturbances and resulting in night sweats.
Fatigue plays another strong role. Chronic fatigue can lead to adrenal exhaustion. Fatigue results from lack of sleep, excessive stress and work, lack of recreation and rest, and adrenal exhaustion.
Fatigue means you can barely even produce stress anymore and all the anti-inflammatory compounds in your body are gone. You are malnourished and need rest and care for a good week at least to get back on your feet.
Night sweats will surely take over and it will not be comfortable, but with the right diet and a bit of good rest, you should start to feel better.
Do not get fatigued. Avoid stress as much as possible. Try to get exercise. Take medications and consult a qualified physician for assistance.
Get plenty of sleep. Eat well. Get a support network. Then perhaps you can avoid the sleep disturbances. It does happen.
The Night Sweats Keep Coming
Masses of fibromyalgia sufferers have tried everything mentioned here and still wake up in pools of sweat. Frustrations can often boil, but it doesn’t do much good.
What we all want is to get better and be normal. We want to lead pain-free lives and sleep like normal people and not sweat all of the time. It would be nice if we didn’t have to wash so many sheets or buy so many pillows.
There are more solutions. Infrared saunas are supposed to help. Hot Yoga, Tai Chi… The list goes on. It is all quite uncertain.
Science points back to the neurotransmitters and much of this seems to be on target.
It is typical for those with fibromyalgia to have various skin issues and neurotransmitters do affect the skin as well.
The whole issue is complex. It even leads directly to the central nervous system which is the control center for the entire body.
The Role of the Central Nervous System
The brain in our heads is the central nervous system. It is composed of fatty neurons which are massive bundles of the tiniest wires you could possibly imagine.
These systems control everything in our bodies through an electrical and chemical messenger system based on codes.
Some pathways regulate mood, body temperature, perspiration, pupil dilation, breathing, and muscle tone all at the same time.
When you experience fibromyalgia, this system becomes disrupted. Because there is a malfunction in the transmission and some neurotransmitters are missing. Sometimes help comes, sometimes it doesn’t.
The Future
Other parts of your central nervous system will take over and compensate to keep you alive so the crisis doesn’t get out of control. For example, you can still breathe and your heart will beat.
You will be fine, just in pain and sweating. You will have difficulty sleeping but your body will function well otherwise because your central nervous system is highly adaptive.
Soon, we will help you learn how to repair the malfunction and you will not have that problem anymore.
In fact, scientists are now focusing on the central nervous system as a way to cure fibromyalgia. A certain area of the brain has been identified. Exact treatment methods are under consideration.
