Fish Oil - Not much success with the night sweats but great for everything else!

It seems like Fish Oil is the nutritional supplement of this decade. I haven't read a nutrition book in a while that didn't tout fish oil as the cure all for all. However, its really made a real difference for me. It was the first supplement that I dared to take and after about 2 wks I really noticed a difference.

My skin, usually tired, drab and prone to breakouts, hasn't looked this great since...well, forever! My energy levels really picked up, I feel more calm and collected (compared to my previously mostly frazzled state), more positive and more clear headed. Its also helped my libido pick up somewhat and also, after I was taking it for 3 wks I had the first period, ever, in my life, without a single cramp. It was so wierd...no cramps at all?! I didn't know that was possible!

I've since read a bit about Fish Oil being good for the mood and for the skin. And there's that strange book that promises that ultra mega doses of fish oil will lead to a crazy female sex drive. (Here's the book for anyone who is curious; The Orgasmic Diet: A Revolutionary Plan to Lift Your Libido and Bring You to Orgasm)
So, for fish oil, nay for night sweats, but yay for everything else!

Study on Night Sweats in Younger Women

Details below!
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Learn more about yourself and help us understand night sweats in women (35-50) who still have regular periods.

This UBC study is observational (no study medications), and takes 4 menstrual cycles.

Who can participate?
You may be eligible for this study if you are a woman who:
• Has night sweats (hot flushes during sleep time)
• Is between age 35 and 50
• Menstrual periods no more than 60 days apart in the past year
• Is not taking hormone therapy or hormonal birth control

What will I be asked to do?
• Visit our office (at VGH) for an hour-long interview session
• Keep a daily record (the Daily Perimenopause Diary) for 4 menstrual cycles
• Record first morning temperature
• Collect a small amount of urine each morning for the first full menstrual cycle

Who do I contact?
For more information or to participate, please contact Dr. Laura Liao at:
Night-sweats@interchange.ubc.ca
604.875.5232
Or visit:  http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/night_sweats_study

Principal investigator is Dr. Jerilynn Prior, UBC Endocrinologist and Professor.

This study is funded by a Women’s Health Research Institute Catalyst Grant 

Night Sweats and Pregnancy

So when I'm googling Night Sweats, I always come across posts on forums like "I'm pregnant and in my first trimester and have been having crazy night sweats. Is there anything wrong?" or "I have night sweats just before and during my period. I want to have a baby soon....will this hurt my chances of trying to conceive?"

I always want to post back with my 2 cents, but with posts from way back in 2006, the original poster probably figured it out one way or another.

So I had night sweats for years before I first got pregnant. I had no difficulty in conceiving or problems during pregnancy. Both pregnancies were  uncomplicated. Both children are healthy. I have never had a miscarriage.

With both pregnancies, the night sweats started 2 days before I was supposed to get my period (which never happened, obviously!) and continued for most of the first trimester. I don't think I had them at all during 2nd and 3rd trimester. With my first baby, they started up again 2 or 3 days before I delivered. I thought they may do the same with the 2nd and predict when I would go into labor, but that didn't happen :)

Night sweats postpartum were really severe, and were also accompanied by some serious chills. I think that lasted at least a few weeks...not longer than 2 months. After that I didn't have any night sweats at all when I was breastfeeding. I also didn't get my period back until after I had completely weaned. Then, both times, the sweats started up again with the period. Pity :(

Medical History (or lack of it)!

I'm fortunate to be and feel pretty healthy. At 5 foot 2 and 105lbs, I'm on the low side of a healthy weight. Whatever lab tests I have ever taken have always come out normal. I'm not anemic, not diabetic, never get headaches, sleep well (when I'm not sweating) and I've never even broken a bone.

My only hospital stay (in the spirit of full disclosure) was for breast implants. I got these after the night sweats had already been present for a year or so and have never had problems with the implants, nor do I think they are related to the sweats. I've had 2 healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies with no difficulties conceiving and have 2 healthy sons.

I'm not on any medication except supplements that I have recently started taking in order to improve the night sweats. I think I probably had more than a few courses of antibiotics as a child to help with ear infections, but haven't had any in at least 10 yrs or more I think.

A recent visit to a naturopath led to a cortisol test that determined that my cortisol production is within normal levels, but the cycle is off; instead of cortisol highs in the morning and lows at night, I have the opposite...low cortisol in the morning and high cortisol at night, which may be linked to Adrenal Fatigue (more on this later...).

I don't drink, dont smoke (I used to in late teens, quit mid-twenties), eat a mostly organic, whole foods diet. I recently quit my one morning cup of coffee and stopped eating sugar. My main forms of exercise are being with my 2 pre-schoolers, a couple of 1/2 hr walks a week and sometimes a weekly yoga or kickboxing class. Covered pretty much everything?

Please share your medical history. Maybe we can find a common link?

How My Night Sweats Started

They started with a bang when I was 20. For whatever reason, my period had stopped. I think probably due to lots of personal and academic stress that I was going through at the time. Anyway, as soon as I missed my period, the night sweats started. Every night. Even during naps during the daytime. I remember falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon while sitting studying on a friend's bed and when I woke up her entire comforter and all her pillows were drenched...I felt so bad and made some excuse about spilling water and ran out and got her new bedding.

Of course my first thought is that I must have some terrible disease (google night sweats and AIDS and cancer is usually the diagnosis). So I started y visiting my obgyn. He was puzzled. He started me on birth control 'to make sure that I could bleed'?, took some tests, and gave up trying to find out. I must have found out that I wasn't dying so I sort of gave up too.

My period eventually returned, but the night sweats stayed. I eventually found the link to my menstrual cycle. Over 10 years later, I am again motivated to try and get to the bottom of what is causing them. I am still visiting doctors who can't provide much more insight, and I am still googling.....

Anyone remember a specific point when the night sweats started?

My Pattern of Period-Related Night Sweats

Currently, they begin like clockwork 2 days before my period and last until the period is completely finished, so 7-9 days in total. I used to have cold flashes also (I'd wake up wet, freezing and shivering violently) but don't have that anymore (phew!). Also, they used to be a lot shorter in duration....they used to begin 2 days before the period and last 1 or 2 days into it, so 3-4 days total.  I'll take the longer duration instead of the cold shivers I think!