Off Arimidex a year, still experiencing night sweats
TL;DR I feel like my five years on Arimidex permanently altered my internal thermostat even though I've been off it a year, especially when it comes to sleeping. Wondering if anyone else has experienced a long-term side effect like this?
Long version: I took Arimidex for five years and stopped it a year ago. I feel like my body's internal thermostat is permanently messed up. When I first started taking it in July 2015 (IDC, lumpectomy, 3 wks rads, no chemo, details in footnote), I went into a state of constant hot flashes. I didn't even have hot flashes when I went through menopause for real in 1999. And these were constant 24/7. The worst was at night. I could not find the combination of bed clothes -- for me OR for the bed -- that prevented me waking up drenched several times during the night. The fact that it was summer in South Texas didn't help, central a/c always on.
Eventually I started sleeping under a loosely woven cotton coverlet (even a top sheet was too hot) and resigning myself to changing my cotton nightgown at least three times during the night. Sleeping nude made me too cold, but any more covers or clothes made me too hot.
I finally stopped taking Arimidex coming up on a year ago, and all the other side effects that I blamed on it (nerve pain/burning in lower legs, and some other stuff) have gone away. But I am still waking up sweaty during the night. Not multiple times and not thoroughly drenched like I was on the drug, but I still do have to change my gown at least once. Now I'm mostly sweaty around my head and neck (so my pillow gets sweaty-ugh). I wear and use only cotton "breathable" fabrics, both on the bed and on me.
I keep the temp around 75 at night. I know that sounds really warm, and the sleep articles say crank your temp down to the high 60s, but I can't tolerate it that cold. I wake up achy from the cold. I have a ceiling fan in the bedroom and sometimes I wake up cold and have to turn it off because of the draft. At this time of year, the a/c is always on, although not always running (my central a/c is brand-new and pretty efficient).
The body temp roller coaster is most aggravating at night, but not limited to night. Even just being here at home (I'm retired and live alone) all day every day during the pandemic, I'm constantly turning fans on and off and I get too hot then too cold. I can cope when I'm awake, but I'd so looooove to get a really good night's sleep!
Comments
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Just out of curiosity, have you had your thyroid checked recently?
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Good question! It was checked in March 2020, and the reading was right smack in the middle of the normal range.
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Are you on any other medication that might cause night sweats, say an antidepressant or a drug to treat diabetes?
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Hi JaneQPoppy!
We're so sorry to hear you're experiencing this uncomfortable effect. You're sure to get some other good responses here soon, but we wanted to share with you a couple of pages from the main Breastcancer.org site that might provide some helpful tips for you:
Hot Topic: Chilling the Hot Flashes: Breastcancer.org Blog
Online Therapy Helps Ease Effects of Hot Flashes and Night Sweats Caused by Breast Cancer Treatment
Specific Type of Counseling Can Help Ease Hot Flashes
Managing Hot Flashes Naturally
Hot Flash Medications for Women With Breast Cancer
We hope this helps, and that you find relief soon!
--The Mods
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ElaineTherese wrote: "Are you on any other medication that might cause night sweats, say an antidepressant or a drug to treat diabetes?"
No antidepressant. I've been taking Metformin for almost 20 years, long before the BC diagnosis. Any other drugs you can think of?
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Thanks for the info.
The question I'm seeking an answer to is the following:
Are my night sweats possibly due to Arimidex even though I've been off it for a year?
I'm looking for the reason, not so much remedies. Night sweats can be caused by other things, some not so serious and some very serious indeed. I'm trying to track down the cause. As I said in the OP, I feel like Arimidex has messed up my internal thermostat. I'm looking for potential validation of that or total debunking.
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Do you have nocturnal hypoglycemia? That can cause night sweats, especially around the neck area.
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No, Arimidex does not permanently change how your body regulates vascular responses to heat. Those side effects resolve within weeks after discontinuing Arimidex.
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jhl wrote: "No, Arimidex does not permanently change how your body regulates vascular responses to heat. Those side effects resolve within weeks after discontinuing Arimidex."
I'm dazzled by the level of certitude in your declaration. "Within weeks," eh?
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Last night I cranked the bedroom temperature down to 73. (Which is higher than the 62-65 that experts claim is the ideal sleeping temperature. I'm not sure I could even get my leaky old 1926 house down to 65!) I only woke up once with a slightly sweaty neck. So maybe it was just my bedroom being too hot. Yay! Thanks to all who participated.
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