Nightmare of sweaty proportions

I know I’m not supposed to do it, and I’ve been real good for quite some time – quite some time! – but sometimes it’s just unavoidable. The doctor had to be summoned. Google Doctor that is.


And let me just say copious amounts of calming tea with Bob the Bauble (distant relative of Johnny 5) were needed in dealing with the diagnosis(s)

The following information I’m about to spew, I have hemmed and hawed over whether or not to share it. It’s pretty personal, and a little bit embarrassing… actually, scratch that, it’s a lot embarrassing. But when I started this blog almost two years ago, one of the reasons was to connect with a like-minded community, whether that be fellow runners, cyclists, type 1s, etc. So, here goes…

[Note: If any of you make fun of me, I will not be opposed to kicking you in the knees. Hard. Just saying…]

I suffer night sweats, like really bad night sweats, soak the bed sheets, the duvet, pillows, clothes, hair, skin, everything night sweats. It’s frigging disgusting. My pajamas are so wet, I can wring drips of liquid out of them. Can you imagine waking up to that? It’s like I pee the bed, except with sweat! I’m at the point where torture therapy may soon be applied, you know, like getting one of those electric shock pee pads that are designed for people who wet the bed – that’s how bad it is!

I haven’t always had night sweats. They only started happening a year and a half ago when I was training for my first marathon. I thought it had to do with my metabolism working in over drive. And because they didn’t happen all the time, really only sporadically, I didn’t invest much thought in them. But then, about a month ago, they came back full force – like every night, and recently two times through the night.

I thought maybe I was overheating. I tend to go to bed real cold and cocoon myself in my blankets, and I thought maybe I was getting too hot under there. Google Doctor, however, informed me that wasn’t possible. I then thought maybe it was dear diabetes rearing her ugly head, that maybe the sweats were the result of serious lows. So, I decreased my overnight insulin and hoped for the best. It worked… for 2 nights.

The past two weeks, I have had one night free of sweats – ONE NIGHT!!!

I am now at the point where I fear falling asleep because I do not want to be woken to that icky clammy skin feeling, and damp sheets all around me. Just imagine it. I am honestly on the verge of tears when it happens. My bedding is getting worn out from repeatedly having to wash it, and my pajamas too.

I’ve tested my blood sugars every time I wake up in a sweat and they’re almost always fine. At first I thought, maybe they were going low, and rebounding by the time I wake up, but then that doesn’t explain the other night. There is no way my blood sugars could have dropped from 9.2 at 11 p.m. so drastically to cause sweats and then be back up to 9.1 by 1:30 a.m. – that’s not how it works. I started testing my sugars twice through the night, and again they are almost always fine.

So, in a plea of desperation, I sought solace in the good ol’ Google Doctor. But, as is usually the case, it had the opposite effect. According to Dr. Google, I have tuberculosis, or cancer, or aids, or early onset menopause. Overheating is not an option for soak-your-bed-sheets night sweats, the doc says.

The sleeve of my new shirt expresses how I’m feeling perfectly:


Any guesses what this brand was named after?

YESTERDAY’S TRAINER RIDE:
10:30 a.m. BG before: 9.1

Temp. basal: -50 per cent
Time: 45 minutes
11:30 a.m. BG after: 4.1

Yesterday’s trainer was my last episode of True Blood until the 4th season is released, which leaves me in a dilemma as not too many shows can keep me pedaling like True Blood can. Looking for new viewing, while pedaling options… any suggestions?

6 thoughts on “Nightmare of sweaty proportions”

  1. +1 Dexter or The Wire, (and a to a lesser extent Generation Kill also from HBO only 1 season and deals w/ Gulf War 2 but good characters/dialogue) The BBC version of top gear is pretty cool too

    sorry for your troubles. no clue what it might be – might be worth a visit to a real world doc

  2. The Wire — the greatest TV show in history and an amazing feat of storytelling.
    Or some great Brit programs: Luther or Sherlock (new series).
    And seriously, see a real doc.

  3. Hey! I wonder if your overheating is actually due to hormones? I see a GP/Natropath and my progesterone levels are wayyy low. I find I have serious night sweats sometimes and he thinks its because of this. It’s worth checking out! I mean… It sounds like a better answer than Dr Google 🙂

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