DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My problem is sweating at night. Sometimes I wet three different pajama tops per night. Last year I had a lower-back operation, and I am on tramadol and doxazosin. A doctor told me to take gabapentin for sweating, and it worked for about three weeks, but no more. What ideas do you have? — R.H.

ANSWER: The purpose of sweating is reduction in body heat through evaporation of sweat. Sweating to the excess you describe isn’t normal.

First, make some changes to your bedroom. If you can afford an air conditioner, get one. If you can’t afford it, then get a fan. A fan blowing on you will promote sweat evaporation. Check the room’s humidity; devices for this are available in all hardware stores. The room’s humidity should be less than 40 percent. If it’s too high, an investment in a dehumidifier is worth the money. It, too, will enhance sweat evaporation.

A small percentage of people on doxasozin complain of increased sweating, and a slightly higher percentage of those on tramadol notice increased sweating. Don’t stop medicines without first talking to your doctor.

Set your alarm to wake you at 2 a.m. Take your temperature then. and continue doing so for three nights in a row. If you have a temperature, then sweating might be tracked to an infection. Two generations ago, night sweats suggested TB. Since TB is relatively rare now, the association is not so strong.

Cancers are another cause of night sweats, especially the cancer Hodgkin’s disease, a lymph node cancer. Cancers, including Hodgkin’s, have other fairly striking symptoms, so night sweats alone are not a dependable sign of them.

Diabetes, an overactive thyroid gland, menopause and a drop in male hormone production are other causes of night sweats.

Before launching into a search for illnesses, make changes in your bedroom’s environment. That might be the only thing you need to do.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 87-year-old woman who has been in fairly good shape most of my life. For the past month, I have been very tired all day. I went to my doctor for a checkup. All my lab work came back normal. The doctor attached an oxygen monitor to me, and my oxygen level turned out to be in the 60s. It should be in the 90s.

I am now on oxygen at night, and I do not like it. I am in my second week but don’t feel much better. What will make me feel better? I have to add that I have never smoked. — A.A.

ANSWER: Such a decrease in oxygen in your blood is bound to make you tired. Perhaps you would feel better if you stayed on oxygen during the day as well. It’s not as disruptive as you might think. Portable oxygen equipment is available, and you can move around quite freely with it. Believe it or not, I have seen golfers play while on oxygen.

The question is, Why are your lungs not getting enough oxygen into your blood? Severe emphysema is one cause, and it can come on without ever having smoked a single cigarette. Lung fibrosis (scarring) is another reason for a block to oxygen reaching the blood. The list of possible causes is large. Your doctor has an obligation to tell you what he or she believes the cause is. Finding the cause holds a chance of finding a cure. That’s not always true, but a definite cause should be forthcoming.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: If a piece of chocolate says zero grams of sugar but contains sugar alcohol, what does that mean for a type 2 diabetic? — J.B.

ANSWER: Sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohols. They raise blood sugar only slightly. They’re used as nonsugar sweeteners in sugarless gums, candies and many other products. The Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers to label such foods as “sugar-free.” Modest use of these goods ought not to upset your blood sugar control.

Their names are: sorbitol, erythritol, lactitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol and isomalt.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

Copy the Story Link