Neck Night Sweats - 1258129

I would consider this just a mild version of the symptom. We usually mean "drenching" night sweats, which would require changing the sheets, when we refer to a clinically significant version of night sweats.

-Dr. West

If they are drenching to that extent, what is recommended? To whom would that need to be reported and what might be the cause?

Debra

It's often a symptom of the underlying cancer, or possibly infection. It's very appropriate to tell your oncologist about the symptom, especially if it represents a change.

-Dr. West

Palliative doc attributes the sweating I'm experiencing to the infectious process going on in my right lung. Makes sense. On 7th antibiotic, back to the old school augmentin. Hope this one works!

Debra

Hmmm, I never thought to ask. I'm experiencing the opposite problem - a complete inability to sweat. It began, I think, with afatinib-cetuximab, although perhaps Tarceva reduced my sweating prior to the combo. I'm on Tarceva only now, and I can't sweat to save my life! It gets to be 110 and super dry around here, so sweat is really necessary!

Anyone else have this problem? Is it something I should report?

Jazz

Jazz, my rule is if I have a ask should I repost then the answer is yes, especially since there's a part of your autonomic nervous system that's stopped working. Whether it can be changed or not it could cause overheating or some such thing.

I don't know of it being a common symptom though. With this disease anythings possible.
I'll ask a doctor to respond to your question about perspiration though not the 'should you' question that answer is yes by default.

Janine

Thanks, Janine. Strangely, either this issue hadn't bothered me enough to notice until just recently, or it wasn't an issue with previous Tarceva use. I felt overheated when walking last week, and considered asking my doctor on the next visit, but often wonder if I worry too much. I never thought lack of perspiration would be something I'd ever have to worry about, but as you said, anything's possible!

Jazz

I'm not aware of any association of these meds with inability to sweat. If it's an issue on one side only, I'd imaging it's related to loss of some autonomic nervous system control from a compressed nerve, which lung cancer can certainly do. It's possible that it's from medications, and it's very appropriate to report to your doctor, but I personally am unaware of any association with afatinib, cetuximab, or any other EGFR-targeting therapy.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

Thanks, Dr. West. It's definitely not on one side only. Perhaps I need greater hydration, as well.

Jazz, I wonder if what you are experiencing as "no sweat" is actually a reflection of your skin being super dry? Both Tarceva and Afatinib make the skin, nails and hair very dry. Just a thought....Dr. Johnson

Hi Dr. Johnson,

Good to see you! I do suffer from dry skin naturally, and Tarceva/living in the desert exacerbates that. However i would think a natural amount of sweat would occur when exposed to extreme heat or during strenuous activity. But no sweat (no pun intended!). I do think my body thermostat is a bit off - I tend to feel colder than most, but even when I feel uncomfortably warm, I haven't sweated. Definitely warrants further investigation. Not sure whether it's reassuring that this question doesn't come up often or not!

Thanks for the thought,
Jazz

Jazz, Just a thought on the line Dr. Johnson threw out. I've lived in warm climates all my life. Here in Alabama it's humid so when you sweat the wetness builds up on your body and dripping sweat is common this time of year. In the Southern California desert where its dry I often didn't realize I was sweating because I usually didn't get wet, the sweat evaporated from my body so quickly, however I did find my skin salty from the evaporated sweat. Maybe if you've recently located in a dryer climate you're experiencing the same?

it may also be the case that your thyroid function is off, as can happen from the cancer or various treatments, and that might reset your thermostat so that you just don't register in the range where you'd be sweating.

-Dr. West