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Anti-Depressants to Help With Night Sweats

Night sweats can be an unpleasant experience for both women and men, no matter their age. Night sweats can be caused by a wide variety of factors, including medication or major medical conditions. Recent research shows that in some people, night sweats can be effectively treated with antidepressants.

  1. Symptoms

    • The primary symptoms of night sweats are profuse sweating during sleep. According to the article "Night Sweats" on MayoClinic.com, night sweats cause excessive perspiration that soaks through bedclothes and sheets, which is irritating and unpleasant for the person experiencing the condition as well as for their sleeping partner.

      Trembling, cramps, and any other conditions during night sweats should be investigated by a medical professional. In most cases, night sweats are just a random occurrence. However, if you're experiencing night sweats over a prolonged period, you should talk to your doctor.

    Causes

    • Causes for night sweats range from medication to medical conditions. Medications that can cause night sweats include antidepressants, medications that lower blood sugar, medications that decrease body temperature, and medications that affect the amount of hormones in your body. For this reason, women experiencing menopause often experience hot flashes as well as night sweats.

    Antidepressants and Other Treatments

    • Although antidepressants can cause night sweats in some people, research is showing that antidepressants might effectively reduce night sweats and hot flashes in some women. According to the article "Antidepressants Emerge as Coolant for Hot Flashes" by Tara Parker-Pope on NYTimes.com, "Menopause researchers say antidepressant use is becoming increasingly common as both women and doctors seek alternatives to menopause hormones." Because hormones that treat menopause increase a woman's risk of breast cancer, antidepressants such as Zoloft, Paxil, or Effexor can possibly treat night sweats. However, the side effects of such antidepressants can be as severe or more severe than night sweats. In that case, it might be valuable to explore alternatives to antidepressants for treating night sweats.

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