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What are Common Causes of Headache and Night Sweats?
Headache and night sweats may be caused by a variety of different physical and mental conditions. A few of these include stress, anxiety, dehydration, menopause and HIV infection. Remedies for these symptoms are often helpful in alleviating symptoms. Such may include hormonal therapy, psychotherapy or traditional home remedies.
Individuals who are experiencing stress and anxiety may suffer from headache and night sweats as a result. Other symptoms associated with these conditions may also include mood changes, depression, attention deficits, unintended weight changes and a loss of appetite. Learning how to cope with stress and anxiety usually stops nighttime sweating and frequent headaches. For some, speaking to a therapist may help, as will building a network of individuals willing to help a person cope with stressful circumstances.
One of the most frequent causes of headache is dehydration. A person who is not taking in enough fluids is likely to experience this side effect. Hydrating with water, fresh fruits and vegetables will help alleviate this symptom. Temporary pain relievers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, will also help with pain management.
When headache and night sweats are experienced at the same time, this may be the sign of an underlying illness. Some illnesses likely to cause these side effects are flu, brucellosis, pneumonia or HIV infection. When an underlying illness is the cause, other symptoms are likely to exist, such as fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Certain medications may also cause these symptoms. For instance, duloxetine, a drug frequently prescribed for the treatment of depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia and certain types of urinary incontinence may cause headache and night sweats. Other antidepressant medications may also cause these symptoms. When a healthcare provider changes a prescription or dosage levels, they often disappear.
In women, menopause is the most common cause of headache and night sweats. As a woman matures, hormonal changes in her body cause her to experience sudden rises in body temperature. These symptoms are often referred to as hot flashes and will produce intense night sweats as well as intermittent daytime sweating. While headache is not a common symptom of menopause, women who are experiencing stress symptoms or who are not getting enough sleep due to the onset of night sweats may also experience headache symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy, vitamin supplements, acupuncture and meditation are all helpful in eliminating night sweats in women with menopause.
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![Dehydration, which can be caused by excessive drinking, can lead to headaches and night sweats.]()
By: kmiragayaDehydration, which can be caused by excessive drinking, can lead to headaches and night sweats. -
![The onset of menopause or health conditions like HIV can cause headaches and night sweats.]()
By: roboriginalThe onset of menopause or health conditions like HIV can cause headaches and night sweats. -
![Hot flashes, night sweats, and headaches are all classic symptoms of menopause.]()
By: Peter AtkinsHot flashes, night sweats, and headaches are all classic symptoms of menopause. -
![Hormone replacement therapy can be used to treat headache and night sweats during menopause.]()
By: forestpathHormone replacement therapy can be used to treat headache and night sweats during menopause. -
![Headaches and night sweats are common for a person attempting to withdraw from prescription painkillers.]()
By: Innovated CapturesHeadaches and night sweats are common for a person attempting to withdraw from prescription painkillers. -
![Headaches and night sweats may be accompanied by nausea.]()
By: Kaspars GrinvaldsHeadaches and night sweats may be accompanied by nausea. -
![Stress and anxiety may lead to headache and night sweats.]()
By: camrockerStress and anxiety may lead to headache and night sweats. -
![Duloxetine is an antidepressant that lists headaches and night sweats as two potential side effects.]()
By: themalniDuloxetine is an antidepressant that lists headaches and night sweats as two potential side effects.
Discussion Comments
@anon317135: You sound like you have low testosterone. You hould probably get it checked out.
I'm a male, experiencing night sweats, waking constantly at night. When I'm awake I get migraines a few times a week, and have anxiety, depression, and find myself getting angry at people over things that I never have before. It's been getting worse and worse. Please someone help me.
I have continuous headaches and feel continuous body sweating during the night. I also feel no hunger and my urine color is also very yellow.
I get night sweats, a headache and chills when I have the flu or am running a fever. While this is never fun, I know it just has to run its course, and will be better within a few days. I take some over-the-counter pain relievers to help with the headaches and also help me sleep.
While it is never fun to have the flu, I know this will be over in short time. The women I know who are having these symptoms because of menopause have these symptoms much longer than a few days.
I have an aunt who likes to try different home remedies and she uses peppermint essential oil when she has a hot flash. This doesn't help with the hormones, but it does help cool her down. She has also tried acupuncture and has had moderate results with this treatment. It has helped her enough that she hasn't had to use any kind of hormone replacement therapy.
@SarahSon-- Even if the cause of your night sweats and fatigue is related to menopause, it wouldn't hurt you to drink more water. I don't think most people get nearly the amount of water they need in a day. We rely too much on soda and coffee to get us through the day instead of several glasses of water. It sure wouldn't hurt to give it a try and see if it made a difference.
I also suffer from night chills and sweats. It seems to fluctuate from being very hot to then being very cold within just a few minutes. Along with the night sweats comes fatigue because I am not getting enough sleep. All of this becomes a viscous circle and is starting to wear on me.
I know that the cause of my symptoms is menopause, but never realized that dehydration could also cause these symptoms. I really don't drink nearly enough water as I should during the day. I wonder if increasing my water intake would help with my symptoms or if this is just all hormone related.
@OhDeDoh-- I am glad to hear that taking bioidentical hormones has helped with your night sweats. This is something I have seriously been considering.
I keep seeing commercials on TV advertising this type of treatment for hot flashes, night sweats and trouble sleeping. I am so frustrated with not being able to sleep for than a couple hours without waking up drenched in sweat. I don't want to use synthetic hormone replacement, but would be willing to try natural therapy to see if I could get some relief.
My daughter got sick last month. The poor thing had a heck of a time with chills and fever. It’s so sad so see your little one all wrapped up in blankets, cold and breaking a sweat. We took her to the doctor, but there wasn’t much to do except give her Tylenol. That helped bring her fever down and in turn eased the symptoms.
As if menopause wasn’t fun enough all on its own, how about adding some profuse night sweats? Not my idea of a good time. The headaches and sweating that come with the hormonal shift is enough to make anyone crazy. I started taking bioidentical hormones, which has made a big difference.
I will be glad when the night sweats are gone for good. I have had to change sheets in the middle of the night after a good bout of night sweats. Yeah, also not my idea of a good time.
I would encourage anyone going through this to keep an open dialogue with their doctor. Even if your night sweats are not hormone related, there can be relief.
My sister suffers from night sweats and relief has not been easy for her to find. She isn’t sure why she gets them, but she has tried a lot of home remedies. She talked to her doctor, but they haven’t found an underlying cause. She thinks it is probably stress related.
One of the remedies that helped her is a tea with chamomile and sage. She brews it quite strong and lets it cool. I don’t think drinking a hot beverage before bed would be a great way to cool off.
The best way seems to be to brew it in the morning so it is fresh for the night to come. She doesn’t use sweetener. If you can tolerate that way, it’s not a bad idea to skip the sugar. She is looking for other remedies, but the tea has helped.
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