Excessive sweating during peri-menopause

[emily_in_nc]

Anyone else experience this? I'm not talking about hot flashes, but just plain old garden-variety sweat pouring from my face, head, neck, chest, back, etc. I seem to sweat a lot more on bike rides than I used to, have to wear a sweat band under my helmet always. I also seem to sweat more than I used to doing basic stuff outside on hot/humid days.

For example, today we had to lug 20 boxes down three flights of stairs to our car. Yes, it was muggy, and DH was sweating a bit too, but I was dripping sweat on the boxes from my face. Had to dry off my face/neck/hair and change tops before we could drive to the shipping place.

I noticed this on our recent trip to Belize, too. I would sweat a LOT more than DH when we were taking walks around town or riding our cruiser bikes. I was not breathing hard or over-exerting myself.

I'm slender and fit. I did some googling, but mine is not the typical excessive sweating I read about online, which mostly affects the feet and hands, sometimes the underarms. This is not anxious sweating, but exertion sweating, even when I don't feel that I'm exerting myself all that much; it just seems to be a strong reaction to heat and humidity, stronger than I remember having when I was younger.

Has anyone else experienced this around the peri-menopausal time? I recently turned 50 and am still having periods (somewhat irregular). I'm hoping it's a change of life thing and won't continue forever, as it's annoying and somewhat embarrassing as well! :o

Thanks!

[zoom-zoom]

Maybe it's not peri-menopause. I've always heard that heavy sweating is a sign of good fitness...especially when one sweats for no apparent reason. It's the body's way to prepare for exertion, since it's become accustomed to sweating to cool itself during intense activity.

I sweat like a friggin' horse! :p

[Kerry1976]

I'm not peri-menopausal but I've had that issue for years. It is awful.

[rollinat]

I sweat a lot too, and definitely more since I moved to the US - living in Scotland most of my life hasn't really prepared me for heat! I had hoped as I lost weight it would improve but it hasn't really. I take regular medication so thought it might be that though my doctor says not. I certainly have to pick outfits with care these days - extremely annoying. Comforting in a strange kind of a way that I'm not alone!

[Juliegoddess]

Hon, you are NOT alone! I sweat like a PIG. I HATE it. It seems to me like I've always been this way, but I really don't remember it being so bad until after I began nursing my babies. However, I stopped nursing nine years ago!

Now I'm 43, and I really don't feel it has anything to do with heading into menopause (and I DO have other signs of the beginning of menopause, BTW). I just SWEAT....a LOT!! It's SO embarrassing. My BF is usually comfortable or on the cool side, and I am always sweltering. If I am in a hot place, like inside a car when the weather is warm, I can literally feel the sweat dripping down my head, on my face, dripping off my chin. If left in a warm area for too long (or even a not-so-warm area), my hair will literally look like I just got out of the shower...and it's all SWEAT. YECH.

And let's not even SPEAK about what happens during sex! Sweat POURS off me. Good thing the BF thinks it's "hot"...er, yeah, dude, it IS...

The idea of cycling to work is great, however, it's simply impossible for me. I'd have to shower the minute I got there, and it wouldn't matter one bit if it was 80 degrees outside, or 40. My hair would be plastered to my head, soaked with sweat. My clothes would also have to be changed.

I don't when or if this will ever stop, but I deal with it. If it IS a sign of being healthy, well then I must be DAMNED healthy! :D

~The Sweat Goddess ((grin))

[indysteel]

Out of curiosity, are you noticing an increase in persperation when you're sleeping or during times other than when you're exercising? Are you taking any new medicines or supplements? Have you had your thyroid and blood sugar levels tested recently?

[OakLeaf]

I sweat a lot too. I've joked here before that after a workout, I like to jump in the shower to dry off... But as far as I can remember, I've always sweated.

Is it more humid than past years in your area? It sure is here. I had to put a beach towel on my spot on the couch, and the hottest it's been in the house is only 85°, it's just that humid.

+1 that increased sweat volume (and conservation of sodium) is part of heat acclimation.

I like to sweat. It's hard on dress clothes for sure, though.

[emily_in_nc]

Out of curiosity, are you noticing an increase in persperation when you're sleeping or during times other than when you're exercising? Are you taking any new medicines or supplements? Have you had your thyroid and blood sugar levels tested recently?

1. It's mostly during exercise, not at night, but the exercise doesn't have to be intense if it's humid out. Just walking around town can get me dripping.

2. No medications/supplements

3. No. No other symptoms that would warrant testing. My PCP says I am embarrassingly healthy. Low cholesterol/BP/triglycerides. I did have my thyroid checked a few years ago, and it was normal, but I've got no other symptoms that would indicate a thyroid issue. The increased sweating has come on gradually in the past couple of years, which is why I attributed it to perimenopause, possibly.

Any thoughts? It definitely sounds like I am not alone.

[emily_in_nc]

I
Is it more humid than past years in your area?

Not really. It's always humid here (NC) in the summer.

[KnottedYet]

Me, too!

Started around the same time as my hot flashes (which do not make me sweat, they just make me want to rip off all my clothes and run naked through the trees).

I carry a bandana pretty much all the time in my purse. I can use it to mop up the ludicrous rivers of sweat from walking up a flight of stairs, and also use it to put my hair up if my sweat-flood ruins my coiffure.

The excess sweat thing is probably my least favorite part of perimenopause. No-one can see my hot flashes or the other personal details I'm experiencing, but the sweat is undeniable. Icky. :mad:

[emily_in_nc]

I carry a bandana pretty much all the time in my purse. I can use it to mop up the ludicrous rivers of sweat from walking up a flight of stairs, and also use it to put my hair up if my sweat-flood ruins my coiffure.

The excess sweat thing is probably my least favorite part of perimenopause. No-one can see my hot flashes or the other personal details I'm experiencing, but the sweat is undeniable. Icky. :mad:

Sorry you're suffering, but your experience does make me feel a bit less strange. I also carry a bandanna with me a lot of the time. The older ones that are really soft are perfect for this task!

I wonder if the sweating will moderate once we're totally through with menopause? One can dream.... :o

[KnottedYet]

Sorry you're suffering, but your experience does make me feel a bit less strange. I also carry a bandanna with me a lot of the time. The older ones that are really soft are perfect for this task!

I wonder if the sweating will moderate once we're totally through with menopause? One can dream.... :o

My mom swears it ends when you actually hit menopause proper. She and my Grandma had the same sweat problem.

She says it takes about 10-15 years in our family before it all ends... oh, goodie.... :eek:

[Trekhawk]

Thank goodness it is winter here because in summer I sweat a huge amount.
I have noticed that it seems worse over the last couple of years but I don't know if that is to do with perimenopause or not. Good to know I am not the only one that finds this annoying.:)

[Crankin]

I've had it, too. I am almost ten years postmenopause, and it did take a long time to go away.
My hot flashes didn't make me sweat, either, just get incredibly hot.

[new2ride]

I am beyond peri-menopause (had a total hysterectory in 2001) and I've noticed that I am sweating like a pig. I never used to sweat like I do now. Sweat drips down in my eyes when I ride, it drips off of me when I'm working in the yard. Last night I was decorating my bike for the 3 day breast cancer event & sweat was falling off my face. I sweat at night time.

Grant it, it's been extremely hot & humid, but it doesn't matter, I sweat when it's not hot & humid. Every morning like clock work when I'm getting ready for work, I get so hot and I can't stand it (that's probably a hot flash) and I start sweating.

Hopefully, it's like one poster wrote, maybe it's a sign of fitness. When I ride as a crew member for the 3 day, I'm sure I will be soaked at the end of the day. :eek:

[zoom-zoom]

Hopefully, it's like one poster wrote, maybe it's a sign of fitness. When I ride as a crew member for the 3 day, I'm sure I will be soaked at the end of the day. :eek:

I'll bet your fitness IS the reason for all the sweat. Read this (http://www.acefitness.org/fitnessqanda/fitnessqanda_display.aspx?itemid=279). :D

[marni]

I don't think that there is a single woman in my gym over a certain age who does not sweat profusely, constantly while working out. Not to mention the running nose! You can just about tell a womans age by how often she swipes her nose while exercising.

I take comfort in the fact that it indicates a sign of of increasing fitness.

[zoom-zoom]

Not to mention the running nose! You can just about tell a womans age by how often she swipes her nose while exercising.

Ha, I ALWAYS run and bike with a hanky...when it's warm it's mostly for sweat, but the rest of the year it's for snot. Though I do have craptacular sinuses, so I've always blamed that for my faucet of a nose.

[PamNY]

I don't think that there is a single woman in my gym over a certain age who does not sweat profusely, constantly while working out. Not to mention the running nose! You can just about tell a womans age by how often she swipes her nose while exercising.

I take comfort in the fact that it indicates a sign of of increasing fitness.

I've never heard of a runny nose having to do with age. Is that common? I wonder if it's air conditioning that's the problem -- AC has always made my nose run (at any age).

[new2ride]

"I'll bet your fitness IS the reason for all the sweat. Read this."

I read the article -- interesting. I'm going with the fitness explanation :D

[Crankin]

I never wipe my nose! It might run when I ride in really cold weather, but I just "suck it up." I hate anything to do with blowing my nose. Seriously, it makes me gag and thankfully, even when I have a cold, I don't get the kind of stuffiness that makes my nose run. It just gets full and dry, not runny.

[zoom-zoom]

I never wipe my nose! It might run when I ride in really cold weather, but I just "suck it up." I hate anything to do with blowing my nose. Seriously, it makes me gag and thankfully, even when I have a cold, I don't get the kind of stuffiness that makes my nose run. It just gets full and dry, not runny.

Oh, man...I have to wipe mine. I can't snot rocket. Not that I wouldn't want to, but I can't work up the pressure. The few times I tried I ended up with snot on my shoulder. :o My nose just flows...I can soak a hanky during an hour+ run or ride when it's cold. I suspect that I may have a deviated septum, but I don't want to go through surgery for it if it's even half as painful as it was for my best friend. She has the most amazing pain tolerance of any woman I know and STILL said it was far worse than childbirth or getting thrown from a horse.

[OakLeaf]

Y'know, take it back to the beginning...

What don't you like about sweating?

Is it a matter of having to wear more, and more delicate, clothes at work than one normally would? That seems like the only issue that's really a problem ... if you're not sensitive to wool, converting an entire wardrobe to washable summer-weight wool would be expensive, but would probably eliminate any issues.

If it's odor, that's not sweat volume, that's body chemistry. Usually (though not always) remedied by a clean diet and/or a change in toiletries or detergent.

Is it trying to get your fluid and electrolyte intake in balance? That's an issue for me, and I'm probably going to wind up seeing a sports nutritionist sooner than later.

Something else?

To the extent that it's related to menopause, remember that you're just beginning to sweat, almost, a little bit, like a man. The way men sweat, with acceptance from themselves and others, all their lives.

(And pigs don't sweat.)

[Crankin]

I don't mind sweat at all, when I am exercising and see it as a badge of achievement. But, excessive sweating in regular clothes would bother me. It just makes me feel dirty, unless I am doing some kind of exercise.

[ny biker]

Y'know, take it back to the beginning...

What don't you like about sweating?

Is it a matter of having to wear more, and more delicate, clothes at work than one normally would? That seems like the only issue that's really a problem ... if you're not sensitive to wool, converting an entire wardrobe to washable summer-weight wool would be expensive, but would probably eliminate any issues.

If it's odor, that's not sweat volume, that's body chemistry. Usually (though not always) remedied by a clean diet and/or a change in toiletries or detergent.

Is it trying to get your fluid and electrolyte intake in balance? That's an issue for me, and I'm probably going to wind up seeing a sports nutritionist sooner than later.

Something else?

To the extent that it's related to menopause, remember that you're just beginning to sweat, almost, a little bit, like a man. The way men sweat, with acceptance from themselves and others, all their lives.

(And pigs don't sweat.)


I was at a shopping mall on Saturday (during the high heat/high humidity heat wave, with heat index ~ 120). The mall was very warm, and the shoe store I was in was even worse. I was returning a pair of shoes and exchanging another pair for a different size, which needed to be ordered. So I was standing at the counter for several minutes, which had hot pendant lights above it. I started to sweat alot. Sweat running down my face, down my neck, down my back, down my chest, hair getting wet. It was embarrassing. And very uncomfortable. When I could finally get out of there, I had to hurry to the ladies room in a nearby department store, grab a huge pile of paper towels and completely towel off. Had to take my dress off to dry off my chest and back. If I had needed to shop for clothes after that, I wouldn't have been able to because I was so sticky and my bra was soaked. It was disgusting.

And I'm sure the people working at that shoe store thought there was something wrong with me. They (mostly men) were there all day and looked perfectly dry; I was there for a few minutes and was dripping with sweat even though I was standing still.

[new2ride]

(And pigs don't sweat.)


I don't think stating "sweating like a pig" literally means a pig sweats. It's a slang term, much like many other slang terms. Of course I know a pig doesn't sweat. ;)

When I'm not riding or working in the yard, sweating isn't really a problem. However, in the morning after taking a shower, between putting my clothes on, making breakfast and putting on a little mascara, I begin to sweat. I attribute that sweating to having a hot flash. I also sweat while I sleep, not like the sweating I do when riding, but all the same, I sweat. Again, it's probably attributed to hot flashes.

I am not worried about the sweating & whether there is an odor or not, I serious doubt there is an odor. My DH has never complained about me stinking, nor has anyone else. :D

The only time it really bothers me is when the sweat starts dripping into my eyes. I wear contacts and the sweat burns my eyes. To remedy the problem, I like the suggestion about wearing a head band. :D

[nscrbug]

I don't mind sweat at all, when I am exercising and see it as a badge of achievement. But, excessive sweating in regular clothes would bother me. It just makes me feel dirty, unless I am doing some kind of exercise.

X1000!!! I have no problem sweating (and I'm a heavy sweater), if it's for a purpose...such as when exercising or riding. If I'm at the gym, I expect to sweat a LOT...that's what I'm there for. If I'm exerting myself on a ride, I expect to sweat. But when I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep...no, I do not want to be sweating. When I'm sitting at my desk at work, I should not have to be wiping my face with a paper towel. I had tried taking Estroven for a few weeks, and it did seem to help somewhat with the night sweats that I was experiencing...but it also made me a bit nauseous in the morning when I got up, so I quit using it.

Linda

[emily_in_nc]

Y'know, take it back to the beginning...

What don't you like about sweating?

Is it a matter of having to wear more, and more delicate, clothes at work than one normally would? That seems like the only issue that's really a problem ... if you're not sensitive to wool, converting an entire wardrobe to washable summer-weight wool would be expensive, but would probably eliminate any issues.

If it's odor, that's not sweat volume, that's body chemistry. Usually (though not always) remedied by a clean diet and/or a change in toiletries or detergent.

Is it trying to get your fluid and electrolyte intake in balance? That's an issue for me, and I'm probably going to wind up seeing a sports nutritionist sooner than later.

Something else?

To the extent that it's related to menopause, remember that you're just beginning to sweat, almost, a little bit, like a man. The way men sweat, with acceptance from themselves and others, all their lives.

(And pigs don't sweat.)

None of the above. I don't sweat at work -- it's freezing in our office!

The excessive sweating I notice is not the nervous sweat from the pits or groin or feet -- areas that create smelly sweat.

I don't mind sweating while exercising. I expect that. I mind excessive sweating when going through the motions of daily life, when it's hot/humid out. (I don't sweat when it's cold or cool or dry, only when it's hot/humid out, and then I sweat way more than I did when I was younger, that's all).

Why does it bother me, you ask?

It's just plain uncomfortable to be pouring sweat from the face, walk into a store and have soaked hair, wet face, wet clothing (around my neck and chest and upper back. It feels gross. It's annoying when it drips into my eyes and onto my glasses so that I can barely see. And I don't particularly care for sweating onto stuff, like in a store. I don't want to sweat onto the merchandise! Also, when going from hot/humid outdoors to COLD A/C, after an intial "wow, that feels great!" sensation, it can quickly become cold and uncomfy to be in too-chilly air-conditioning when you're soaked in sweat.

And it's a bit (to me) embarrassing to be so drenched. I feel like I look the opposite of "calm, cool, and collected". I feel (and am sure I look), messy and unkempt. I feel like people are noticing because I notice that everyone around me looks dryer than I do. I look like I just got out of a pool or got caught in a passing rainstorm!

That's what bothers me about it and why I even brought it up. Is it wrong to want to look calm, cool, and collected? :rolleyes:

[new2ride]

I don't mind sweating while exercising. I expect that. I mind excessive sweating when going through the motions of daily life, when it's hot/humid out. (I don't sweat when it's cold or cool or dry, only when it's hot/humid out, and then I sweat way more than I did when I was younger, that's all).

Why does it bother me, you ask?

It's just plain uncomfortable to be pouring sweat from the face, walk into a store and have soaked hair, wet face, wet clothing (around my neck and chest and upper back. It feels gross. It's annoying when it drips into my eyes and onto my glasses so that I can barely see. And I don't particularly care for sweating onto stuff, like in a store. I don't want to sweat onto the merchandise! Also, when going from hot/humid outdoors to COLD A/C, after an intial "wow, that feels great!" sensation, it can quickly become cold and uncomfy to be in too-chilly air-conditioning when you're soaked in sweat.

And it's a bit (to me) embarrassing to be so drenched. I feel like I look the opposite of "calm, cool, and collected". I feel (and am sure I look), messy and unkempt. I feel like people are noticing because I notice that everyone around me looks dryer than I do. I look like I just got out of a pool or got caught in a passing rainstorm!

That's what bothers me about it and why I even brought it up. Is it wrong to want to look calm, cool, and collected? :rolleyes:

Could not have said it better myself

[RubyTuesday]

I have been in this same boat for about five years now. Mine definitely are hot flashes (maybe we should be posting on Team Lack of Estrogen!) It is definitely frustrating. Not only do I hot flash, but I find myself sweaty in places I never sweat before. I don't sweat much under the arms, but my belly, neck and even the backs of my hands look misty. I can feel the sweat run down my back.

I now am using sleeveless shirts (even if it is cool outside). Buy thinner shorts and definitely use Hoo Haa Ride Glide on the bits under the shorts. It is cooling and stops bacteria from growing. It also feels very cool. I add ice to my water bottle and some days, I just sweat.

At least you are in shape and looking fabulous when you sweat!

[OakLeaf]

I was just remembering doing a tofu making demonstration some 30 years ago and trying not to sweat into the milk. It was only 90 degrees that day and not as humid as it gets nowadays. Nothing to do with menopause here.....

[emily_in_nc]

I was just remembering doing a tofu making demonstration some 30 years ago and trying not to sweat into the milk. It was only 90 degrees that day and not as humid as it gets nowadays. Nothing to do with menopause here.....

That reminds me of an episode of Top Chef where one of the male chefs was sweating into the dish he was making. Gross! :eek:

Fortunately, I've never sweat like that while cooking. :D