What causes night sweats after having influenza?
Patient: Are night sweats common after the flu? I had flu symptoms - fever, aches, chills, headache and cough for four days. Last night my fever finally subsided and was 99.1 at 8pm. I was and am still battling, a now worse, cough (now terrible chest cold), but thankfully fever is gone. I woke up four times drenched in sweat, flipping my pillows and moving to a diff section of the bed. The 4th I had to get up and change the sheets and pillows. I've had the flu, but it's been years. I must say, I don't recall ever experiencing anything like this afterwards. Is this normal? How many nights could this potentially last? Thank you! Doctor: Hello dear,Thank you for your contact to health care magic.I read and understand your concern. I am Dr Arun Tank answering your concern.Sweating is the bodies response to cover up the temperature in the fever.So whenever you have fever in the end of fever you will have sweating this will counteract the body temperature or you can say it will bring down the temperature.So this will continue until you are cured with the infection or in other word without infection cured this cycle will continue.If you are having sputum culture and sensitivity can be helpful for diagnosis and treatment of the organisms isolated.Please start doing the respiratory exercise. This will be helpful in clearing the chest rapidly.Please maintian good local hygiene this will equally helpful in curing the infections as antibiotics do.I will be happy to answer your further concern on bit.ly/DrArun.Thank you,Dr Arun TankInfectious diseases specialist,HCM.