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Experiencing Heavy Night Sweats For About Three Weeks. Also (fyi)
Question: Experiencing heavy night sweats for about three weeks. Also (fyi) a daily bout of diarrhea for past 3 to 4 years. Nurse practitioner ordered some blood tests and a chest x-ray but all came back normal w/i the last week. No further instructions from her, which concerns me.
Brief Answer:
chronic diarrhea with recent onset of night sweats
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Sir, and Welcome to Ask A Doctor service.
I have read your query and here is my advice.
Please tell me a bit more about diarrhea. How many bowel movements are you having each day? What is the color of the bowel movement? Any blood in stool?
What is its consistency (loose and watery, looks like cottage cheese, firm, hard balls or logs)?
Any fever? Vomiting? Taking medications?
How is your appetite? Losing any weight?
There are many causes of night sweats:
-Fever
-Tuberculosis
-Sleep apnea(stop breathing while asleep)
-Diseases like lupus and diabetes, heart problems
-Panic attacks, anxiety, and stress
-Medication for depression
Hope I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help.
I shall wait for your reply.
Arnold Zedd, MD
chronic diarrhea with recent onset of night sweats
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Sir, and Welcome to Ask A Doctor service.
I have read your query and here is my advice.
Please tell me a bit more about diarrhea. How many bowel movements are you having each day? What is the color of the bowel movement? Any blood in stool?
What is its consistency (loose and watery, looks like cottage cheese, firm, hard balls or logs)?
Any fever? Vomiting? Taking medications?
How is your appetite? Losing any weight?
There are many causes of night sweats:
-Fever
-Tuberculosis
-Sleep apnea(stop breathing while asleep)
-Diseases like lupus and diabetes, heart problems
-Panic attacks, anxiety, and stress
-Medication for depression
Hope I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help.
I shall wait for your reply.
Arnold Zedd, MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Doctor, my sincere apologies for not answering sooner! I must "fess up" and let you know I am his wife. He thinks our N.P. walks on water, so is convinced these symptoms are not a problem. I am concerned b/c his brother had colon cancer which required surgery. My husband does schedule a colonoscopy, but only every 10 yrs. My (chemist) cousin suggested he be referred to a gastroenterologist. (or internist?)
To answer your queries: His stools are loose and watery, often leaving evidence on his underwear. I have observed an average frequency of diarrhea twice a day. Color is med. brown w/no signs of blood. No discernable fever present, no vomiting, appetite is normal and he is not losing weight.
He has a high pain tolerance and announced to me that about a week & a half ago, he feels he passed a kidney stone. This would have been the first one in several years.
Meds are Allopurinol 300 mg 1 x da; Pravastatin 40 mg at bedtime; Levothyroxine 50 mg 1x da; generic Viagra usually once a week and a glucose test strip 1 - 2 x mo. as he is a diabetic requiring no meds. OTC meds are Citrical for being borderline osteosporosis(?)- losing bone density, one eye vitamin (Preservision) for mild macular degeneration, a baby aspirin (is that necessary any more?) and 1000 mg fish oil 1 x da.
Again, please accept my apology for my late and lengthy reply. God bless you for being involved in this valuable service! Sallie Fought, Ligonier, Indiana
To answer your queries: His stools are loose and watery, often leaving evidence on his underwear. I have observed an average frequency of diarrhea twice a day. Color is med. brown w/no signs of blood. No discernable fever present, no vomiting, appetite is normal and he is not losing weight.
He has a high pain tolerance and announced to me that about a week & a half ago, he feels he passed a kidney stone. This would have been the first one in several years.
Meds are Allopurinol 300 mg 1 x da; Pravastatin 40 mg at bedtime; Levothyroxine 50 mg 1x da; generic Viagra usually once a week and a glucose test strip 1 - 2 x mo. as he is a diabetic requiring no meds. OTC meds are Citrical for being borderline osteosporosis(?)- losing bone density, one eye vitamin (Preservision) for mild macular degeneration, a baby aspirin (is that necessary any more?) and 1000 mg fish oil 1 x da.
Again, please accept my apology for my late and lengthy reply. God bless you for being involved in this valuable service! Sallie Fought, Ligonier, Indiana
Brief Answer:
further details about symptoms
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mrs. Fought and welcome back. Now it is my turn to apologize to you. When I didn't hear from you after sending my first reply, I closed my computer. I had scheduled to be off for two days, so I left.
Now let me return to assisting you.
A baby aspirin should be continued daily. (I take one.) It is to prevent blood clots which could travel to his brain and cause a stroke.
Your husband ought to check his blood glucose at least three times a week. At different times of the day, e.g. before meals, at bedtime, during the night
should he awaken then, first thing in the morning.
If he passed a kidney stone, could he have more? Please return to his urologist to see if he/she wants to order a renal Ultra-sound.
I agree with your cousin. Your husband needs to be seen by a gastroenterologist for chronic diarrhea. Inflammatory bowel disease is a possibility.
Even with no symptoms, a person your husband's age should have a colonoscopy every 5 years.
I hope I have answered your questions. If you have no more, please rate the answer and close out.
Your husband is fortunate to have such a caring wife.
Arnold Zedd, MD
further details about symptoms
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mrs. Fought and welcome back. Now it is my turn to apologize to you. When I didn't hear from you after sending my first reply, I closed my computer. I had scheduled to be off for two days, so I left.
Now let me return to assisting you.
A baby aspirin should be continued daily. (I take one.) It is to prevent blood clots which could travel to his brain and cause a stroke.
Your husband ought to check his blood glucose at least three times a week. At different times of the day, e.g. before meals, at bedtime, during the night
should he awaken then, first thing in the morning.
If he passed a kidney stone, could he have more? Please return to his urologist to see if he/she wants to order a renal Ultra-sound.
I agree with your cousin. Your husband needs to be seen by a gastroenterologist for chronic diarrhea. Inflammatory bowel disease is a possibility.
Even with no symptoms, a person your husband's age should have a colonoscopy every 5 years.
I hope I have answered your questions. If you have no more, please rate the answer and close out.
Your husband is fortunate to have such a caring wife.
Arnold Zedd, MD
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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