I wasn't sure in which forum to ask this question because I could not find one dealing with night sweats. My question is: Could severe night sweats be SOLELY due to just being HIV positive? I have really bad night sweats 2-3 times a week. I have resorted to putting down plastic sheets to protect the mattress and my partner and I can rarely even share the same bed anymore due to them. All my labs are normal, my CD4 is approx. 350, VL = 41,000. I have never had an OI. I am not on HIV treatment so I can't contribute it to meds. At night I keep my bedroom very cool but these night sweats just won't go away. This has been going on for the past 3 months (or a little longer). What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.

Hi,

Yes, it is possible night sweats can be due to HIV. Annoying, arent they? There have been nights when I felt like I should wear goggles and flippers to bed. I should also point out that night sweats can be a sign of other problems possibly related to your HIV disease. You should have a complete evaluation, examination, and most likely additional blood work to check things out more completely. If your HIV is becoming more active, i.e. increasing viral load, etc., it may be time to consider medications. I have seen night sweats resolve when the viral load comes down. Good luck.

Dr. Bob