If you havefibromyalgiaorchronic fatigue syndrome, sweating may be one of the most visible consequences of your condition. It can be heavy, sometimes unprompted, and due to several reasons—some related to the conditions themselves, others their treatment.
Excessive sweatinghasn’t gotten as much research attention as other symptoms of fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), but it is common and can have a major effect on your quality of life.
This article discusses why having fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue can be linked to sweating, and what you can do about it.
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Causes of Sweating in Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS
There are a few reasons why you might sweat a lot if you have fibromyalgia or ME/CFS:
Excessive sweating is also a common symptom ofcomplex regional pain syndrome(CRPS), which shares some symptoms with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.
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Coping With Excessive Sweating
There are a few practical tips that can make coping with excessive sweating a little easier to deal with.
You may find that you need to keep a stash of extra clothing in your car, purse, locker, desk, or another convenient place so you won’t be stuck in sweat-soaked clothes all day.
How to Prevent Excessive Sweating
If your sweating doesn’t seem to be linked to a specific trigger, you may not be able to keep it from happening. However, if it’s tied to heat—and especially the tendency to become overheated—you may find that some of these steps can help you avoid the problem.
Why Do My Armpits Sweat So Much?
Avoiding Dehydration From Excessive Sweating
Make sure that you replace both the water and the electrolytes you sweat out. Electrolytes are minerals, including:
If you think you need to replace electrolytes but don’t have a sports drink handy, you can get them from supplements or even food.
It can be hard to tell when you’re dehydrated because the symptoms can be similar to the ones you typically have from fibromyalgia or ME/CFS. Make sure you learn about the symptoms of dehydration and watch for them.
Summary
Sweating a lot can be a symptom of fibromyalgia and ME/CFS that isn’t just annoying and uncomfortable, but can also create health problems if you get dehydrated.
Taking steps to avoid overheating and using some simple tips and tricks to manage the sweat can make coping with the symptom a little easier.
Symptoms of Dehydration
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Xiong L, Leung TWH.Autonomic dysfunction in neurological disorders.Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11(7):1903–1904. doi:10.18632/aging.101896National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Terker AS, Zhang C, McCormick JA, et al.Potassium modulates electrolyte balance and blood pressure through effects on distal cell voltage and chloride.Cell Metab. 2015;21(1):39–50. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.12.006National Institutes of Health.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Medline Plus. 2016.Ahmed F, Mohammed A.Magnesium: The forgotten electrolyte-a review on hypomagnesemia.Med Sci (Basel). 2019;7(4):56. doi:10.3390/medsci7040056
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Xiong L, Leung TWH.Autonomic dysfunction in neurological disorders.Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11(7):1903–1904. doi:10.18632/aging.101896National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Terker AS, Zhang C, McCormick JA, et al.Potassium modulates electrolyte balance and blood pressure through effects on distal cell voltage and chloride.Cell Metab. 2015;21(1):39–50. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.12.006National Institutes of Health.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Medline Plus. 2016.Ahmed F, Mohammed A.Magnesium: The forgotten electrolyte-a review on hypomagnesemia.Med Sci (Basel). 2019;7(4):56. doi:10.3390/medsci7040056
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Xiong L, Leung TWH.Autonomic dysfunction in neurological disorders.Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11(7):1903–1904. doi:10.18632/aging.101896National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Terker AS, Zhang C, McCormick JA, et al.Potassium modulates electrolyte balance and blood pressure through effects on distal cell voltage and chloride.Cell Metab. 2015;21(1):39–50. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.12.006National Institutes of Health.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Medline Plus. 2016.Ahmed F, Mohammed A.Magnesium: The forgotten electrolyte-a review on hypomagnesemia.Med Sci (Basel). 2019;7(4):56. doi:10.3390/medsci7040056
Xiong L, Leung TWH.Autonomic dysfunction in neurological disorders.Aging (Albany NY). 2019;11(7):1903–1904. doi:10.18632/aging.101896
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.
MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.
Terker AS, Zhang C, McCormick JA, et al.Potassium modulates electrolyte balance and blood pressure through effects on distal cell voltage and chloride.Cell Metab. 2015;21(1):39–50. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.12.006
National Institutes of Health.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Medline Plus. 2016.
Ahmed F, Mohammed A.Magnesium: The forgotten electrolyte-a review on hypomagnesemia.Med Sci (Basel). 2019;7(4):56. doi:10.3390/medsci7040056
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