Waking up soaked in sweat can be jarring and uncomfortable. Night sweats — sweating that’s so heavy it disrupts sleep and drenches clothes — are fairly common. But if you’re living with kidney cancer, this type of sweating may become even more frequent or severe.

“I was diagnosed in 2022 with stage 4 renal cell carcinoma,” a MyKidneyCancerTeam member said. “I had surgery where they removed my left kidney, and I also did two years of immunotherapy. Recently, I have been having severe night sweats and can’t figure out why.”

If you’ve had this experience, read on to learn how kidney cancer and its treatments may cause night sweats.

Can Kidney Cancer Treatment Cause Night Sweats?

Treatments for kidney cancer may cause night sweats. These treatments can contribute to sweating due to their effects on the immune system and hormones.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is often used to treat kidney cancer when tumors have grown large or spread to other parts of the body. It may also be used to destroy lingering cancer cells after surgery.

Immunotherapy drugs work by activating your immune system to attack cancer cells. But sometimes, this boost can cause flu-like side effects such as fever, chills, and sweating, which may happen during sleep.

Immunotherapy can also cause inflammation of the thyroid gland, leading to an increased release of thyroid hormones, which then causes night sweats.

Other Treatments

Other cancer treatment options that may cause night sweats include:

• Targeted therapies — Targeted therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) destroy cancer cells by targeting and blocking certain chemicals within them. TKI side effects such as night sweats, loss of appetite, and nausea are common, leading many people to stop taking the medication.
• Chemotherapy — Chemotherapy drugs are sometimes used to treat rarer types of kidney cancer, though they’re not usually effective. This therapy is known to induce early menopause, which can cause night sweats.
• Pain medications — Opioid medications may be used to relieve severe, cancer-related pain. People who use these drugs may experience night sweats or daytime hot flashes.
• Radiation therapy — Radiation therapy uses X-ray or other powerful waves to destroy cancer cells. Like chemotherapy, radiation can bring on early menopause, night sweats, and hot flashes.
• Steroids — Steroids like prednisone may be used to reduce inflammation in people with kidney cancer. These medications have the potential to cause hot flashes and night sweats.
• Hormonal therapies — Because hormones help tumors grow, hormone therapies that restrict access to these hormones are sometimes used in late-stage kidney cancer. These therapies can cause night sweats, hot flashes, and early menopause.

Other Causes of Night Sweats

There are many reasons other than kidney cancer that may cause you to find yourself drenched in sweat at night. While some causes of night sweats are natural and nothing to worry about, others may be serious and require treatment.

Perimenopause and Menopause

Night sweats are more common in women, according to Cleveland Clinic. This is because the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone affect body temperature. During perimenopause — the transition between fertile years and menopause, which usually starts in the mid-40s — the ovaries start making less of these hormones.

Changing hormone levels can cause menstrual cycles to become irregular and may also make you feel very warm. This happens because of the negative effect these changes have on your hypothalamus — the area of your brain in charge of regulating your temperature.

Hormonal changes can make it harder for the brain to set the right temperature for your body. When this happens, you may feel flushed or overly warm. If this happens at night, your body may try to cool you by making you sweat while you sleep.

Premenstrual Syndrome

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are linked to hormonal changes during menstrual cycles.

In PMS and PMDD, falling estrogen levels before the start of a menstrual period result in symptoms like cramping and irritability. In addition to these common symptoms, PMS and PMDD can also cause night sweats due to estrogen’s effect on temperature.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is another common reason for night sweats. During pregnancy, levels of hormones change, which can result in sweaty nights. Night sweats are more likely during the first and third trimesters — or, before the 14-week mark and after the 27-week mark.

Some people may continue experiencing night sweats after giving birth as hormone levels adjust.

Infections

Night sweats can be a sign of an infection. These infections may be caused by bacteria or viruses. Bacterial infections like endocarditis (inflammation of the heart), osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone or bone marrow), and liver abscess (pus) can all cause night sweats.

Common viral infections like influenza (the flu), COVID-19, and colds can also leave you drenched in sweat while sleeping.

Hormonal Conditions

Certain medical conditions that affect hormones can also lead to sweatiness.

Having an overactive thyroid that produces too much thyroid hormone or tumors within cells that produce hormones can cause night sweats. Diabetes is also linked to hormone imbalances that can potentially lead to night sweats.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health issues can also lead people to sweat. Anxiety and panic disorders, in particular, can cause night sweats. These conditions are defined by feelings of fear, worry, and panic, which can produce physical symptoms like a racing heartbeat and sweatiness.

Medications

Certain medications can sometimes cause night sweats as a side effect. Over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen may lead to night sweats. Prescription medications may also result in night sweats, such as those used to treat the following:

• Depression
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Other types of cancer, such as breast cancer

Other Medical Conditions

Having an underlying medical condition can also make you sweaty at night. Medical conditions other than kidney cancer that can cause night sweats include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or other conditions of the digestive system
• Neurologic conditions, such as stroke, spinal cord cysts, damaged autonomic nerves, or high blood pressure due to spinal cord injury
• Other cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma
• Sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea

Join the Conversation

On MyKidneyCancerTeam, people share their experiences with kidney cancer, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you experienced night sweats? Let others know in the comments below.