Re:anorexia/night sweats

[Guest guest]

Judy,

That was a very common occurrence in women with anorexia when I worked in a

treatment center. We used to view it as a sign that hormones were shifting

back into balance. It's not all that different from menopause, except that the

hormones are shifting, hopefully (especially estrogen) in the other direction.

Here's a recent reference about menopause that explains the physiology of

hormones and temperature regulation. (Below).

It's a good learning opportunity to tell this young woman that she was nearing

a menopausal state...many women with anorexia like to think their behaviors keep

them looking " young " and it can be an eye opener to realize they have actually

become much older on the inside!

Monika M. Woolsey

www.afterthediet.com

www.incyst.blogspot.com

www.thisisyourbrainonpsychdrugs.blogspot.com

Arch Womens Ment Health. 2007 Dec;10(6):247-257. Epub 2007 Dec 12.Links

Understanding the pathophysiology of vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and

night sweats) that occur in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause life

stages. Deecher DC, Dorries K.

Women’s Health Research, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Collegeville, Pennsylvania,

USA, deeched@....

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS), commonly called hot flashes or flushes (HFs) and

night sweats, are the menopausal symptoms for which women seek treatment during

menopause most often. VMS are a form of temperature dysfunction that occurs due

to changes in gonadal hormones. Normally, core body temperature (CBT) remains

within a specific range, oscillating with daily circadian rhythms. Physiological

processes that conserve and dissipate heat are responsible for maintaining CBT,

and tight regulation is important for maintenance of optimal internal organ

function. Disruption of this tightly controlled temperature circuit results in

exaggerated heat-loss responses and presents as VMS. The mechanistic role

related to changes in gonadal hormones associated with VMS is not understood.

Hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for VMS and other menopausal

symptoms. Estrogens are known potent neuromodulators of numerous neuronal

circuits throughout the central nervous system.

Changing estrogen levels during menopause may impact multiple components

involved in maintaining temperature homeostasis. Understanding the pathways and

mechanisms involved in temperature regulation, probable causes of

thermoregulatory dysfunction, and " brain adaptation " will guide drug discovery

efforts. This review considers the processes and pathways involved in normal

temperature regulation and the impact of fluctuating and declining hormones that

result in VMS during the menopausal transition.