Zinc and Night Sweats

[SaurusX]

For about a month now I've been taking 50mg zinc supps. The reason was to boost sperm levels as the mrs. and I are trying to conceive. At first I was taking them daily for about two weeks, but I've cut back to 3x a week as I read that too much zinc can cause problems. Well, for the last week or so I've been experiencing night sweats where I will suddenly wake up several times a night feeling extremely hot and covered in sweat. It sucks. Is this a side effect from the zinc? If so, I hope it trails off soon as I've cut back on the dosage. Or... should I just cut it out entirely?

 

[KidNiki1]

http://www.livestrong.com/article/244661-can-you-overdose-on-zinc/

Symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, loss of muscle coordination, alcohol intolerance, increased sweating, hallucinations, reduced levels of high-density lipoproteins and weakened immune function can occur with zinc overdoses. Zinc interferes with iron and copper absorption, so high levels of zinc can cause low levels of copper and iron and lead to anemia.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/469995-what-can-man-eat-to-increase-sperm/

Adult men should aim for 11 mg of zinc daily

does look like a symptom of Zinc OD, but also looks like you are taking way too much. IANAD tho.

 

[blackdogdeek]

Are you taking the zinc because it was prescribed by a doctor specifically for conception reasons?

 

[SaurusX]

Are you taking the zinc because it was prescribed by a doctor specifically for conception reasons?

It wasn't prescribed by the doc, but it was something that I read would help increase testosterone levels (of which I was low) as well as the size of the "payload". The latter has definitelty held to be true. Win win, or so I thought.

I think my plan will be to cut back to half a pill every other day. That would average out to about what is suggested at the livestrong site. I usually go to sleep at 10 and lately I've been waking up every few hours (last night starting at 11:30) totally drenched.

 

[Raizinman]

Could also be anxiety pressure due to fear of lack of ability to conceive.

 

[SaurusX]

Could also be anxiety pressure due to fear of lack of ability to conceive.

There's no denying that there is some anxiety, but I'm not breaking out in flop sweat over it. She was already pregnant once, but miscarried, unfortunately. I was just hoping to shortcut things and improve the chances for round 2.

 

[tomcattinaround]

yes, i have found the same... i believe it is due to taking too much zinc - you should look into cutting down on the amount you are taking. here is a link that advises under precautions:

Common side effects of zinc include stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, and a metallic taste in the mouth. High doses of zinc can cause dizziness, headache, drowsiness, increased sweating, loss of muscle coordination, alcohol intolerance, hallucinations, and anemia.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/zinc-000344.htm