jill,

Thanks for your question.

I think your Dad needs further evaluation to search for the cause of his night sweats.  Though some patients with severe COPD can experience sweating as a result "working harder" to breathe, other causes need to be ruled out.

One major area that needs to be looked into is infection, either in the chest or elsewhere in the body.  Because of his underlying lung condition, unusual sources or organisms must be considered, such as fungal infections and tuberculosis. 

Another area to be investigated is the blood system to rule out disorders like lymphoma and leukemia, forms of cancer that can present as night sweats.  These can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, requiring blood work, X-rays and sometimes a bone marrow aspirate.  In many cases, a hematologist/oncologist is consulted to aid in the search/diagnosis. 

And finally, medications can cause some people to have sweating.  I doubt the oxazepam is the cause, but some people have a reverse reaction and actually become fore anxious with the use of this type of drug. 

You need to discuss all of these possibilities with his physician.  Something has changed in the last few weeks and hopefully his physician will make every effort to find out why.

I hope this has been helpful.

Best wishes.

Martin Cane, M.D.