Hyperhidrosis (AKA Excessive Sweating)

RachRubyD

Hello I suffer with severe excessive sweating and undergoing treatment at the moment. Just a little down as nothing seems to be working. Just wondering if anyone had success with different methods especially the operation.

I have tried the medication and didn't really work and made my mouth so dry I was being sick having migranes and unable to eat. So was then sent for botox in my armpits (so painful) was told that can only have it done every year on NHS. The nurse thought it may last 3 months in my case as I have it quite bad. It didn't work at all its been 2 months and no change think I may have sweated the botox out as the needles painful so I was dripping with sweat.

Am currently undergoing iontophoresis this month and half way through and should be seeing some improvement but none. The next step is operation but the nurse said that even that only has 80% success rate and dangerous and not work well as can end up drying up one side but not other.

Am at my wits end I have suffered all my life with it and being a very creative person it makes life so hard. No one would hold my hand when I was a child and make comments. I did performing arts and would drip with sweat on stage and be laughed at. My first day of university I burst out crying because we had to take shoes and socks off for drama and I was leaving wet feet mark on black floor and so embarrassed. I do makeup at the moment and obvs not just embarrassing but unable to do makeup as i'd wipe it all off.

Think a lot is in my head and due to knowing am going to sweat and becoming nervous. When I talk to strangers I start sweating and sweat more and more because am embarrassed. Anyone had therapy for this I think it may help as well as the medical treatments for physical side.

I am due to be a bridesmaid in August and am dreading it as dress bright colour and strapless. Am going to have big sweaty armpit marks on my dress how embarrassing.

nyc_451

Not an advice, just a thought.

My cousin had a severe acne. He had enough money to try all the possible procedures and products, nothing helped. Then he started doing food combining (not because of acne) and soon his skin has cleared, it's now perfect, not even a scar.
I was sweating way too much since childhood (not all body, just armpits) and recently I stopped eating sugar completely (for the weightloss), fruits only in the morning on an empty stomach, and then whatever I want for lunch. And since then I almost don't sweat and if I do, there is almost no smell.

So food might have more impact on our bodies than we think.


Just keep trying different things and you'll find something that helps you. Hope someone will share their experience here. Good luck!

RachRubyD

Yeah food can make it worst like spicy food caffeine. I've had this since I was born and didn't have sugar when I was little. Here is a little quote I got from Hyperhidroisuk.org 'Sweating is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system. In about 1% of the population, this system is revved-up and works at a very high level, causing sweating to occur at inappropriate times, far in excess of the amount necessary to maintain normal body temperature.' So its a fault really and not caused by stress or food but can be made worse by them.

Fire_Fox

((hugs))

You sound very very stressed, are you diagnosed with anxiety and treated for that at all or are they focussing on the physical symptoms? Very low dose beta blockers can be used for anxiety, they calm the physical symptoms without any unwanted side effects in many people. They can be dipped in and out of or taken regularly, are used for students with exam stress because there is no drowsiness.

Have you consider a combination of therapies to combat that - intensive counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy, hypnosis, meds as above, anti stress diet, gentle daily physical activity (maybe just the recommended 10,000 steps not formal exercise)?

Years ago there was a TV series about extreme 'detoxes' where someone with hyperhidrosis was hypnotised and physically moved her arm to 'turn off' the sweating switch in her brain and it worked like magic for a while. Can't remember what else they tried with her. I *think* it was this series if you can track it down
http://www.ursulajames.com/media/spaofembarassingillnesses_2.pdf

heartbreak_star

Agree with maybe checking if you could use beta blockers in stressful times, I've done it before.

Hugs and good luck!

HBS x

Tiddlywinks

A daughter of a friend has just completed a course of iontophoresis and it worked for her (only started working after about 4 appts into the course)... but came back within weeks of completing the treatment.

She has had to buy a machine for home use to keep up the treatment regime as the NHS would only cover one course.

You say that you do sweat more when stressed - I really do understand these are two different things so don't want to annoy you by telling you to take relaxation classes or anything - is there any way of asking your consultant or GP for some beta blockers for when you are facing extra stressful time? There may well be two medical things going on and one is masked by the other.

Good luck, I hope the treatment works for you because I know (by association) just how impactive this condition can be on day to day life.

RachRubyD

Its the sweating that makes me anxious. Not stressed as learned to deal with it but for big events I get stressed like being bridesmaid. I am dripping now just thinking about sweating from my hands. Its been my 5th appts and should start seeing improvements and I haven't had any. The last few years when I have been in an embrassing or anxious situation I keep coming out in red blotches/rash on chest area. Its not itchy or anything but I do feel like am burning up like hot and sweaty. Its really noticeable and everyone comments about it. The doctor knows about this had me tested for lots of things that could be related but I was fine. Must just be an anxious things. But thats worrying me now.

Think I will discuss betablocks with doctor. Been hard because they have in past tried to pin sweating on being anxious or stressed alone and not really known what hyperhidrosis was. They didn't want to treat sweating just the anxious part by suggesting exercise and anti-depressants. Its nothing to do with being stressed its a disease or whatever on its own and is triggered by stress or made more severe by stress. It wasn't until I was older and went on internet about it and found out all treatments. When I asked doctor about it told me no treatments but the ointments you put on hands and feet at night. I had already tried these to no success. I soon shutup them up when I said what about botox and iontophoresis and even operation ? Just mumbled oh yes and asked did I want to be referred to Dermatologist. Luckily I researched though as I'd still be square one.

I do exercise everyday but just walk or do it at home. I can't afford gym and I hate sweating so much infront of people like a waterfall coming from my forehead down my neck literally dripping. I was 2 miles everyday with the dog. Wouldn't say I was stressed person generally just over the sweating. I also do yoga. I will have a look for the video at weekend been at college and work tomorrow so haven't had time.

Fire_Fox

RachRubyD wrote: »

Its the sweating that makes me anxious. Not stressed as learned to deal with it but for big events I get stressed like being bridesmaid. I am dripping now just thinking about sweating from my hands. Its been my 5th appts and should start seeing improvements and I haven't had any. The last few years when I have been in an embrassing or anxious situation I keep coming out in red blotches/rash on chest area. Its not itchy or anything but I do feel like am burning up like hot and sweaty. Its really noticeable and everyone comments about it. The doctor knows about this had me tested for lots of things that could be related but I was fine. Must just be an anxious things. But thats worrying me now.

Think I will discuss betablocks with doctor. Been hard because they have in past tried to pin sweating on being anxious or stressed alone and not really known what hyperhidrosis was. They didn't want to treat sweating just the anxious part by suggesting exercise and anti-depressants. Its nothing to do with being stressed its a disease or whatever on its own and is triggered by stress or made more severe by stress.

It wasn't until I was older and went on internet about it and found out all treatments. When I asked doctor about it told me no treatments but the ointments you put on hands and feet at night. I had already tried these to no success. I soon shutup them up when I said what about botox and iontophoresis and even operation ? Just mumbled oh yes and asked did I want to be referred to Dermatologist. Luckily I researched though as I'd still be square one.

Actually there is primary and secondary hyperhidrosis so it can be a condition on it's own or effectively a symptom of something else, tho clearly you have had all that investigated and yours is primary.

Many conditions are a complex combination of factors that nobody can ever fully pick apart. Remember that although stress/ anxiety is classed as a disorder of mental health that does not mean "it's all in your mind" or anything else dismissive. Many/ most disorders of mental health have an organic origin, there are chemical or hormonal imbalances just like if one were diabetic. Even if you can halve your symptoms by addressing the stress factor you are a step forward, right?

I have stress/ anxiety/ insomnia/ depression. seasonal affective disorder, possibly hypomania and at times I sweat way more than is 'normal'. I can't honestly tell you what the root cause is, what is the primary condition and what is the secondary, it's chicken and egg and changes through the months and years.

What I have learned over the years is that doctors cannot fix me, I could just pop meds or talking therapies but by far the best treatment was holistic and initiated by me, myself and I. Not one miracle cure but a combination of meds when I need them, nutrition, physical activity, not putting myself in certain situations and so on.

As a result I retrained from mainstream healthcare into lifestyle, reading piles of published studies along the way with strengthened my belief that the best prevention, treatment or cure for numerous conditions is looking at both mainstream treatments AND lifestyle modification at the same time. Also learned that many people have more than one health condition at the same time that worsen one another directly or indirectly (comorbidities).

I hope that makes some sort of sense to you. TLDR It doesn't have to be either treat the dermatological condition OR treat the stress/ anxiety, do both.

The_Magnificent_Spoon

RachRubyD wrote: »

Its the sweating that makes me anxious. Not stressed as learned to deal with it but for big events I get stressed like being bridesmaid. I am dripping now just thinking about sweating from my hands. Its been my 5th appts and should start seeing improvements and I haven't had any. The last few years when I have been in an embrassing or anxious situation I keep coming out in red blotches/rash on chest area. Its not itchy or anything but I do feel like am burning up like hot and sweaty. Its really noticeable and everyone comments about it. The doctor knows about this had me tested for lots of things that could be related but I was fine. Must just be an anxious things. But thats worrying me now.

Think I will discuss betablocks with doctor. Been hard because they have in past tried to pin sweating on being anxious or stressed alone and not really known what hyperhidrosis was. They didn't want to treat sweating just the anxious part by suggesting exercise and anti-depressants. Its nothing to do with being stressed its a disease or whatever on its own and is triggered by stress or made more severe by stress. It wasn't until I was older and went on internet about it and found out all treatments. When I asked doctor about it told me no treatments but the ointments you put on hands and feet at night. I had already tried these to no success. I soon shutup them up when I said what about botox and iontophoresis and even operation ? Just mumbled oh yes and asked did I want to be referred to Dermatologist. Luckily I researched though as I'd still be square one.

I do exercise everyday but just walk or do it at home. I can't afford gym and I hate sweating so much infront of people like a waterfall coming from my forehead down my neck literally dripping. I was 2 miles everyday with the dog. Wouldn't say I was stressed person generally just over the sweating. I also do yoga. I will have a look for the video at weekend been at college and work tomorrow so haven't had time.

Hi Rach,

Your symptoms sound pretty much identical to mine. I have just learnt to live with it, sometimes it's worse than others though.

Just over a year ago however, I tried some fairly over the top diet changes on a suggestion from somebody, to try and figure it out. One thing that I got out of this, was that when I went six weeks cutting carbs out totally, my skin cleared up quite a lot, and so did the sweating, shiny face etc.

However, I didn't really consider it a long term healthy plan, and on going back to eating 'normally', things returned to normal.

So, I know in my case my symptoms are 100% caused by diet. I'm not sure whether it was the cutting of carbs, or cutting out something else in the process that helped though. I should probably look into it further.

Good luck!

Lagoon

Have you tried over-the-counter specialist anti-perspirants?

I have hyperhidrosis but have had it under control for a few years using Driclor. You put the deodorant (roll-on) on at night, to dry and freshly-washed armpits. It burns and stings for a while, but then stops all sweating for up to a week. Just reapply it when you start to feel the effects wearing off. I also use a standard deodorant (Sanex works best for me), for extra protection and to add a nice scent.

Just don't put it on TOO regularly - don't use it until you need to. I once put it on one day after forgetting I'd applied it the night before. Won't ever do that again!

As it's a roll-on, you can also use it on your back if you find you sweat excessively there.

RachRubyD

Lagoon wrote: »

Have you tried over-the-counter specialist anti-perspirants?

I have hyperhidrosis but have had it under control for a few years using Driclor. You put the deodorant (roll-on) on at night, to dry and freshly-washed armpits. It burns and stings for a while, but then stops all sweating for up to a week. Just reapply it when you start to feel the effects wearing off. I also use a standard deodorant (Sanex works best for me), for extra protection and to add a nice scent.

Just don't put it on TOO regularly - don't use it until you need to. I once put it on one day after forgetting I'd applied it the night before. Won't ever do that again!

As it's a roll-on, you can also use it on your back if you find you sweat excessively there.

Yeah first thing I tried didn't work at all nothing has I think am just an extreme case. I try the diet thing but I don't think its related as I had it since I was born.