Practical help with excessive sweating

Savvy_Sue

DH's problem rather than mine, and he is under the doctor and we hope eventually to get his hormones sorted out so that the problem improves.

BUT in the meantime he gets these completely unpredictable fits of sweating, everything gets soaked, so he has to take a change of clothing everywhere (and wait until the 'fit' passes before it's WORTH changing!)

And I'm left with a hugely increased pile of smelly laundry, and it's just not very much fun (for either of us) to live with.

I can't think of anything I can do to help, but maybe you lot can ...

Softstuff

There are stronger anti perspirants such as Anhydral Forte which aim to block perspiration entirely, though they do tend to irritate the skin whilst they're at it. Some people find those very helpful, I'll be honest they did nothing for me at all. Botox in the armpit and the removal of sweat glands are the only 2 options I'm aware of that I haven't tried yet, so I haven't found a solution to me.

There'll be a lot of suggestions soon ranging from mitchum to natural deoderants, many things other people have found helpful. Really for your OH it's going to be a matter of trial and error as you work through them.

Savvy_Sue

If it was only his armpits, then anti-perspirant / deodorant might be part of the answer. Except

a) he has severe eczema, further irritated by the continual dampness ...

b) he is sweating all over ... well, knees to neck and all down his arms, anyway.

It's not so much stopping the sweating - although a miracle cure would be nice, I'm not expecting one! - which almost certainly has underlying medical causes which are in the process of being treated. It's living with it I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for ...

Justie

it sounds as though you're talking about sweat from more than just the armpits?? If it's just local then the driclor/anyhydral forte/obidan total blocks will help but if it's his back etc as well then it's not going to help - it sounds as though there is an underlying problem and I would keep pestering the GP to get that sorted asap so he doesn't have to suffer too much.

Justie

cross posted...


one thing I would suggest is sage tea - get as good quality dry sage as you can (or use fresh) and steep it in hot water as you would a teabag. It tastes good and is supposed to reduce the amount of sweating.

you might want to look at the kinds of clothes he wears - natural fibres will make him sweat less but if the sweating is because of internal factors he may be better off in the man made fibres that will wick the sweat away from the skin and let it evaporate very quickly - this should reduce smell and help him feel more comfortable.

or become naturists

Savvy_Sue

Justie wrote: »

one thing I would suggest is sage tea - get as good quality dry sage as you can (or use fresh) and steep it in hot water as you would a teabag. It tastes good and is supposed to reduce the amount of sweating.

OK, thank you, I have some sage in the garden, I think - how many leaves? Can't stand the smell of it fresh myself but maybe he will give it a whirl.

Justie wrote: »

you might want to look at the kinds of clothes he wears - natural fibres will make him sweat less but if the sweating is because of internal factors he may be better off in the man made fibres that will wick the sweat away from the skin and let it evaporate very quickly - this should reduce smell and help him feel more comfortable.

He wears cotton or silk shirts (charity shops are wonderful!), cotton boxers (although I have bought him a silk pair) and cotton trousers. Oh, and I bought him some silk vests to see if they helped but I don't know if he's worn one more than once. All loose fitting.

I have wondered about these 'new' fabrics which are supposed to wick the moisture away, but they don't always feel nice, and where does the moisture go? We are talking a LOT of moisture ...

Justie wrote: »

or become naturists

Who's to say we're not? :rotfl: He's hoping a week in the sun will help, but in the meantime it's not very practical to go to work (or church :eek:) with no clothes on! :rotfl:

Oh, and yes, he is seeing the GP and the endocrinologist regularly, and has now been referred to the dermatologist (although who knows how long a wait that will be!) because his skin is in such a state. This problem started quite a while ago, and it did improve, but has got a LOT worse lately, possibly as a reaction to some of his other treatments.

pavlovs_dog

is he hot when he is sweating? or is it random, and unrelated to how hot/cold he feels?

in terms of quick ways to cool down, having something cool against a pulse point can help (eg running cold water over the inside of your wrists).

also, would wet wipes help? i know that some brand or other introduced deo- wipes a while back, but im sure cheap and cheerful ones will work just as well to remove the sweat and help him freshen up a little.

hope you get some answers soon!

Savvy_Sue

I would say it is random, and that it's not set off by temperature - because it starts so SUDDENLY! And then he's just sopping, until it stops.

Although he does generally 'run hot', IYSWIM, in the past overheating just used to set him off scratching.

thanks for the tips about deowipes or wet wipes, I don't see him using anything like that because of it upsetting his skin, I've started passing him a towel because I THINK that if he mops himself up a bit then it seems to stop a bit sooner. Can't be sure about that though.

I think we need to be a bit more forceful with the endocrinologist, TBH, he can't cope with this indefinitely ...

Hapless_2

I know that some people have botox treatment for excessive sweating, no doubt if this would help then the consultant will suggest it. Obviously not to be tried until all other avenues have been exhausted. It can be done privately of course, but again only under Dr recommendation.

pavlovs_dog

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

thanks for the tips about deowipes or wet wipes, I don't see him using anything like that because of it upsetting his skin, I've started passing him a towel because I THINK that if he mops himself up a bit then it seems to stop a bit sooner. Can't be sure about that though.

would cucumber wipes be more mild?

or if push came to shove, a damp/wet flannel or two could be stored in a ziploc type bag, and would have the same affect. of dry flannels even, which would be easier to transport, if he is going to be near a source of cool water.

also, would those cool spray things help? or just add to the problem by making him wetter?

shopndrop

Could you he use Simple wet wipes. I suffer from eczema but can use Simple products without any skin irritation. I also use Menosan Sage Drops from health shop in some water. This has really helped with hot flushes so hopefully might be of some help.