I have suffered from Hyperhidrosis since i was a child. Playing outside in summer i was always drenched in sweat. As a child i never paid much attention to it. As i got older and the need for shaking hands when you meet someone for the first time, and upon every time meeting after that. Becoming romantically involved with someone and the holding hands begin. Or shaking coworkers hands, customers hands, using hand tools. I started noticing my condition and became more and more self continuous about it.
I started avoiding social situations because of all the hand shaking and horse playing that would be expected. I didn't want to be there with my hands sweating, arm pits and my face. HH makes me so uncomfortable being anywhere without constant AC blowing on me. Last summer was disastrous. I tried dry sol before bed every night for almost a month with no relief. So i bought a iontophoresis machine. Treatments were irregular due to the excruciating pain resulting from little cuts or knocks on my hands that i would get while working and i had to stop the treatments.
This summer was even worst so i started doing more research and read about antichlorigenics and ordered oxybutynin and WOW what a relief. I take 5mg before bed on a empty stomach and 5mg in the morning about a hour before i eat. Its safe to say i've never felt this happy, completely dry all over my body. Its like i was living my life inside my head before. Always worrying about my sweating and thinking how much i will miss out on life because this condition makes being social and outgoing almost impossible. A day after feeling the dry effect of this medicine a coworker that i would always find excuses not to hang out outside of work because of my sweating invited me to hang out. I just upped and went no hesitation, I met her sister and the sisters fiance, shook both their hands with a level of confidence i have never experienced before. Before i would think about who else would be there and how much i would be sweating and weather or not they notice. I would spend more of the time just waiting for the day to be over so i could run back to my apartment and sit under the AC. For the first time ever I felt completely comfortable in my own skin.
We went to a Soccer game, i was cheering the whole time, my hands up in the air with no pit stains. I was hi-fiving everybody with dry palms for the first time. Now I take long walks home after work while observing the nature around me, sit and read outside for hours without being drenched in sweat. My anxiety levels have fallen to almost zero. Anyone with HH looking for relief should give this medicine a try. The only side effect is my through is a little dry. But its tolerable.
