Hi everyone, I just wondered whether anyone has experienced something similar to me, and whether they have any advice.
I am a 35 year-old male, and I have been experiencing excessive sweating since probably my late 20s, but I would certainly say I started to notice it becoming a problem when I turned 30 – that's perhaps when it escalated.
Unfortunately, most of the sweating I experience is from my face, and especially my forehand. Therefore it's very difficult to hide. It happens during the day time, and interestingly not really at night (I don't wake up with soaked bed sheets or pillows).
As you'd expect, it's definitely worse in the summer, and if I'm active, but I don't necessarily have to be that active at all. I can be stood in a room in a mildly uncomfortable situation and my body temperature will go through the roof and sweat will start pouring off my forehead.
I am not a particularly nervy person. I have always been quite comfortable with most people, and although yes I do get nervous to some degree, I never really considered that I wasn't able to manage them. But what is now happening is that because I know I'm at risk of being in a sweaty situation, I get more nervous, and then I sweat more. So I'm nervous about being nervous, and I sweat because I'm worried I'm going to sweat – if that makes sense? It's got into my head.
But that's not to say it's all about my nerves. I sweat because my body overheats and I have no control over it.
I work with the public, which I chose to do as I'm usually comfortable meeting new people, so I have to visit people at home, and a house without a window open, and sometimes even without a fan, is a total nightmare to me. I can sit there with sweat pouring from my forehead and I feel so embarrassed and ashamed, which then keeps my temperature high and the problem is even worse. Increasingly, I'm having to avoid social situations, especially in the summer. I'm also avoiding exercise if I know I'm going to run into anybody, or if I'm in company. I used to walk to people's homes, but now it's too embarrassing if I arrive dripping in sweat. Only mild exercise, especially in the summer, can trigger it. I go straight to the toilet upon arrival anywhere and soak my face and neck in cold water, but I can't remain in the toilet for half an hour until I've cooled, and so even when I re-emerge from the toilet, I'm still sweating for a while afterwards.
Things I've noticed are that I sweat more when I go indoors having been outdoors, even if the indoors is possibly cooler. I can sweat for 15 minutes afterwards. I need a tissue to absorb it all.
I also sweat mostly from my face. My back, chest, armpits and feet probably sweat slightly above average, but it's not that bad, and I can live with that. Anti-perspirant deals with armpit sweat quite effectively. What I am struggling to live with is sweating profusely from my forehand in particular.
I sweat less when I'm around my partner or family, which is interesting. What I've concluded is that when I'm around people I'm most familiar with, my temperature doesn't go up. When I meet a new person, or I'm in a social or work situation, it's probably natural to be a little more nervous, as you can't entirely be yourself. I would not be afraid of that now were it not for the sweating, and never was before, as it's just natural and part of life, and I used to take my ability to manage these situations granted. But it only takes a small raise in my temperature, and I start sweating profusely.
A silly comment I made and felt mildly embarrassed, a person flirts with me and I blush, or I am in a room when I know people are looking at me – something work related or social, perhaps. I run for a bus or I walk quickly for ten minutes and then arrive indoors. I bump into someone I haven't seen in a long time and want to be really friendly.
All of these situations are causing me to sweat heavily.
One theory I have is that when I was in my 20s I started using Benzoyl Peroxide lotion for mild acne which I sometimes got on my forehead. For a while before that I used another lotion called Adapaline. Both of these were supposed to clear my pores and make them less likely to become clogged up, which causes spots. It worked really well.
The doctor said that there is no link to having used these topical solutions, but I find it too coincidental that I was experiencing spots on my forehead, which caused me to use these topical solutions, and now it is my forehead that sweats excessively. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
I had blood tests last year and they were fine. I also had a brain scan and it showed my pituitary gland was only slightly out of kilter, but the GP wasn't concerned and put it down to my stressful job. I was prescribed Obaban to apply to my face but I must admit I really don't like it, as it dries my skin and causes itching, and I am quite lazy in applying it.
Does this sound familiar to anyone and do you have any advice about treatment or coping strategies? Is there anything else you think I can do? Would really appreciate any friendly responses from people who've lived with similar issues.
