[A]

A on March 8, 2020 at 5:53 am #8695

Hi,

I'm 16 years old and I have severe hyperhidrosis, mainly in my hands and feet, but for me it's not my feet that are the problem.
My mother told me that when I was a baby, I sweater so much that a rotted all the fabric on my baby seat, and to be honest my sweating hasn't really gotten any better since then.
My hands swear I'd say 90-95% of the time, and often they sweat so much that they actually drop.
I'm extremely self conscious, so it doesn't help when my brothers think it's funny to show me up!
But this makes school particularly hard.
I love writing and drawing, but my hands sweat so much that they soak the paper and dilute or smudge the ink or pencil.
I have to say that I spilt water on my page by accident.
Thank God we wear a dark uniform, because I'm constantly having to try and dry my hands on my trousers.
I'm missing school today because we're doing a dance which requires holding hands, and I just can't bear the idea of being so ashamed when people give me funny looks or dry their hands after touching me.
I can't bear shaking hands with people, and try to avoid it at all costs.
My sweating has even stopped me from wearing clothes I love, or bring in mugs of tea for people because I can't grip the handle properly my hands are so soaking.
Just writing this has made my hands start sweating and I keep having to dry my keyboard.
I'm trying an iontophoresis machine my mum and dad made with two metal (aluminium?) trays, crocodile clips and a big battery.
I try to use it regularly, but it's hard to because I either often forget to or I'm scared to because very often it's sore or gives me electric shocks!
And one time I accidentally let the trays touch and it burnt the carpet a bit!
Is it worth investing in a proper machine?
Antiperspirants done work on my hands, and I really really don't want to get botox.
Please, any advice or tips are welcome.
I have a few jobs I'd like to do in mind, but I can't dream of doing them if my hands are like this.

Thanks,
A

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[Stephanie]

Stephanie on March 14, 2020 at 5:59 pm #8740

Oh you sound like me when I was 16 (now 28). Same problems. I’d wear long sleeves a lot to try and let them cover my hands some, especially my palm while writing. My dermatologist prescribed me oxybutynin and it has helped, but has side effects of dry mouth, dry eyes, drowsiness. Now I’ve been reading it is associated with a higher risk of dementia. So I would advise going to a dermatologist and discussing all options. I tried Botox but my fingertips would still sweat and it was PAINFUL! Hoping for better treatment options for us in the future 🙁

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[A]

A on March 26, 2020 at 11:58 am #8860

Hi Stephanie,
Oops! Meant sweated instead of sweater, and sweat not swear 😂
I really don't want to go down the botox route, and I heard surgery can be very dangerous.
I think I'll see a dermatologist.
I hope so too, people don't realise the utter embarrassment of this condition and don't take it seriously enough!

Thanks,
A

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[A]

A on March 26, 2020 at 11:58 am #8861

I can't believe the amount on mistakes on my post, how embarrassing! I was sick and desperate at the time. Corrected version:

Hi,

I'm 16 years old and I have severe hyperhidrosis, mainly in my hands and feet, but for me it's not my feet that are the problem.
My mother told me that when I was a baby, I sweated so much that I rotted all the fabric on my baby seat, and to be honest my sweating hasn't really gotten any better since then.
My hands sweat I'd say 90-95% of the time, and often they sweat so much that they actually drip.
I'm extremely self conscious, so it doesn't help when my brothers think it's funny to show me up!
But this makes school particularly hard.
I love writing and drawing, but my hands sweat so much that they soak the paper and dilute or smudge the ink or pencil.
I have to say that I spilt water on my page by accident.
Thank God we wear a dark uniform, because I'm constantly having to try and dry my hands on my trousers.
I'm missing school today because we're doing a dance which requires holding hands, and I just can't bear the idea of being so ashamed when people give me funny looks or dry their hands after touching me.
I can't bear shaking hands with people, and try to avoid it at all costs.
My sweating has even stopped me from wearing clothes I love, or bringing in mugs of tea for people because I can't grip the handle properly my hands are so soaking.
Just writing this has made my hands start sweating and I keep having to dry my keyboard.
I'm trying an iontophoresis machine my mum and dad made with two metal (aluminium?) trays, crocodile clips and a big battery.
I try to use it regularly, but it's hard to because I either often forget to or I'm scared to because very often it's sore or gives me electric shocks!
And one time I accidentally let the trays touch and it burnt the carpet a bit!
Is it worth investing in a proper machine?
Antiperspirants don't work on my hands, and I really really don't want to get botox.
Please, any advice or tips are welcome.
I have a few jobs I'd like to do in mind, but I can't dream of doing them if my hands are like this.

Thanks,
A

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[S]

S on April 19, 2020 at 10:05 pm #9065

Hi A,

I too have severe hyperhidrosis. It mainly affects my hands and feet too, but I have it all over my body really.

When I was a child, I remember having very sweaty hands in school, marking the paper with damp patches, and waving my hands under the table, trying to cool my hands down and stop the sweating. I also remember sharing PlayStation controls with my Dad and friends and not realising that it being soaked was not normal.

As I got older, I also remember beads of sweat running down my sides from my armpits before I hit puberty and from there it never really stopped.

I regularly left patches on the plastic chairs in school. I had to try to stand up and put my bag on the chair to pack things away in one swift motion so nobody could see the marks. I would then move the bad about a bit hoping it would remove the marks, or if not if anybody saw it, I could just say the bottom of my bag must be wet.

I could not wear grey clothes and tried to wear specific fabrics to hide the patches under my arms being so visible.

Then there was the contact with people. Shaking hands for job interviews destroyed any confidence I had. All I could think about was trying to cool my hands before going into the interview, then worrying about what they thought after they shook my hand. Then spending the rest of the interview waving my hands under the desk again worrying about the handshake before I left the room.

I once decided to ask not to shake people's hands in a new job I started due to having a ‘skin condition'. This helped me with my anxiety with meeting new people. But when I got to know people well, they asked me about it and said they thought I was odd when they first met me because of it.

When I was around your age I went to the doctors and told them about my hyperhidrosis. They prescribed me a strong roll on anti-perspirant to use on my armpits and my hands, which did not work at all.

I also went to hospital twice for iontophoresis treatment, but I stopped going because it was not feasible for me to get there. I could not drive due to my age and I did not want to tell anyone about the condition or why I needed to go to hospital. So, I cannot say if that treatment is worth pursuing as an effective remedy because I did not go enough times to give it a change to work.

My doctor eventually prescribed me a drug called oxybutynin hydrochloride, which is primarily used for bladder control. I take 5mg twice daily, and it really has changed my life.

It basically dries you out, so there are downsides to this. I get a dry mouth, and I need to drink a lot more. It does affect my sleep because I wake up just needing to swill some water around my mouth because it is bone dry. For an hour or so after taking each tablet it does make me feel tired and lethargic.

However, my hyperhidrosis now is very controlled. I do not normally sweat from my hands, and if I feel my feet starting to sweat when I am barefoot, putting a pair of socks on normally stop this. I am not sure why this is, but my feet seem less prone to sweating when they are covered and not bare. I do not wear flip flops because of this reason.

My armpits are much drier, and I feel confident wearing shirts and grey colours, something I would not do before due to the patches it would show.

I am from the UK, so I know this drug is available here, but unsure if you are anywhere else.

I do not know if this will help you or not, but I hope it does. IF you have any questions at all please ask.

Best of luck,

S.

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[S]

S on April 20, 2020 at 12:58 am #9067

Hi A,

I too have severe hyperhidrosis. It mainly affects my hands and feet too, but I have it all over my body really.

When I was a child, I remember having very sweaty hands in school, marking the paper with damp patches, and waving my hands under the table, trying to cool my hands down and stop the sweating. I also remember sharing PlayStation controls with my Dad and friends and not realising that it being soaked was not normal.

As I got older, I also remember beads of sweat running down my sides from my armpits before I hit puberty and from there it never really stopped.

I regularly left patches on the plastic chairs in school. I had to try to stand up and put my bag on the chair to pack things away in one swift motion so nobody could see the marks. I would then move the bad about a bit hoping it would remove the marks, or if not if anybody saw it, I could just say the bottom of my bag must be wet.

I could not wear grey clothes and tried to wear specific fabrics to hide the patches under my arms being so visible.

Then there was the contact with people. Shaking hands for job interviews destroyed any confidence I had. All I could think about was trying to cool my hands before going into the interview, then worrying about what they thought after they shook my hand. Then spending the rest of the interview waving my hands under the desk again worrying about the handshake before I left the room.

I once decided to ask not to shake people's hands in a new job I started due to having a ‘skin condition'. This helped me with my anxiety with meeting new people. But when I got to know people well, they asked me about it and said they thought I was odd when they first met me because of it.

When I was around your age I went to the doctors and told them about my hyperhidrosis. They prescribed me a strong roll on anti-perspirant to use on my armpits and my hands, which did not work at all.

I also went to hospital twice for iontophoresis treatment, but I stopped going because it was not feasible for me to get there. I could not drive due to my age and I did not want to tell anyone about the condition or why I needed to go to hospital. So, I cannot say if that treatment is worth pursuing as an effective remedy because I did not go enough times to give it a change to work.

My doctor eventually prescribed me a drug called oxybutynin hydrochloride, which is primarily used for bladder control. I take 5mg twice daily, and it really has changed my life.

It basically dries you out, so there are downsides to this. I get a dry mouth, and I need to drink a lot more. It does affect my sleep because I wake up just needing to swill some water around my mouth because it is bone dry. For an hour or so after taking each tablet it does make me feel tired and lethargic.

However, my hyperhidrosis now is very controlled. I do not normally sweat from my hands, and if I feel my feet starting to sweat when I am barefoot, putting a pair of socks on normally stop this. I am not sure why this is, but my feet seem less prone to sweating when they are covered and not bare. I do not wear flip flops because of this reason.

My armpits are much drier, and I feel confident wearing shirts and grey colours, something I would not do before due to the patches it would show.

I am from the UK, so I know this drug is available here, but unsure if you are anywhere else.

I do not know if this will help you at all, but I hope it does. If you have any questions then please do ask.

Best of luck,

S.

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[Bell]

Bell on April 27, 2020 at 8:11 am #9099

You can make your own machine and it works. At least it did for me.
Get two foil pans. Put that rubber drawer liner in each to cover bottom and go over one edge.
But a laptop charger and buy a connector that will clip to the edge of the pan.
Fill pan up with water to just cover your hands. You can put your hands and feet in if u want. Add a sprinkle of baking soda to the water.
Then turn on power and do 15 min and after 15 switch the clips to the other pan and do another 15min.
If u have any cuts it will hurt don’t put that part in water or u can try Vaseline.
You will feel a tingle and u know it’s working. Do every other day. After about a month u will no longer sweat at all. Be very dry but that’s better anyway.
But u have to keep doing every 1-2 days some people can go longer. Some if u go longer totally comes back and u have to go back to every other day.
Good luck. Try it. And don’t give up takes about 4 weeks to kick in.

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[Jessie]

Jessie on June 9, 2020 at 1:24 am #9263

For the mean time you can try baking soda. You may not realize how baking soda functions as an antiperspirant and deodorant. Because baking soda is alkaline, it can reduce sweating and make sweat evaporate quickly.  You can also use over the counter antiperspirants. Antiperspirants are commonly associated with underarm sweating, but these are also effective for stopping perspiration in different areas of the body, including the hands. If you have problems with excessive sweating, apply antiperspirant to your hands to reduce wetness and clamminess. Antiperspirants work best when you apply them at night because it gives your hands more time to absorb them.

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[S]

S on November 1, 2020 at 9:30 am #9066

Hi A,

I too have severe hyperhidrosis. It mainly affects my hands and feet too, but I have it all over my body really.

When I was a child, I remember having very sweaty hands in school, marking the paper with damp patches, and waving my hands under the table, trying to cool my hands down and stop the sweating. I also remember sharing PlayStation controls with my Dad and friends and not realising that it being soaked was not normal.

As I got older, I also remember beads of sweat running down my sides from my armpits before I hit puberty and from there it never really stopped.

I regularly left patches on the plastic chairs in school. I had to try to stand up and put my bag on the chair to pack things away in one swift motion so nobody could see the marks. I would then move the bad about a bit hoping it would remove the marks, or if not if anybody saw it, I could just say the bottom of my bag must be wet.

I could not wear grey clothes and tried to wear specific fabrics to hide the patches under my arms being so visible.

Then there was the contact with people. Shaking hands for job interviews destroyed any confidence I had. All I could think about was trying to cool my hands before going into the interview, then worrying about what they thought after they shook my hand. Then spending the rest of the interview waving my hands under the desk again worrying about the handshake before I left the room.

I once decided to ask not to shake people's hands in a new job I started due to having a ‘skin condition'. This helped me with my anxiety with meeting new people. But when I got to know people well, they asked me about it and said they thought I was odd when they first met me because of it.

When I was around your age I went to the doctors and told them about my hyperhidrosis. They prescribed me a strong roll on anti-perspirant to use on my armpits and my hands, which did not work at all.

I also went to hospital twice for iontophoresis treatment, but I stopped going because it was not feasible for me to get there. I could not drive due to my age and I did not want to tell anyone about the condition or why I needed to go to hospital. So, I cannot say if that treatment is worth pursuing as an effective remedy because I did not go enough times to give it a change to work.

My doctor eventually prescribed me a drug called oxybutynin hydrochloride, which is primarily used for bladder control. I take 5mg twice daily, and it really has changed my life.

It basically dries you out, so there are downsides to this. I get a dry mouth, and I need to drink a lot more. It does affect my sleep because I wake up just needing to swill some water around my mouth because it is bone dry. For an hour or so after taking each tablet it does make me feel tired and lethargic.

However, my hyperhidrosis now is very controlled. I do not normally sweat from my hands, and if I feel my feet starting to sweat when I am barefoot, putting a pair of socks on normally stop this. I am not sure why this is, but my feet seem less prone to sweating when they are covered and not bare. I do not wear flip flops because of this reason.

My armpits are much drier, and I feel confident wearing shirts and grey colours, something I would not do before due to the patches it would show.

I am from the UK, so I know this drug is available here, but unsure if you are anywhere else.

I do not know if this will help you at all, but I hope it does. If you have any questions then please do ask.

Best of luck,

S.

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[Steve]

Steve on December 11, 2020 at 7:53 am #11140

Living with nonstop sweaty hands can make you feel conscious. Greeting others with a handshake might be an everyday nightmare. People who don’t experience sweaty hands have no problem extending their hands. But if your hands are constantly wet, something as simple as shaking hands can bring you anxiety.

In managing this, you can use antiperspirants. Although they are commonly associated with underarm sweating,  these are also effective for stopping perspiration in different areas of the body, including the hands. If you have problems with excessive sweating, apply antiperspirant to your hands to reduce wetness. Remember that antiperspirants work best when you apply them at night because it gives your hands more time to absorb them.

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[Eliot]

Eliot on March 1, 2021 at 1:48 am #12524

Dear Hyperhidrosis sufferers,

I am writing this post to you all with dry palms and fingers without glycopolrate or botox shots; a feat I thought impossible without such treatments. Thank god I never got ETS surgery a mistake I feel would have ruined my life more than the disease itself. I am writing to you give you hope the closest thing to a permanent cure for your palmar hyperhidrosis better than botox or glycopolrate. Palmar hyperhidrosis is one of the worst things that can happen to a person, trust me i've been thru a lot of bad things in my life but the way this disease breaks you down mentally, affects the way you act and percieve the world is beyond words everyday is a struggle everyday is a shitty day there are no happy moments just a path towards terror, anxiety, self doubt, and resentment that increases with time. Now that my hands are dry I can clearly see who I am, become who I want to be think calmly and live life like everyone else. Instead of searching on the web answers for my palmar hyperhidrosis at this time I am writing to give you the answer. Finally after 18yrs of suffering hell on earth searching and trying different treatments and alienating myself from other because of this disease I am happy! The answer is ANTIHYDRAL.

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[Mahir]

Mahir on May 2, 2021 at 7:07 am #13698

Can I contact you on social media please, I have some questions, I'm suffering from this disease..

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[No sweating]

No sweating on July 11, 2021 at 7:29 am #16735

Hi friends.
I had the same problem for many years. I made a good and cheap machine. It really helps me. Now my hands are dry! I can live, shake hands and so on. I sell many such machines and all buyers are happy.

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[Mina Lee]

Mina Lee on November 14, 2022 at 12:47 am #28198

To all those who are silently suffering from hyperhidrosis, please know that it’s Ok to seek for medical intervention.
Hyperhidrosis is when there’s an excessive sweating that is not due to heat or doing strenuous activity such as exercise.
Although heat or one’s emotion can trigger excessive sweating, people who have Hyperhidrosis sweat all the time regardless of the weather or their emotion.
Aside from ruining my normal daily activities, having sweaty hands cause me social anxiety and embarrassment. Most of the time it affects how I interact and socialize with people that I work with. I am scared of shaking hands all the time.
Our family doctor prescribed an over the counter antiperspirant lotion. And it helps a lot with my sweaty hands problem.

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