Iontophoresis - No working/Heartbroken - please help

Hi,

I am a 30 year old male and ever since I stopped taking narcotics (around 4 years ago) I developed hyperhidrosisis just in the feet. It has taken me 3 hellacious years to save/afford an iontophoresis machine and I have been using it for the past 3 weeks but nothing has happened, in fact the last week or so have been my worst since I first developed this which is saying something. I am spending £150+ a month on shoes alone not to mention the creams/powders/insoles etc.

I honestly cannot go on with this problem anymore, it is no longer ruining my life but it HAS ruined it. People at work are laughing at me and openly making jokes about the odour but the irony is I spend 70+ minutes in the bathroom every morning, I even bleach my feet. I just can’t go on with it and the fact this machine – a DE20 – is not helping is pretty soul destroying.

I need some help as I was told by the spe******t that there are no other treatment options which is heartbreaking. Not only has the sweating got really bad the last couple of weeks but the feet are now throbbing and literally a new pair of shoes lasts just 1 week max before I chuck them. If it helps, I am adding half tablespoon of baking soda to each tray with the tray ¼ full of warm water, 20 minutes on each current and I am now maxed out on the power levels

Are there anyother options for me?
Am I doing something wrong with the machine?
Is there a longer timescale for this treatment to work if you have it severe like myself?

Please, somebody help as I am contemplating giving up my job and my life as people think I am a tramp which is the complete opposite.

Hi Dave, thank you for sharing your experience. I know it can be very uncomfortable when the feet sweat so much. Maybe you have tried it, but I found by adding baking soda to the insides of the shoes and letting it absorb and then vacuuming it out with an extension helps remove the smell from the shoes.

For ionto, I only use it for hands, but it can take some weeks to work. How often are you doing the treatments? Sometimes it can be good to take a day or two off in between treatments.

I know work can also be very uncomfortable when your feet are sweating and it seems there is no way to stop it. If you only sweat from the feet, you might be able to do botox treatments for this area. It might be worth looking into if the ionto does not work.

Feet are a hard area to treat. Ionto may take a couple of months. Odd to have just the feet and not the hands sweat.
You may also want to purchase some AntiHydral which is a pretty powerful topical meant for the feet.

You can purchase it here:
http://shop.foosball.com/antihydral.html

Dehydral can be used if Antihydral can't be shipped to you. Dehydral is a weaker version of Antihydral.

Hi Dave,

Sorry to hear about your struggles. You are not alone! There are so many possibilities to still explore to get this figured out. Iontophoresis is certainly not the only treatment available.

I'd be inclined to encourage you to keep up with the iontophoresis device for another month before giving up hope on it. You might try adding an anticholinergic drug like glycopyrrolate to the water you use with your iontophoresis, as studies have shown this to be more effective: Iontophoresis with glycopyrrolate for the treatment of palmoplantar... - PubMed - NCBI

If you still find it's ineffective after all that time, perhaps there's a money-back option on it depending on where you bought it? Or you could try to sell it online to get your money back. Different iontophoresis machines have variable levels of success for people, so a different brand of machine might have a different impact. Just a thought.

Anticholinergics are also available as oral medications to help reduce sweating ... you need a prescription for them in the U.S., but they might be available over the counter where you live. Brand names include: Robinul or Avert (generic version is glycopyrrolate), or Ditropan (generic version is oxybutynin). I've been on 4mg/day of glycopyrrolate for many years for excessive sweating in my hands, feet, and armpits; it is not a total cure for me, but has reduced sweating in my armpits by 90%, my feet by 70%, and my hands by 40-50%. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Botox is definitely an option, too. I've only had Botox done in my hands before, not my feet, but it was a 100% miracle cure for me, albeit a temporary one. It is expensive and must be re-injected every six months or so, but sometimes the procedure is covered by insurance companies. Here's one person's testimonial on having it done to his feet several years ago: My first Botox treatment for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). As the author of that article mentions, the International Hyperhidrosis Society sometimes has volunteer sessions available where you can receive Botox for free.

The topical treatments that Sprawling mentions are definitely worth a try, too.

As for your job, maybe consider talking to your boss and explaining the medical condition you're dealing with? Depending on what your job is, perhaps there is an opportunity to work from home, or at least take a medical leave of absence until you are able to get a handle on your sweating. Also, if you're not doing so already, I highly recommend absorbent cotton or lightweight wool socks, rather than synthetic ones.

Do not give up hope!