A long battle with Hyperhidrosis

86theHH

Well-known member
I have generalized mild hyperhidrosis on my body and severe plantar hyperhidrosis. It has caused a lot of misery for me. The huge amount of stress and anxiety was debilitating. I would guess that everyone reading this can relate to the emotions that go along with not only dealing with everything that happens with excess sweat, but the sheer lack of desire to go out and interact with people because of the embarrassment and aggravation it brings. The time and money I have spent seeking out something to help me deal with this condition has been another component that has added to my frustration. I have experienced so many emotions that I would not want to experience ever again if possible. I'm hoping the day comes when MiraDry becomes available as a treatment for plantar hyperhidrosis. I would gladly endure nearly any amount of pain if it means ending plantar HH and finally being able to stop doing iontophoresis. It would let me have a little more time put back in my day and give me even more of the quality of life I have been working so hard to attain.

So here is the level of sweating I have dealt with having hyperhidrosis. If I placed a folded paper towel in my shoes, within an hour it would be wet. I'm not talking the kind of wet in which removing the paper towel would have sweat dripping from it, but it would look like it was given a few sprays from a spray bottle. That was the result of me simply sitting in a chair in room that was never warmer than 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

:reading:If baking soda is being added to the water, then be sure to soak the aluminum trays in vinegar overnight at least once a week when you're done. In the morning, scrub them with a scrubbing sponge. This removes the buildup that accumulates on the aluminum from the baking soda. If you don't, then the buildup on the aluminum will increase the resistance on your aluminum.:thumbdown:This results in less electricity flowing to your skin and will reduce the effectiveness of iontophoresis.

I began using a homemade iontophoresis setup in 2012 consisting of:
  • a variable 30 Volt DC power supply
  • plastic trays with aluminum foil folded to make 3 layers
  • 2 test leads with alligator clips on each end
  • salt - 3 Tbsp
  • baking soda - 3 Tbsp
  • tap water - enough to rise up just above the soles of my feet
I heat the water in a pot and add the baking soda and salt because they dissolve much easier in hot water. Then, I pour it into my ionto trays.

My sessions using this equipment:
  • Four 15 minute sessions, switching polarity at each session
  • 20-30 Volts depending on my pain threshold
  • Daily sessions for 4 weeks

I did maintenance every 4-5 days of four 15 minute sessions.

This helped with the plantar hyperhidrosis. I was able to reduce it enough so that my feet were sweating at a normal amount. I was prescribed glycopyrrolate by my dermatologist to handle my generalized hyperhidrosis.

My methodology for making glyco help my generalized HH:
  • 2 mg in the morning on an empty stomach. No food for 2 hours after taking the glyco

30-60 minutes after taking the glyco, I would feel a reduction in from my hands.
3-4 hours after taking the glyco, was the peak of sweat reduction. I could rest my arms on the table without having them stick to the surface of the table. Overall sweat reduction was pretty good. Although my mouth was dry, I chewed gum to handle that issue. The drying effects usually lasted about 5 hours past the peak with the effectiveness tapering off gradually around 3 hours after peak dryness.

The most difficult part of taking glyco, was holding off on eating in the morning. If I ate anything before or after taking glyco, the sweat reduction was not as nearly as much compared to taking it on an empty stomach. I tried doing 4 mg of glyco, but my vision began to blur. That was scary and I never did it again.

Because I travel on business and like taking vacations, taking a large DC power supply with me was out of the question. I decided to cough up the money in 2015 and purchase a Hidrex DVP1000. This made traveling with ionto much easier. I use baking soda in my water. I use hot water then toss in the baking soda which dissolves easier in the hot water.

My sessions using a SKYTOPPOWER STP6005H DC Converter
  • Four to six 15 minute sessions, switching polarity at each session
  • 30-60 volts.
  • Daily sessions for 3 weeks
    Maintenance is done every 4 days with 4-6 fifteen minute sessions (switching polarity of course)

Equipment used
  • SKYTOPPOWER STP6005H DC Converter
  • Alligator clip test leads with banana connectors
  • 2 Aluminum trays
  • Small rectangular towels to cover the aluminum trays

Water solution:
  • baking soda - 1 Tablespoon
  • tap water - enough to wet the soles of my feet

Since my HH was being managed even better, I decided to experiment with my sessions, length of time, amount of time per session, and frequency. Here is what I learned:

Increasing the amount of time per session is not helpful
I did two 30 minute sessions and I could not achieve the results I wanted (with a reversal of polarity).
I did two 45 minute sessions and still could not achieve the results I wanted.
These sessions were done for 4 weeks each. (with a reversal of polarity)

Setting the session time to 12 minutes, switching polarity, and increasing the daily sessions produced the results I wanted faster
I did 4-6 consecutive sessions daily and began getting a reduction in sweat in a week.
I was able to attain the results I wanted in 3 weeks instead of 4 or more weeks.
I would guess the sweet spot for the session time is from 10-15 minutes. I have no desire to deviate from that.


So with those results in mind, I think that the mechanism responsible for iontophoresis causing a reduction in sweat is it likely stuns or overstimulates sweat glands or nerves in direct contact with the water. There is a gradual increase in sweat production each day that passes beyond the 4 day scheduled maintenance. If enough days pass, I end up back with severely sweaty feet and the misery that goes along with it.

To help prevent my skin from cracking due to dry skin, I use Healthy Feet. O'Keeffe's for Healthy Feet Foot Cream, 3.2 oz., Jar - Foot Creams - Amazon.com
Out of all the products I've tried this has worked the best. I put it on after I shower in the morning and after I shower at night.
 
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Sprawling

Well-known member
Thank you for sharing your experiences with ionto 86theHH.

As for me it's plantar palmer HH. Full body at times during warmer months especially butt and groin area. Socks can get pretty wet. Some years I can wear sandals, other years I can't. Been living with this infliction for over 50+ years. I had to learn to be social and push aside the HH. Can't say it was easy. It got easier once I started telling family, friends and strangers about HH. It took away the shame of sliming someone factor. MOST people are pretty understanding.

My regiment is rather simple. Pulsed current with 4 warm water filled plastic trays, 2 with aluminum foil folded over several times, 2 with grill liners. No particular reason for the mixture of the two. Just laziness of getting more grill liners. Aluminum foil folded several time works just fine. I have gone through phases of covering my feet entirely with water.... wet sox can accomplish the same. I always have had my hands entirely submerged in water to cover the palms, sides and back.

2 top trays connected by a wire with alligator clips, same done on the bottom. This way I can treat both hands and feet at the same time. Maintenance is done every 4-5 days or so. 15 minutes each polarity. I use a small pulsed galvanic unit that's very small and portable that cost $140 or so. Can be used with a 9 volt battery, or plug. More than enough power. Salt or baking soda never really helped me. Sometimes I rub Antihydral on my hands before treatment.

I've used up to 2 gallons of water per treatment, currently use a gallon. Less water compared to more water never effected my treatment. I prefer warm water treatment over HOT or COLD. Either never made a difference on outcome for me. It comes down to personal comfort. Half tap/half rain water seems to work best in Nevada. Straight tap works just fine in Utah.

Been doing treatment since 2005. It's a pain in the *** yet for the most part it's pretty effective. Gone through periods of time where it hasn't been effective for some unknown reason.

I guess we all do the best we can do. Who knows if I'll experience a miracle cure in my lifetime.
 

86theHH

Well-known member
Wow! Dealing with HH for 50+ years must have been something that wore you down. I know how I've felt over the years that I've struggled with it. It took me 11 years before I realized my level of sweating was abnormal. After I found out about HH, it took me a couple years before I was able to stumble across iontophoresis. It was about a year before I told anyone in my family about the condition. How long did you take before telling your family or friends about the HH?

Since you're able to treat both your hands and feet with the same voltage, that's pretty convenient! There is no way that I could even come close to the same voltage on my hands that I use for my feet! I can use about 23 volts if it's pulsed. My biggest concern are my feet, so I don't typically treat my hands.

I'm glad to hear that you've been able to get 17 years worth of relief from HH using ionto. If I hear any news about approval for MiraDry to treat palmar/plantar, I'll let you know.
 

Jadal

Member
Guys Sprawling and 86theHH

Any truth to this suggestion made in reddit about using cement for Palmar hyperhidrosis, read below;

https://www.reddit.com/r/Hyperhidrosis/comments/27mhi6/palmar_hyperhidrosis_and_cures/

THIS IS HIM 3 YEARS AGO COMMENTING!
mavaction 3 points 3 years ago*
(I'm gonna write this long reply here for all the palm people and copy it to later posts...Might make a post of it as well)
As someone with facial sweating I always envy the palmar folk. Seems like no big deal. Yet you all seem to suffer as much as anybody.
So here's my palmar plan. It's what I would try if I had it. ...totally untested on palmar hyperhidrosis. But it is hard to imagine it not helping. It is low risk...Extremely inexpensive. A lifetime supply would only cost a few bucks.
I have tried it on my face but it is hard to apply it and you don't want it your hair...But I get it on my hands all the time and it dries them like nothing else.
Concrete.
Working with concrete and thinset will dry your hands until they absolutely wrinkle up. After a session the skin on your hands can't even produce the slightest tack. It is to the point that people who get it search for remedies for overly dry hands.
Concrete cement has caustic alkaline ingredients that probably act just like antiperspirants (Aluminum chloride, Aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine, Aluminum chlorohydrate, Aluminum hydroxybromide) but like cranked to 11.
IT WILL BURN A LITTLE. Concrete makes a slight burning sensation after a while. It does not however continue to escalate.
I would mix a small batch to a paste, not watery. I would work it on and off my hands a few times and then leave some on for a while like ten to twenty minutes. If possible I would let a thin coat stay on hands and dry up completely before washing it off.
I'd then see how well it performed and start tweaking the application until I found a balance between quick and easy application vs time involved while keeping an eye on the effectiveness.
If you have soft, unworked hands I would go easy the first few times. The mild burning and extreme desiccation might be too much for the inexperienced.
If it ends up working you could kill two birds with one stone by actually playing with concrete and making crafts...concrete is fun. Instant rock, just add water.
A note on materials. The active stuff in concrete mixes is called Portland cement. I have yet to try using pure portland on myself as concrete does the job and the sand and stone in concrete may play a role...
Portland cement: a very fine caustic alkaline powder, active ingredient in concrete/cement mixes.
Concrete: a mix of portland, sand and rocks.
Sand mix: portland and sand, no rocks.
Thinset: fine cement mix with some add polymers to make it flexible.
All of these have dried my hands to insane levels.
Buying and storing. The stuff is so cheap you should buy a small amount so you don't break your back. 80lb bag is about $4. Don't lift the 80lb bag...you will mess up you back...Try to find 40lb or 25lb.
Don't buy stuff with special properties or advertising as it might have other things in it. Avoid extra strength, flexibility, fast setting...just get the conventional stuff.
Concrete is meant to be used soon. It is packed in paper bags. Exposure to the air and the humidity will harden it and probably deactivate the caustic alkaline materials.
So put your therapeutic concrete in some air tight containers if you want it to last. Plastic bottles or jars or something...
For myself I have only intentionally tried concrete on my face. Definitely works a bit but I have not left it on my face for the same durations as on my hands.
IF IT WORKS FOR YOU PLEASE LET ME AND OTHERS KNOW!!! Reply here or post your results to this sub.
EDIT: One more warning about 1st exposure. Be careful and treat mildly the first few times to understand your limits. Overdoing it can result in "cement burns". I only speak from experience that messing with concrete can create discomforting dry hands, even mild burns but nothing requiring medical attention. Intentionally overdoing it could be problematic, especially if you have never played with concrete before. So go easy at first. Read up on "cement burns" as a precaution. LMGTFY cement burns

THIS IS HIM AGAIN 5 MONTHS AGO COMMENTING
https://www.reddit.com/r/Hyperhidrosis/comments/60zo05/i_avoid_all_physical_contact/
mavaction 2 points 5 months ago
NOT A DOCTOR. BUT.
Try working with cement. Yea... concrete. Gives you insanely dried up hands. My problem is face sweating. But my hands are almost always very dry. When I work with concrete, grout and thinset...my hands get crazy dry. For hours...even into days.
It's like drysol on steroids... Unfortunately the face is much more sensitive to it and drysol is not recommended for the face. The face and scalp burn more easily.
Go easy at first. Don't overdo it. Main potential drawback is cement-burns (look it up). But these usually happen when the skin is abraded and then infected. That is the only mild danger.
People work with concrete all around the world. It is generally safe.
A concrete or cement project is enough for just the incidental contact to dry up your hands pretty good.
If no project... try just wetting some and coat your hands. Rub it in a bit. Try 5 minutes...then 10 etc... Check results and see how long a treatment lasts.
And the price...what could be cheaper... 80lbs costs like 4 bucks.
Tile work involves thinset and grout and these will have same effect but a little more expensive. But you could make some neat tile projects and come out with a table and crazy dry hands....
(I would not use pre-mixed wet thinset...I don't know what's in it. You want the fine dry powdery thinset, like versabond...it has cement, polymers and fine aggregate.)
The active drying agent in all of these is Portland cement. You can buy straight portland...but it's like 10x stronger...(concrete is sand, rocks and like 15% portland)...so be careful with pure portland. Any potential burns would happen quicker.
edit: very fine powder....don't breathe it.
PS... Let me/us know if you try it and how it works for you.
 
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Sprawling

Well-known member
I worked with tile grout for over 25 years and it did nothing for my hands. Battery acid might do wonders, maybe try amputation, or even sticking your hands in a meat grinder might work. The problem is that the sweating will most likely go somewhere else as is the case with ETS.
 

Jadal

Member
I worked with tile grout for over 25 years and it did nothing for my hands. Battery acid might do wonders, maybe try amputation, or even sticking your hands in a meat grinder might work. The problem is that the sweating will most likely go somewhere else as is the case with ETS.

:giggle:well said sprawling, well said
 

almoore86

New member
I've tried homemade voltage type things like that as well, unfortunately I've had absolutely no luck with them. I've gone in to doctors for formal sessions like that too, and have even tried completely experimental things my doctor has suggested. Honestly nothing has worked from those types of things but I have actually had some luck with Certain Dri antiperspirant. I use the Clinical Prescription Strength formula and if I put it on at night before going to bed, I see results for a few days at a time. It's potentially the most successful product I've tried for my hyperhidrosis/excessive sweating. They make 3 different products to suit your needs so its not a one size fits all situation. Definitely give it a shot if you haven't already https://www.certaindri.com/content/15-products
 

Sprawling

Well-known member
They make 3 different products to suit your needs so its not a one size fits all situation. Definitely give it a shot if you haven't already https://www.certaindri.com/content/15-products

I've used and tried Certain Dri and higher aluminum % products numerous times for my hands applying it the night before. In the morning it would last 2-3 hours at the most. I've also used it while doing ionto treatments.

Applied to the underarms the 12% stuff works for days. I rarely use anything for my underarms these days, maybe 6 times a year.

If it helps you, that's great!
 

kittymoon

Member
I also have this problem since I was a kid. Sometimes my hands and feet would sweat for no reason or maybe if I am in a situation I feel uncomfortable in. It's so embarrassing sometimes. I use this deodorant called Driclor. Very cheap at $20 for 75 ml. 20 percent aluminum chloride hexahydrate is quite strong. However, I found myself itching on the hands during the day (which I have been told is totally normal).
 

Sprawling

Well-known member
Itching is normal for those who like a good scratch. Aluminum chloride products don't usually work for most people for any length of time. Kittymoon, you might be one of the lucky ones. Scratch away.
 
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