Advice!

[PeanutCookies]

Hey im 21 years old man and im from the UK,

ive had HH since i can remember but ive just learned to deal with it,

ive got it on my hands and feet sometimes the under the arms but not as much.

unfortunately ive become a little bit of a recluse and find it hard to get to know people due to the HH mainly the handshake is a big deal and the fact i can't interact as much, ive lost alot of friends due to people thinking im rude

i just worry about what others think of me and the fact i feel different from everyone else.

im kinda lost ive tried many things like antiperspirants and botox which i can no longer afford, ive even built a Iontophoresis machine but became a nosense due to the battery charging, the machines are like £400 or more in UK, have not tried medication but i think my doctor thinks its strange as not many people have HH in my area.

i think finding people that accept you for you is very hard to find,

the love life has also been shelved due to my lack of confidence

 

[hyp-hi]

Hi PeanutCookies. Welcome to the forum. You will find lot of people who can relate to exactly what you are going through here. Looks like you have tried several treatment options which is great. You might find that people are more accepting than you think.

 

[Sprawling]

I go through periods where ionto doesn't work as well as it should. Since I participate in several social groups and hand shaking is inevitable. When my hands are just to clammy I'll just tell the handshaker that my hands are drippy, sorry. Most people just oblige, rarely do they ask questions. I'm no longer afraid to tell others of my condition if asked and I freely will tell my friends and friends to be.

 

[ukchick]

"unfortunately ive become a little bit of a recluse and find it hard to get to know people due to the HH mainly the handshake is a big deal and the fact i can't interact as much, ive lost alot of friends due to people thinking im rude "
I can relate to this so much,it's funny how people describe me as impulsive and indecisive.The truth is,I'm always moving about because I'm so worried sweat will show through clothes and sometimes feel affectionate but other times I can't bare to be touched,again,to do with HH.The only time I'm trully relaxed is at home and in my comfort zone.

 

[PeanutCookies]

i find it difficult in the summer to be myself mainly down to the fact everyone i know likes to go into restaurants/fastfood areas and do that sort of thing,

i get very hot in the restaurants, handling money is an issue there's so many things HH effects.

i didn't realize it intill you move out and start supporting yourself...
you just have to do these things. h:

im surprised that the only thing is botox, iontophoresis, medication and antiperspirants

all of these are short term fixes that you need to keep doing

ets is shambolic and is a huge risk to making it worse.

Sprawling ive never had the courage to say that to someone ever lol


anyone find driving hard ? i find it hard gripping the wheel at times :kickingmyself:

 

[ukchick]

I am 40 now and I have never discussed HH with anyone but I wonder if you get slightly more confident as you get older. I have recently started dating after a 20year marriage,I told my date ( after a couple of months) about it,he was so supportive and understanding.It was so important to me that he doesn't feel rejected when I don't want to be touched or held etc.

 

[PeanutCookies]

I am 40 now and I have never discussed HH with anyone but I wonder if you get slightly more confident as you get older. I have recently started dating after a 20year marriage,I told my date ( after a couple of months) about it,he was so supportive and understanding.It was so important to me that he doesn't feel rejected when I don't want to be touched or held etc.

ive had to tell every girl ive been with because some say ew that's gross and some say its no big deal lol if you don't tell them from the start they will want to know why your being so insecure towards them and not holding hands and touching them.

i just struggle with the meeting new people thing like i say first impressions are important and for a guy a wet handshake that looks like im nervous or ill or something doesn't give a good impression :kickingmyself:

 

[Sprawling]

I am 40 now and I have never discussed HH with anyone but I wonder if you get slightly more confident as you get older. I have recently started dating after a 20year marriage,I told my date ( after a couple of months) about it,he was so supportive and understanding.It was so important to me that he doesn't feel rejected when I don't want to be touched or held etc.

I'm not sure if we get more confident as we age or we just learn new tricks. I attempted to date a friend of mine a while back. Her reaction to my hand sweat was less than ideal. I dropped the idea of dating her not just because of the hand sweat thing, it just didn't feel right. We remain best of friends.

What seems to change in time is that we get used to being with whomever we are with and the sweating subsides... at least it did for me with numerous friends, past lovers etc.

 

[Jezza]

Very relatable story, in fact kind of like the blueprint of life with HH I would say. As for advise I think shelling out the cash money for a good ionto machine is worth it. It's a bit (ok, a lot) tedious but it's what worked the best for me in terms of getting my hands dry (have generalised HH so it's not a full solution but it's something).

At the moment I've skipped a bunch of treatments again (summer, so not many important things going on) and it shows immediately but I've found that unlike literally about a dozen of different meds I tried, I still find myself doing ionto regularly and don't bother with the meds.

You'll find tons of topics on here about ionto maintenance schedules that have worked for people on here and personally I believe it can work for anyone although the amount and duration of treatments one needs varies quite a bit which is why some people give up on it (in fact I did too initially as I didn't see results after 10 days, then months later I tried again out of desperation, did daily sessions for three weeks straight and boom...hand dryness for the first time in about a decade). I've bought my ionto machine in '07 and used it off and on for years now...I did have to replace the plates once and the (pricey) adapter but overall that's about 100 Euros/year now (and the Kilowatts technically but who's counting) so it's manageable. I'd say buy a DC one; I've read good and bad stories about AC's effectiveness but DC definitely works and the discomfort is ok, especially after a while.