Anyone experienced this with iontophoresis? I'm scared it might not work...

[Rexus]

OK. First of all, hello everyone, since this is my first post here. I'm a 24 year old male suffering from overall hh (hands,feet,armpits,face,blushing,red ears,lots of heat,etc) and have tried pretty much everything. My experience with iontophoresis however was restricted to Drionic--it did practically nothing besides being a bother (having to put your feet in it and stuff). I recently found a place here that has the rights to sell the Idrostar iontophoresis machine, so I went there today after having done another failed Drionic treatment in the morning.

The offer is like this: they put you for the test, you try it out for days 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, and then 22, in which you should be dry. I'm only doing the test for hands. However, here's my fear: the sweating was harder to come on after the treatment, you know, like you feel a barrier stopping you from sweating when you should be sweating. But eventually, the sweat bursts and starts pouring out in larger quantities than usual. That's why I'm afraid, since my experience with topical treatments was basically like this: I'd feel the sweat being held back for a while, but then it starts bursting. I know it's still early and I'm on day one, but I was on Drionic for a while and had similar experiences (the sweat would be held back a little then it would burst).

So guys and ladies, my fellow hh sufferers, what can you interpret from this? Do you think it will eventually work, or will I be restricted to momentary sweat blockage before it bursts back out. Maybe it's because I have overall hh, and I'm always heated, and things will end up not working no matter what. Overall hh is like when you have hh and say it can't be any worse and then someone tells you overall hh can be worse. It's the worst thing ever. I'm really putting all my hopes in this Idrostar, and I'm looking forward to your comments/suggestions. It will cost me around $600 (welcome to Lebanon) but I'll gladly pay up if it works.

P.S. What's hard water? Would bottled water be considered hard? I want to get hard water since people here are saying it's best.

Much thanks for all your help. Thank you.

 

[HH]

hi rexus, sorry to hear about your troubles. Hard water I think has more minerals in it making it good for iontophoresis, the minerals block the pores. Try to avoid soft or bottled water. People also add salt and other things into the trays (check the forum for details). I think you should have better results with the idrostar as the drionic is a bit rubbish. Good luck with it all

 

[Rexus]

Thanks for your reply. I will definitely try adding salt, since I really don't know how you can get glycopyrrolate.

UPDATE: I woke up today and my hands are literally DRIPPING. My hands used to sweat but never DRIP. Any idea as to why this is? Is my body rejecting ionto and releasing it out of the body? I really can't find a definite explanation.

Thank you again for all those that try and help out with my queries. Lots of love.

 

[hydroman123]

With iontophoresis,the sweating tends to worsen before subsiding. So, just stick with it and you should see results.

 

[Rexus]

Thanks for the reply. I never really knew it got worse. My hands were actually DRIPPING w/ sweat, like dripping off my hand. This never happened to me before. I remember it happening with Drionic a bit, but not to this extent. It was totally scary; I felt my body was rejecting the iontophoresis and gushing the minerals and stuff out of the body.

I am still looking forward to more posts on the subject so that I know more about iontophoresis and reactions to it. Much thanks to those who already posted and to those who will. Thank you.

 

[hydroman123]

Hey Rexus, no one really knows how iontophoresis works. Some say the minerals clog the pores, others think that the current causes a functional disturbance and 'stuns' the glands into not sweating. I tend to agree with the latter since it explains to a certain extent why the sweating worsens initially. So long as it works, I really couldnt care less.
I think you should go with the Idrostar schedule and then gradually increase the frequency and duration of treatments if the results are poor. Dont go adding salt and baking powder from the start since it makes the treatments even more of a hassle. Just stick with it and you WILL see results. Once it works its sooooo worth it. Good luck.

 

[Rexus]

It's really great that you're adding iontophoresis knowledge into the topic, which really should be the point after all. I like the theory about stunning glands into not sweating... very interesting.

UPDATE: I've done my second treament today. I was on Ditropan so I'm not really sure what kept my hands sweat-free throughout the day. I'll be drug free on Friday (two days from now) when it's time for my third session. I wanna see what the results will be. Wish me luck pals.

 

[Rexus]

UPDATE: Done my third treatment today. I really feel something is building up from this, since my hands are starting to feel a bit dry and longer to get set. I'm going to follow but god willing and hopefully it will be the magical solution I have been looking for since I was around 14 (TEN FRICKIN YEARS).

 

[Broch]

I've had it for as long as I remember, and I started ionto 3 years ago. I've found pretty good relief with my homemade device, but for the two weeks build up until it takes effect, my hands start sweating more than normal. Then it just stops.

 

[Rexus]

Thanks for your input. The third treatment held my sweat back and decreased it for most of the day, but today the sweating is back (albeit a little less than previously). I think I need more time doing treatments, and more treatment days. I'm gonna buy it and do it every other day (one day yes one day no); that way I feel I'll be guaranteed it'll stop my sweating.

 

[Jezza]

Hi there,

I've tried ionto about 2 years ago but back then it didn't really work for me...Maybe I quit too soon...I did the initial period as specified in the manual (10 days, 15 min treatments on both polarities) it didn't work. I continued a couple of days but it still didn't work. Than I had to go abroad...I took the machine with me, but didn't really get to doing treatments on a regular basis, and I lost faith in it.

Seeing your succes though, coupled with the amount of posts of some of you and especially the notion 'it took a while but then it just dramatically stopped' I'm thinking it's time I'll grab that undoubtedly rusty Idromed 4 GS out of the dust though. Hell, why not...really, I've tried just about anything else in the meantime...

How do you guys do treatments? Feet and hands at the same time or apart?

 

[Broch]

I use my homemade device, which is basically two pie pans, wires, and two rechargeable 9 volts. I do it for 10 minutes on one polarity, then switch it up for another 10 minutes. Did that every day for 2 weeks and it just stopped completely. After the first week, I wondered if it was really doing anything at all, but I knew I had to stick with it. Now I do a 20 minute maintenance treatment every other day.

I can tell when my hands are "trying" to sweat, because they get really warm and a little uncomfortable, but they don't sweat. I know it's working because my feet still do even when my hands are dry. I'm thinking about making another set to do my feet at the same time so I can wear sandals. It's unheard of for a Floridian to not wear sandals.

 

[skillzx3]

Hey Jezza, please let me know on how your treaments go. Your situation seems wuite similar to mine, and if you can get it to work, it would instill hope in me. I have been doing iontophoresis treaments for about 3 weeks now, with very minimal results. I know its working, but it might as well not be, since the sweat just breaks through when I get nervous or hot, but when I'm cold or really relaxed I am indeed dry (sometimes before I was not). I'm still waiting for the "then the sweating suddenly stopped".

 

[Rexus]

Jezza and skillzx3, I have a few qs:
1) Where are your hyperhidrosis points (where do you have it)?
2) What machines did you use?

Another q to the general:

1) What do you think is the best ionto device?
2) Do you think the regimen set by the company should be followed religiously, as in my case of days 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 22, then I think weekly treatments or every two weeks, not sure.

 

[Jezza]

Rexus;

1) started out palmar/plantar when I was about 13...gradually got worse...now covers other areas too on a regular basis...even the insides of my knees sweat through my trousers sometimes. The sweating is really bad overall, though my hands are not as bad as some literally dripping ones I've seen on a popular video hosting site...Still very wet and completely unacceptable for me socially though.

2) Idromed 4 GS...I've read some people have had succes with it and it gets power through the net as opposed to from batteries which supposedly is a good thing. The equipment shouldn't be the problem.=.

Now, a while ago I participated in an 'outdoor activities' day with some friends...I was quite concerned with the HH being an issue, luckily though it was quite cold which helps just a little, particularly for the 'body' HH. However, there was quite a lot of rope climbing and such things involved, you know that kind of stuff, and the ropes were actually steel cables with some torn ropes on top of them. It was quite abbrasive. After completing some of those 'challenges' I noticed that for a while my hands weren't sweating at all...It struck me as kind of weird, maybe some pain threshold was reached where the sweat signalling stopped or something...???

Anyway, later that evening when we went inside it was back to the dreadful sweating again.

 

[Rexus]

Thanks for the reply Jezza. I can relate your experience with plenty I've had where my sweating acts abnormally--it's just the issue with hh, sometimes you sweat when you should, sometimes when you shouldn't (but mostly shouldn't). I really hope I can form some sort of pattern or a regimen and why so it works using iontophoresis. I really hope I can soon.

 

[skillzx3]

Hey Rexus. My hyperhydrosis problem is most prominently my feet and palms (I do sweat on my back, and underarms, and all around, but nothing extreme) My palms take the cake though, they totally disable my life. My hands also shake when I get nervous, they shake and sweat, its terrible. When I'm dry, I've noticed they never shake (anxiety related, probably not, my palms sweat a lot) Anyways, I have been doin iontophoresis for a while now, and I am pretty sure I have succeeded in making a bit of my palm dry, my fingers still sweat loads, so I guess its working, but not really, I need to make it more effective. Just to let you know, I use up to 60 volts (don't worry, has the potential to be dangerous, but my body resistance is abnormally high, and I only pull in 30mA max, and it still doesn't bother me much) O yea, I live in Vanocuver Canada (the water is extremely soft, it may be the reason ionto is not successful for me as of yet)
I use a homemade machine, basically the same as any commercial device, but no fancy controls.
The best ionto device has to be anything Idromed, I am saying this from research.
The regimen does not have to be followed exactly, what I find is the more treatments the better, but others disagree... but what information I do know of ionto, the more the better.

 

[Rexus]

Maybe, just maybe, a homemade machine might not be as good as a professional one (they're not that nifty, but Idrostar seems nice, and it's good to have it run on batteries, since my drionic got fried from the electric output). I'm getting the Idrostar today since it proved beneficial. My hands are mostly dry and I'm very happy; my feet sweat, but not at all like before; it seems everything is psychologically related, and something as simple as (or complex ) as iontophoresis just solves your problem. I do have to say sweating probably moved mostly to the face, but it just feels great wiping sweat off your face with DRY hands, so I don't mind how much my face sweats. I really hope ionto works out for you, since hands/feet is mostly ionto territory. Topical treatments not working has put me down, but now ionto regained my confidence and I'm glad I FINALLY found something that works... the pain and trouble I could have saved myself for the last ten years had I known. Oh well, thank god I found something now instead of having to live with it for the rest of my life. Feels great to be dry, makes you much more ready to do things/face the world. Even if you go for a jog your hands won't sweat. Do try a professional one if you can save up for one. I'd go for Idrostar (because I have first hand experience)/Idromed 5 PC (because the pulsed current doesn't hurt and they say you can go up to a pretty good amount of mA).

Drionic was crap btw, I'd do daily treatments for a month to have semi-dryness that needed daily treatments. With the Idrostar, I'm guessing one treatment a week would suffice. Thank you o' lord.

 

[Tumblebug]

Rexus.

Can you give me details on making an ionto device